Ford Fights Fuel Economy Legislation, Ford's internal email to dealerships

[Kablooie]

This was posted on a Prius discussion group.
The listed website can only be accessed from Ford's intranet.

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Call to Action!
As Randy Ortiz discussed in Friday's Straight Talk broadcast, the U.S. Senate is currently debating new fuel economy legislation that is not economically feasible. This proposed legislation, which is both extreme and arbitrary, would harm the entire U.S. auto industry and would unfairly penalize Ford Motor Company due to the sales success of our F-Series trucks and SUVs.

Ford Motor Company is asking you to help us defeat the damaging and extreme fuel economy mandates in Senate Bill 1419 by calling your U.S. Senators and asking them to oppose the bill.

Here are our suggested talking points for your call to your Senator's office: (Feel free to adapt them to fit your conversational style.)

· I am , the dealer principal of located in



· My dealership employs <#> of residents and have been in business for <#> years.



· I am calling to ask you to relay to Senator a request for him / her to oppose Senate Bill 1419 for the following reasons

· The fuel economy mandates in the bill are extreme and arbitrary

1 The bill would restrict vehicle choice for families and workers

· The bill would harm U.S. auto workers, dealers and consumers.

Below is the web link that will take you to the Ford Grassroots website, where you can very quickly obtain your senators' contact information by entering your zip code. We are asking dealers in most states to contact only one of their U.S. Senators (the website will give you the name and number of the Senator we are asking you to call). However, this are eleven states (AK, ID, IN, KS, MO, MT, NM, ND, OH, PA and VA) in which both Senators are critical to the outcome of this legislation, and we are asking our dealers in those states to contact both senators.

To obtain your senator's contact information:

* Please go to www.capwiz.com/ford
* From that page, please click on Ford and Lincoln-Mercury Dealers Take Action - Click Here!
* That will take you directly to a page where you will be asked to enter your dealership's zip code and then the name(s) and phone number(s) of your U.S. Senator(s) will be generated automatically

If you have any questions or encounter any difficulties with the website, please contact Laurie Martin, Grassroots Program Manager at 313 322-1262 or [e-mail]

Thank you very much for your support on this important issue.




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And thank YOU for your support on this important issue.

[liberal N proud]

1. As Ford fades into history

I think that Henry Ford would have seen the need to change long before now, yet those in charge of his company are blind to the inevitable.

[A HERETIC I AM]

3. Don't over romanticize Henry Ford. He might not deserve it.

He wasn't known as any kind of huge social progressive. He was a noted anti-semite, fought to keep his company private, fought tooth and nail (almost literally) against the UAW and it is not inaccurate to say his idea to build a vehicle the common man could afford had more to do with profit motive than any altruistic ideal.

He would probably be just fine with the F-150 making 20 MPG. He would probably be against the idea that it was available in more than 2 colors.

[JNelson6563]

4. No romanticizing needed

Sure Ford was an asshole as a human being and all but....I too believe he would've made smarter business decisions than we have seen to date by Ford.

Julie

[liberal N proud]

6. Henry Ford did understand that he needed to offer something the customer would buy...

He would have seen that the change was necessary to remain in business.
These people think that they can continue to peddle yesterdays technology at todays prices and people will continue to buy it.
They don't seem to understand there are others out there willing to go after the new technology and the brighter side of the auto industry.
I have bought American manufactures cars all my life, but if they can't offer technology to meet the 21 century needs, I will be forced to look elsewhere.
Even Henry Ford would have known that fact.

[ingac70]

8. Actually,

Henry was a short sighted as the current bunch running Ford, and took Ford down from the #1 automaker spot to #2 with his stubborness.

[R_M]

2. The auto industry has been fighting fuel efficiency for years...

because they are in with the oil companies.

[leftchick]

5. Guess who JOHN D. DINGELL's (D-MI) Largest Contributor Is?

Ford Motor Company

http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.asp?cid=N00001783&cycle=2002

And look how he is paying them back for all of that cash....

<snip>

WASHINGTON — An unusual rift has emerged between top congressional Democrats over a draft global warming bill that would prohibit California and other states from taking tougher action than Washington to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles.

On one side are House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and a number of her California colleagues, fighting to preserve their state's landmark law to cut tailpipe emissions. Pelosi has said that action to curb global warming is one of her most important initiatives.

On the other side are Reps. John D. Dingell, a Democrat from auto-producing Michigan who has expressed support for the legislation, and Rick Boucher (D-Va.). Dingell is chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which will shape the bill, and Boucher is the chairman of a key subcommittee writing the bill.


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-warming8jun08,1,6180298.story?coll=la-headlines-nation

[Rosemary2205]

7. Ford is right on one thing.

They don't have cars people want. All they have is trucks and SUV's and clearly they intend to stay that way. I see nothing wrong with that myself. However, if the laws are written so that a car maker's overall economy has to reach a certain number then it unfairly targets any company who's main product is trucks versus a company who's main product is small cars.

There is room in the market place for everyone. If Ford is choosing to be a much smaller company that focuses only on trucks then fine. That doesn't mean more people will be buying trucks, it only means those wanting cars will have to go somewhere else, and they already have.

Write the law so that a car maker's trucks have to reach a certain economy level and their cars have to reach a seperate economy level. You still get the results you want and no one is forced out of business by the government.

[Roland99]

9. They keep asking for "more time". Been asking for DECADES!

Fuckers! :mad: