| Ford Motor's Chairman Bill Ford Jr. has recently | | | | D-III., at his recent speech in Detroit wherein |
| called for a national energy policy saying that the | | | | Obama has criticized the US automakers and |
| auto industry together with the energy | | | | calling them to do more to build furl-efficient |
| companies, government and other industries | | | | vehicles. |
| should cooperate in developing a comprehensive | | | | Chairman Ford Jr., added that he would like to |
| plan. | | | | invite Obama to Ford's plant in Chicago "where we |
| Chairman Ford Jr., addressing the Detroit Regional | | | | make a vehicle that's more fuel efficient than the |
| Chamber said that the auto industry is not looking | | | | one he's currently driving." He further stated that |
| for handouts nor it is trying to evade its | | | | it is not only the stressed on the production of |
| responsibilities. On the other hand he said that he | | | | more fuel-efficient vehicles that's weighing on the |
| would like to move beyond the "patchwork" of | | | | US automakers but also the rising cost of health |
| current fuel-economy rules and "arbitrarily set | | | | care that leaves US manufacturers at a |
| standards." | | | | disadvantage. "Unless, nationally, we get our arms |
| The executive said that all of the stakeholders | | | | around this, it's going to be very hard to be a |
| should help to create a more comprehensive plan | | | | manufacturer in this country of anything," he said |
| for cutting carbon emissions. He also stressed that | | | | during a question-and-answer session. |
| Ford is continuing to invest in cleaner, more | | | | However Chairman Ford has also made it clear |
| fuel-efficient technology in spite of its | | | | that he is not at all endorsing a national universal |
| restructuring program. | | | | health-care system but he did say that the |
| Chairman Ford Jr. said, "Environmental sustainability | | | | present system is "broken". US automakers are |
| is a critical issue for our future growth and | | | | facing a growing burden of providing heath care |
| prosperity." | | | | for thousands of retirees and active employees. |
| He further added that although the company has | | | | But he didn't mention just how Ford will deal with |
| been able to develop the first hybrid SUV which is | | | | its health-care costs especially since its talks with |
| the Ford Escape and redeveloped its Rouge plant | | | | the United Auto Workers union are getting near. |
| in Dearborn, Mich., in what he termed as | | | | It can be remembered that Ford the producer of |
| "environmentally friendly way", the Chairman | | | | high quality car accessories such as Ford floor |
| wishes that the company would have done more. | | | | mats has taken a big step in changing its |
| Chairman Ford Jr., also said during a | | | | management stature when it hired Alan Mulally |
| question-and-answer session that the company | | | | who is a former Boeing Co. (BA) executive as the |
| "didn't stretch far enough in the past few years" | | | | new Chief Executive. And just recently, UAW |
| on design but the new vehicles such as the Edge | | | | President Ron Gettelfinger while speaking to the |
| crossover utility and the Ford Flex are "really | | | | same conference has made a call for a national, |
| indicative of the kind of design we want to have | | | | single-payer health-care system. Gettelfinger said, |
| in the end." | | | | "Our continued failure to enact serious health-care |
| Despite the fact that Ford did well at truck and | | | | reform puts U.S. companies at an enormous |
| SUV design, Chairman Ford said, "I think as we | | | | competitive disadvantage. All of our major trading |
| started getting back to the car business, we | | | | partners, every one, have national health-care |
| weren't perhaps bold enough." He also said that he | | | | systems which deliver quality care at an |
| was "Very disappointed" by the comments made | | | | affordable price. |
| by Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, | | | | |