Re:Tesla Repays Department of Energy Loan Nine Years Early
by csense on Wednesday May 22, 2013 @11:50PM
(#5755255)
> the existence of any benefit from subsidizing more poorly-run automakers is questionable
The automotive sector is one of the few manufacturing industries which hasn't totally packed up its bags and moved out of the USA entirely. They employ a lot of workers in politically important states and have powerful labor unions.
I live in an area that's been through tough times when a lot of industry went overseas c. 1980-2000, and much of the local political attitude is "government should do whatever it takes to keep plants from closing" -- not just among those directly employed by automakers and dozens of smaller suppliers, but among the entire community, since there's a feeling that dollars from those factory jobs indirectly support every local business.
I feel that the automotive bailout was a direct bribe to communities like mine, to calm the anger over the Wall Street bailouts by giving us a piece of the pie.
I think the whole thing stank, and voted accordingly -- not that I have any illusions that the current or future US government is or will be any better than it was in 2008-2009.
The automotive sector is one of the few manufacturing industries which hasn't totally packed up its bags and moved out of the USA entirely. They employ a lot of workers in politically important states and have powerful labor unions.
I live in an area that's been through tough times when a lot of industry went overseas c. 1980-2000, and much of the local political attitude is "government should do whatever it takes to keep plants from closing" -- not just among those directly employed by automakers and dozens of smaller suppliers, but among the entire community, since there's a feeling that dollars from those factory jobs indirectly support every local business.
I feel that the automotive bailout was a direct bribe to communities like mine, to calm the anger over the Wall Street bailouts by giving us a piece of the pie.
I think the whole thing stank, and voted accordingly -- not that I have any illusions that the current or future US government is or will be any better than it was in 2008-2009.