Interesting Notes On SUVs And The Climate

I thought these four stories were very interesting when put together. First, we have an update from one of the local Ford plants:

Despite plunging industry auto sales, Ford Motor Co. said strong demand for its new F-150 pickup will return a second shift of truck production to its Claycomo plant.

The second shift on the truck side will start again on Jan. 12, said Angie Kozleski, a Ford spokeswoman. A third shift added to build compact SUVs at Claycomo will end later this month, returning the plant to two shifts for each vehicle.

Slightly more than 1,000 third-shift employees building Ford Escapes and Mercury Mariners will simply transfer back to the F-150 line, company and union officials said.

Ford’s decision to boost F-150 production provided some optimism despite another bleak sales month for the Detroit automakers.

Next, we see this from ABC:

In the past few years, big, bold SUVs have become almost synonymous with the success of entertainment and sports stars. You make it big, you buy an Escalade. Or a Hummer.

Hopefully, there's money left over to hire a full-time driver who can watch over the car, because these two vehicles are among the most likely to be stolen.

The 2007 Cadillac Escalade ESV, a full-size luxury SUV, has the highest theft-claim frequency of any vehicle by a long shot. It's 15 times more likely to end up in the hands of thieves than the least-stolen car, the luxurious Mercedes E Class sedan

Clearly, SUVs and trucks are in high demand, both legally and illegally. Why might that be? Could it be because that's the kind of vehicle people actually want to drive?

Now, let's connect the dots. From the AP:

Congressional Democrats sent the White House an emergency $15 billion auto bailout plan Monday, complete with provision of a "car czar" to oversee the industry's reinvention of itself.

Among the requirements included the draft proposal is one that the carmakers getting federal help get rid of their corporate jets — which became a potent symbol of the industry's ineptitude when the Big Three CEOs used them for their initial trips to Washington to plead before Congress for government aid.

The proposal also would give the overseer — a kind of "car czar" — say-so over any major business decisions by the automakers while they're taking advantage of federal aid. The companies would have to open their books to the government, including informing the overseer of any transaction of $25 million or more and any "material change" in their financial condition.

Under the plan, the carmakers could get emergency loans right away. Then the overseer would write guidelines, due on the first of the year, for restructuring the Big Three automakers.

Hmmm...

Last story:

President-elect Barack Obama said on Tuesday attacking global climate change is a "matter of urgency" that will create jobs as he got advice from Al Gore, who won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work on the issue.

In remarks to reporters, Obama made clear he would adopt an aggressive approach to global warming when he takes over the White House on January 20.

He and Vice President-elect Joe Biden met for nearly two hours with former Vice President Gore at Obama's presidential transition office in Chicago.

"All three of us are in agreement that the time for delay is over, the time for denial is over," Obama said.

Okay, let's see. Connect the dots...connect the dots...

People want trucks and SUVs. SUVs, in particular, are one of the signature evils of the environmentalist movement. The government is planning a takeover of the auto industry, and will soon have control over the most important decisions made by the three biggest domestic auto makers. Climate change is 'urgent'. Now, do you remember the suggestion yesterday that the government is going to bail out the auto industry at the cost of forcing the auto industry into producing 'green' cars, regardless of whether or not people actually want them?

Hmmm... Seeing the bigger picture now?

Can we say socialism, anyone? That's total government control, and it's happening in real time right before our eyes. Can't you just wait until the Obama-Reid-Pelosi trifecta takes power? The picture can't get a whole lot clearer than it already is.

There's my two cents.