Hillary Clinton: "We Gotta Help" the U.S. Automakers
The Detroit News reports that Senator Clinton spent part of her pre-primary warm-up touring a plant in Maryland that builds transmissions for GM's full-size hybrid and heavy-duty trucks. The presidential candidate immediately began touting her plan to create five million "green-collar" jobs. To that end, the Senator from New York pledged to give $5b of your hard-earned money to automakers for battery research, and provide $20b in "green vehicle bonds" for automakers wishing to retool elderly factories (i.e. Ford, GM and Chrysler). Ms Clinton also promised $10k in tax credits for plug-in hybrid buyers. All of this in addition to the $8m the Washington Post says Ms. Clinton's secured for GM for "alternate fuel research;" $3m of which was buried in the fiscal 2008 Pentagon spending bill. Coincidentally enough, the Post also reports that GM lobbyist Steve Ricchetti is one of Hillary's fund raisers. Senator Clinton's campaign spokesperson said Ms. Clinton doesn't consider fundraising efforts when she's making official decisions. Apparently, "one thing has nothing to do with the other."
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Except cars aren't computers, or have we forgotten that the same mileage people are getting in a Prius was had 10 years ago in a Geo and 20 yeas ago in a Honda?
I really can't see her getting the Democratic nod to run for President, but crazier things have happened (I certainly hope she doesn't!). Lets face a reality here - no one likes taxes. I sure as hell don't. But reality is we like our freedoms, our roads (as crappy as they may be), our police to protect us, our armed forces to protect us, Social Security (which I will probably never see any of, even though I pay into it), etc. The government's income is - wait for it - taxes. Just like anyone else, if you keep spending more than you take in, what happens? Well, the government does seem to be immune from bankruptcy, but our currency value sure does stink right now. Point is we were paying a little more taxes under B. Clinton, but our dollar was worth more. And we were out of a budget deficit. Under the current administration we pay a little less taxes and our dollar is in the toilet as far as value goes. And we have a much larger government than we had before. Before someone points out that Congress was Republican controlled under B. Clinton's administration, let me point out for 6 of 8 years of Bush's administration it was Republican controlled too. Sounds a little like GM doesn't it? More programs with a shrinking revenue stream.
GEO? What is this double talk? If you mean Suzuki, so be it! ( otherwise someone might think there was an american brand fuel saving car)
Vote buying knows no limits. Who cares what anything costs when it's free money from taxpayers.