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Originally Posted by jrc1122
They most definitely are controlling decisions. Maybe not all decisions, like red stitching or black... but things like EPA, CAFE standards, to "safety standards. To put conditions on how monies are to be spent, and paid back. Even down to scolding the CEOs of the Big three for flying in on private jets. Guess what next time, these guys who make millions of dollars ended up driving in in hybrids, for the dog and pony show.
They were strong armed after receiving money from Uncle Sam to sell off or get rid of some of their brands, making a leaner, newer company.
Funny how zero talk came up of offing Saturn or Pontiac, until after they took or agreed to take Government money.
Like it or not, the government's hands are all over the business of the car industry right now.
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GM doesn't need to comply with CAFE if it doesn't want to. It just has to pay a fine if its below the limit. Safety ... isn't that one of the roles of the government, to keep its people safe from harm? Private jets, nobody in Washington mandated that the CEOs must come back in hybrids. The CEO's chose to on their own because of the stupid backlash they got from the media. There was talk of killing and selling brands before they took federal money from the Bush administration.
So, the government isn't really controlling the decisions. Because when the company decides how to do something, thats their decision. In order to reduce dependence of oil from unstable or hostile states (a nation security issue) the government created CAFE. The automakers decide what they will do to comply (like use E85, build more efficient cars, or exploit loopholes), some of which simply pay the fine (like Ferrari). Its not controlling the decisions of company. Affecting them, yes. Controlling them? No.