GM's Sales Incentive Compared to a Crack Dealer...

"The sooner this company gets taken over by Toyota, the better this country will be." - Tom Friedman, NY Times, comparing GM to "a crack dealer looking to keep his addicts on a tight leash"

GM FUELS FLAMES FOR ITS LATEST PRICE PROTECTION PROGRAM
June 1, 2006

Critics Say Incentive Keeps Buyers Hooked on Gas Hogs

"It says a lot about GM and their dire financial straits that they are so desperate to sell the gas guzzlers that no one wants, that they are paying for the gas to drive them home," said Dan Becker, director of the Sierra Club's Global Warming Program, to David Shepardson of the Detroit News. "When did you ever hear about a junkie giving up his subsidized fix?"

The comment is in response to General Motors Corporation's offer to defray the costs of gas for some buyers of new SUVs and sedans. Under the new program, GM is reimbursing buyers in Florida and California for gas costs above $1.99 a gallon for one year. The program, which runs through July 5th, includes GM's thirstiest SUVs such as the Chevy Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon, Hummer H2 and H3, and the Cadillac SRX.

"While GM has stepped up its promotion of alternative fuels, critics say the new gas program is a cynical attempt to keep selling gas hogs without regard to the environment and America's dependence on foreign oils," says Shepardson

New York Times columnist Tom Friedman took the criticism a step further in his Wednesday column. "Is there a company more dangerous to America's future than General Motors? Surely, the sooner this company gets taken over by Toyota, the better this country will be," Friedman wrote, comparing GM to "a crack dealer looking to keep his addicts on a tight leash" by offering the fuel program.

In response, GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz told Shepardson that Friedman "is so 'over the top' that it borders on psychosis." Lutz said his hope "is that the majority of Americans, not being extreme liberals, and harboring a deep-seated distrust toward the media, will see his piece for what it is: the product of an unusual, but not altogether well, mind." GM spokeswoman Deborah Silverman told the Detroit News that the fuel-savings program has been successful, based on reports from dealers. She said there are no plans to expand the incentive program nationally.

"To say GM is like a crack dealer trying to get people to buy gas guzzlers is just patently ridiculous," GM spokesman Brian Akre said to the Detroit News. "We sell a full range of vehicles, just like Toyota and just like the other large auto companies." Akre questioned how an incentive would "addict" customers, said Shepardson.

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