Diatribe: Car industry bears brunt of government ‘interventions’

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Pardon the redundancy, but I absolutely abhor bureaucrats who have no more idea than the man (or woman) in the moon what’s good for our country’s economy.

I’m not talking about the rank-and-file government worker who goes to work each day and does what he’s told because mostly these people want to do what’s right. The bureaucrats I’m referring to are the political appointees who come in with a new administration and depending on the boss’ philosophy, proceed to cause chaos in whatever segment of society or industry to which they’re assigned.

Case in point is the current administration. I’m not here to cast aspersions on whoever is sitting in the White House. Rather, I’m here to cast aspersions on those who have been put in place because of a particular allegiance to the party, not because they are experts in their area of responsibility.

It’s no secret that the White House favors being green. Like Jerry Seinfeld used to say, “Not that there’s anything wrong with it.” But rather than make changes that dovetails with the economy, edicts come fast and furious and those making them expect to have them carried out now! And no industry has been targeted like the domestic auto industry.

Truth be told, there have been many government regulations that have saved countless lives despite initial opposition from the auto industry, like seat belts, air bags, etc. But where the government has been most intrusive to the detriment of the industry is in the area of fuel economy.

Some administrations have been friendly to business — and by rote the auto industry — and haven’t taken a hard stand that would have cost the industry money and jobs. But others believe it’s “their sworn duty in the eyes of God to push those wretched automakers to the brink of extinction if it means saving one drop of our precious fossil fuel.”

The decisions about what is happening to an industry that employees about one in six U.S. workers is being made by people who are being driven by somebody else, those with deep pockets who are basically “on leave” from their country clubs for the next four to eight years and those with an agenda and the power to have it enacted.

Years ago, I recall when Nevada Sen. Richard Bryan decided that the mileage standards on vehicles sold in the United States should be 40 mpg by, I forgot what year, but it wasn’t that far out. However, reaching that goal was far out.

Those not in the know were calling for vehicles about the size of Chevrolet Geo Metros to be built en masse to speed up achieving that goal. Only trouble was, nobody wanted to put five or six family members in a Geo and then joust with 18-wheelers on a freeway. Ultimately, Bryan’s bill was defeated. Meantime, the industry was steadily increasing fuel economy without government interference.

Along came the atomic bomb that decimated the economy and, with it, the auto industry. North American auto sales went from about 17 million units down to less than 10. Run the numbers. In round ones you can multiply an average sale of $21,000 by 7 million or more. Voila! Unless I’m figuring wrong, I’m guessing at about a half trillion dollars in lost revenue.

So now the industry is inching its way back, whether it’s because people have more discretionary income or because their vehicles are so old they’re falling apart and people have to buy a new one. Whatever the reason, the “new guy” in the policy seat was sitting on his rump one day and decided that the new standards should be 57 miles per gallon.

He picked an arbitrary year and said it had to be completed by 2025. Then came the obligatory wrangling with industry lobbyists and a figure of 55.4 mpg was decided upon by the year 2025. Sounds like a long way off, doesn’t it? Keep in mind that few, if any of those responsible for setting this edict will be around, either in a policy position or even in an “above-ground” position. Why should they care what havoc they’ll wreak?

I’m not going to sit here and say this goal cannot be accomplished. It can be, but with vehicles that nobody wants. Great way to do business and help the economy, isn’t it? For instance, the Chevrolet Volt is a wonderful piece of technology and would go far toward helping ease dependency on only using fossil fuel. However, the car costs $42,000.

My first father-in-law had a favorite phrase he used when he was trying to sell a news feature distribution to his customers. Invariably they’d say, “Bill, you don’t do anything I can’t do myself.” He’d always reply, “Yes, and you can take out my appendix, too, but personally I’d rather leave that chore to an expert.”

I have a similar message for all those political appointees who think they’re going to come in and make this world a better place by imposing their own rules and philosophies: Learn the location of every Starbuck’s in your ZIP code and spend the next four to eight years helping the franchisees build up their businesses. They’ll appreciate it almost as much as American industry will appreciate being left to its own devices to improve itself.

Al Vinikour is a Midwest-based freelance auto writer. Proving a mind is a “terrible thing to use” he sometimes sits in traffic and ponders about things — generally auto-related — that make him mad. Believing the “pen is mightier than the sword” (and generally results in a whole lot less jail time), he vents his anger through a word processor and produces the Driver’s Side Diatribe column. Email him at vinikour@comcast.net.