Ford Chairman says HOV Legislation is a 'Buy Japanese' Bill

[Tempus]

http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/sto...-11410496c.html

Ford Motor Co. Chairman Bill Ford, who pitches himself as one of America's leading corporate environmentalists, has launched a campaign in the waning days of the legislative session to kill a plan that would reward Californians who buy the most fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles.

In a letter to Schwarzenegger that Ford copied to state lawmakers who have yet to take a final vote, he calls the plan a "Buy Japanese" bill and a "special-interest measure ... intended for almost exclusive use by Toyota Prius drivers."

[InTheWASide]

Sound like someone's jealous? Maybe if Ford was trying to lead the way in clean technologies rather than building EXCURSIONS he'd be backing it...

And Toyota was mentioned in the quote... what about Insights, Civic Hybrids, CNG, etc? Seen lots of Ford CNG cars in CA actually... Mostly Taurus and Escort... some small trucks, think they were Rangers.

Still detracts from the fact that if it was the FORD Prius (besides falling apart) Bill Ford would commend this bill as a way to reward "Environmentaly-conscious minded Ford buyers through a light easement on their commute"

Too bad there isn't an eye rolling smiley...

[mikepaul]

Too bad there isn't an eye rolling smiley...

Yea, too bad...

[Danny]

Someone's going to have to explain to me why a "Buy Japanese Bill" is a bad thing. Just about every Japanese manufacturer does a majority of their manufacturing here in the States, bringing our economy jobs instead of outsourcing them to Mexico & other countries like many US manufacturers.

[flyingprius]

It's becoming very obvious that Bill Ford is a typical American corporate executive: concerned only with money rather than the advancement of our society. I had some iota of respect for Ford, being that they are the only American auto manufacturer that has serious plans for low-emission hybrid technology, but now, I don't think I can stomach him whining about a "Buy Japanese bill"; that's absolutely absurd. If Ford didn't spend their time building socially and environmentally unresponsible SUVs, maybe they could have benefitted from the "Buy Japanese bill", and he still has the gall to call himself an environmentalist.. What?

Where is that rolling your eye's icon?? Well, this one might be better ukeright: ukeleft:

[Bill60546]

Hey Bill, wake up; we don't want Excursions, FiveHundreds (made in Mexico by the way) or poor quality products. The WSJ recently pointed out that American executives make 4 times the annual salary as compared to their Japanese peers. Maybe that explains what happened to the $1.5billion we the taxpayer provided to the Big3 several years ago to build an economical supercar. You had the money and time and produced squat.
Why is it that Honda, the first Japanese automaker to build a plant in the US, can build an award winning, top quality, in demand product and Ford can't? Its called management. So quite you're whining and stop blaming plant workers. And if you're tired of being beat, then do something about it. Gee, perhaps a paycut would be in order?

[hbolter]

Yes, I have lost whatever minor respect I may have had for Bill Ford, too. This is nothing more than special pleading and whining. And, ironically enough, Ford is cranking out advertising for their Escape Hybrid which reads as if Ford invented and marketed full hybrid technology all by itself!

It seems sometimes as if the only thing major U.S. corporation heads can do is whine--innovation and competition are alien to them. They whine when outmaneuvered by foreign competition, they whine that government regulations are hindering them, they whine when their special tax breaks are threatened (which happens all too infrequently, IMHO), etc., etc. But they continue to collect their bloated salaries and claim that they deserve every penny. The people I feel sorry for are the rank and file workers--the people who provide the products and services to pay for the corporate jets and golden parachutes.

There I go again--ranting! Sorry! ops:

[TonyPSchaefer]

I had a whole long rant basically reiterating everything you all have said above and many of the things we have said in many other like-topic threads.

But I erased it.

After a while, I just get tired of the redundancy of ranting about overpaid American execs and their stupid arguements.

But I will add that Ford is probably stalling so he has time to launch his counter-attack: the hybrid Edsel.

[richard schumacher]

It may be for the wrong reasons, but he *is* right. HOV lanes should be reserved for HOVs; hybrids, EVs et cetera should not get a pass.

[Tempus]

I agree richard, and further, I think that Ford might have been better served arguing for a 15 passenger van subsidy than making it into a nationalistic arguement.

As far as I know Toyota isn't competing in the Jumbo Econoline segment, yet