Southern Republicans oppose Big 3 bailout because they have foreign autmoakers?
That’s the argument being made today after the collapse of the Big Three bailout. For the record, it came because UAW refused to bargain.
Now, this argument is so bogus it’s amazing. People are actually debating this issue as if it’s fact. One of the states being singled out is Kentucky because of Mitch McConnell. Now, I know Kentucky kinda well. What people are not wanting everyone to know is Toyota isn’t the only car manufacturer here.
Ever seen one of these?
That folks, is a Kentucky car. GM only makes Corvettes in Kentucky.
Ever seen one of these?
![2007-ford-explorer-front-view[1]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3061/3102743672_8eeac54fe8.jpg)
That folks, is another Kentucky only car.
So, don’t feed me the bull that Kentucky Republicans don’t have to worry about GM or Ford because we have one Toyota plant. The facts are totally against that and the media’s not too concerned about making sure people making that argument are corrected.
The real reason GM is in the shape it’s in is not because Kentucky Republican Senators are against making sure union dues are made by people making on average triple what I do to put a nut on a screw, it’s because people in California will not buy American made cars. Mitch McConnell writing the UAW a check for $15 billion will not fix that.
Earleir this year, Ford announced the KENTUCKY plant that makes the massive Explorer SUV’s will be re-tooled to manufacture alternative fuel cars. GM has already done that to some degree at the KENTUCKY plant that manufacters the $80,000, 8 mpg sportscar. A big part of the domestic auto manufacturing future is in Kentucky. So, the argument that Kentucky Republicans have nothing to lose by opposing this bill is completely bogus. We have a lot of jobs invested here. Some people, me included, know that for those jobs to be there in the future, “Detroit” is going to have to adjust their business model to be more competitve, and people in California will have to adjust their attitude that anything made in the US sucks.
When that happens, then I expect my Republican Senators will have a much different outlook. And, when that happens, the Big Three won’t be begging for handouts.
