Toyota Draws First Blood; Scores DOE Grant
Chrysler, Ford and GM await the President’s signature on the bill authorizing $25b in low-interest federal loans to retool old factories to produce new fuel misers. And then face an uphill political battle to get the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to loosen its loan requirements and give them the goddam money. Meanwhile, a Toyota press release reveals that the transplant’s just landed a share of $15m in DOE grants to “speed the adoption of energy-saving building and facility technologies” at ToMoCo’s U.S. dealerships. “Being named part of this program is a tribute to those dealers with the vision and commitment to develop environmentally sensitive buildings in conjunction with Toyota’s Image II Eco design program,” said Toyota Prez Jim Lentz. “We will continue to work with dealers and the DOE to develop energy efficient facilities and guidelines that will benefit the entire industry.” Talk about rubbing it in… And what’s the bet Toyota gets the money before 2010? TTAC’s investigating.
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lprocter1982 is right. Toyota gave us the Corolla, the MRII, and the MkIV Supra. The schools have given us kids that need to take remedial math and English when they get to college. Maybe Toyota can open some charter schools.
If the government spends or distributes money to any group for the purpose of improving the environment - directly or indirectly - then who cares where that group is from?
So we take the laid off BIG 2.8 workers that are now giving US tax dollars from flipping hamgurgers for 5.00 an hour and give the tax dollars to Toyota. A slap in US workers face. There is irony and a bit stupidity somewhere in this mess. I know the government workers don't give a dam about American Companies or workers.
"Our tax money shouldn’t be spent helping foreign companies." The money is being spent improving the energy efficiency of Toyota dealerships, which are in fact not owned by Toyota and which pump a good deal of money into their local economy. In fact, Toyota dealerships are profitable local enterprises which have the capital to expand and remodel while your garden variety 2.8 branded dealer is lucky to keep the lights on. Get rid of all the import brands and the number of people employed by car dealerships in the US would go down dramatically. Do you know that Shell Oil, BP-Arco-Amaco, Citgo, Nestle, Norelco, Bayer, Libby's, Carnation, Stouffer's, Jenny Craig, Gerber and a bunch of other well known brand names are in fact foreign owned companies? The Asian brand names are more obvious, so I haven't listed those ... but few people realize just how much of what they buy in the US is in fact the product of a "foreign" company. Oh, and by the way. The world's supply of Viagra and Botox are manufactured in .... Ireland. "Smiles Aplenty In Viagra Town In Irish Town, Love Is In The Air, But Is Industrial Exhaust To Credit?" http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/12/23/eveningnews/main590020.shtml