Posted on 06/08/2011 7:43:47 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
They don’t call it Government Motors for nothing, you know:
General Motors Co. CEO Dan Akerson wants the federal gas tax boosted as much as $1 a gallon to nudge consumers toward more fuel-efficient cars, and he’s confident the government will soon shed its remaining 26 percent stake in the once-bankrupt automaker. …
And while he is eager to say goodbye to the government as a part owner of GM, Akerson would like to see it step up to the challenge of setting a higher gas tax, as part of a comprehensive energy policy.
A government-imposed tax hike, Akerson believes, will prompt more people to buy small cars and do more good for the environment than forcing automakers to comply with higher gas-mileage standards.
“There ought to be a discussion on the cost versus the benefits,” he said. “What we are going to do is tax production here, and that will cost us jobs.”
By taxing production, Akerson refers to the effort to raise the CAFE standards for average fuel efficiency. The Obama administration wants to push US automakers to stop producing so-called gas guzzlers, pushing the average efficiency to as high as 62 MPG by 2025. Akerson says that will add $3500 to the average price of cars, which will put US automakers in poor competitive position against their imported competition.
That argument has two problems. First, politicians will continue to tinker with CAFE standards regardless of tax policy, so Akerson’s trade wouldn’t be a trade at all — it would be an additional cost on top of the financial and safety tradeoffs that come with increased CAFE mandates. Second, the problem in this case isn’t which government intervention to demand but the government mandates themselves, on a cost issue that should be regulated by consumer demand. When gas prices rise, people will look for more fuel efficiency without government either stripping consumers of choice or taxing them into oblivion.
Besides, this is hardly the environment in which to demand a gas-tax hike. Drivers have already gotten sticker shock from skyrocketing costs at the pump — and at the grocery store. Akerson seems to be blissfully unaware that while CAFE standards impact costs in his industry, gas tax hikes impact costs throughout the entire distribution chain. Gas prices have a multiplying effect as they impact costs of bringing all goods to market, especially food. Consumers are already seeing their declining buying power erode even faster due to escalating fuel prices and an insane government policy that keeps America from exploiting its own resources to bring more supply on line and stabilize the markets.
Rather than solve the actual problems, Akerson defaults to piling more taxes on consumers as a solution. Maybe consumers should keep that in mind when considering GM for their next transportation solution, too.
Also, a tax on UNwed parents....
Two out of my 5 vehicles are GM (a Chevy and a Saturn), but they’ve been paid off for a long time. Until they get self serving oligarchs like this moron outta there, I’ll never buy another GM product (and I get supplier discounts).
To: Dan Akerson
From: Concerned Voter
Subject: Purposed $1 per gallon tax hike
Dear Mr. Akerson,
It’s come to my attention that you’re advocating additional fuel taxes to subsidize vehicles your company makes and no one wants to buy. I suspect you’ve been studying the principles of Marx and Mao and believe this is best for your company.
Sir, my response to you is quite simple....F YOU!
Signed,
Current and future Honda owner.....
What is another dollar a gallon, when you make $9 million a year?
Conversation went something like this:
Obama calls his lackey at GM.
“You have 6 months to increase sales of Volts or you’re out”.
Obama lackey at GM calls marketing:
“You have 2 days to figure out how I can increase sales of Volts or you’re out!”.
Marketing calls back later that day: Boss there’s no way we can do that unless the price of gas goes way up, like a dollar a gallon!
Obama lackey thinks for a moment; calls a press conference.
Did you really send this letter to Dan ? :)
So, with people out of work and with no disposable income, this moron wants to raise gas prices so those with no money will buy cars which would cost 3500 bucks more than a normal small sized car.
Don’t think he gets it. People who still have money can probably afford the higher gas prices and won’t go out buying a tinker toy.
Hey, who’s up for throwing Dan off the top of the RenCen and seeing if he bounces?
(No actual idiot car execs were harmed in the making of this post.)
I have a project for you. Google/Bing this phrase : ford high mileage club, then search honda/toyota high mileage club.
Look through the club list and report back the following: 1- most clubs per mfg, 2- # of members per mfg and 3- highest mileage per member.
Let me know the results.
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No but I’m tempted....Should be a template for all of us.
UP YOURS first, Ackerman!
translation: we don’t want to retool our entire production line to make 45MPG rice burners, only to have some smart-aleck competitor come along and start kicking our a*s with a line of souped-up SUV’s
I did. It was interesting. I did see a Ford for 400,000 miles. I saw a few high milage Honda’s and Toyota’s. That is the first time I even heard of a Ford high milage club. To be honest, if you asked the population of Americans which cars lasted the longest it would not be Ford they would claim. Toyota and Honda would be the answers. I just don’t like Ford and won’t ever buy a car. They are really pro-homo too (not that there is anything wrong with it.....lol).
I hope it peels off easily.
It’s really uncouth to cause problems for minimum wage workers at the gas station, otherwise.
Well of course. How else are you going to get the plebes to buy the Chevy Volt other than through government-enforced economic extortion?
Ford’s not pro-homo, that’s silly.
They did a couple ads and caught a lot of flack.
Ford is the best domestic competition to Obama fascism.
I’d say buy a Ford, it will most irritate liberals.
You've got my '96 Escort beat on miles (230K so far), but I've got you beat on mileage - mine's gotten up to 42 mpg highway in the past (well above EPA est). Averages in the upper 30s.
I bought this car in Feb '96. My neighbor bought his '96 honda civic in August of that year. By the time I had my first problem with the Escort (rear window defroster switch), the neighbor had already replaced the engine in his civic.
I'll put any one of the 3 Fords I currently own up against anything foreign-made.
I just got back from Italy and driving a rental Toyota right now. I am buying a car within the month. I have not started looking yet.....low blow on the Obama thing.....lol. For me to even go to a Ford dealership would be difficult. It would be like changing my beliefs from conservative to ultra liberal. lol. What Ford car would you recommend?
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