Monday, December 15, 2008

Robert Lutz, GM, and Crockery

Robert Lutz is currently the Vice Chairman of Global Product development for General Motors Corporation. He has widespread industry experience having worked for Ford, Chrysler and BMW. His interesting wiki bio is here. Not everyone flies their helicopter to work.

Lutz would have probably flown under the radar had he not, on more than one occasion referred to global warming as a total crock of shit. He spins on the head of pin by saying that he is merely a skeptic and not a denier. I'm not sure what the difference is.

The Governments on both sides of the border are contemplating giving financial support to these businesses and even appointing a Car Czar (Autocrat?). The idea of the car czar sounds a little soviet, but I suspect the position would be little more than a well leashed poodle who knows his boundaries.

It's interesting that the discussion of the bail out has almost entirely centered on the erroneous interpretation of the labor cost model. Unionization can be easily used to provoke outrage. As a taxpayer, (I rarely start sentences that way because I hate tax hysteria) I'm not convinced these companies should get funding when the issues of science, technology and electrification are not at or near the top of the list.

There has to be some better choices other than a) allowing millions of workers to lose their jobs b) funding companies who pollute, and who have an anti-science attitude.

In Canada, once you throw in the lightweights Flaherty and Clement, who have a hate on for Ontario because they elected a Liberal provincial government, the way forward really doesn't get any clearer.

As Rod Phillips would say, Holy Cow, now we have bedlam! Please recommend this post

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