The dangerously incompetent Democrat, Debbie Stabenow, is a big supporter of a command and control economy.
In Mrs. Stabenow’s brilliance she, and her fellow Democrats, want to cede an existing 65 million+ a year global vehicle market in favor of ‘green energy production.’
Other countries are investing heavily in green technology. Unfortunately, the United States has been behind the curve. The good news is that we are beginning to catch up – the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act included $2 billion for advanced battery research and manufacturing; it also included a new tax credit to encourage the manufacture of renewable energy products. Those are the kinds of investments we need to continue making to help create a clean energy future while also saving and creating manufacturing jobs in America.
Command and control. Stabenow wants us to turn our back on an actual and increasing market (2010 production is forecast at more than 2008 levels) to chase a dubious and economically flawed venture. Furthermore, the United States does not produce Lithium (the main ingredient in Li-Ion batteries) or the rare earth materials required in electric motors or solar panels.
Increasingly, countries such as India, China and even Turkey are rapidly increasing their automotive production to improve their economies while we are turning our backs on it.
A balanced energy policy can revitalize America’s manufacturing sector, creating good-paying jobs and strengthening our middle class.
Low cost energy and not the heavily subsidized ‘green energy’ will strengthen our ENTIRE economy. Energy is the foundation of all economies.
A wind turbine contains over 8,000 individual parts: nacelles, rotors, rotor blades, gearboxes, brakes, generators, yew mechanisms, electronic controllers, hydraulics systems, cooling units, towers, anemometers – even simple wind vanes. Why not build those right here in America? In fact, we can! I am proud to say we can build all 8,000 parts in Michigan.
Guess what, if a country like Turkey or India can produce a car, they can build windmills as well.
By the way, modern cars contain more than 8000 components.
We cannot just use green technologies; we have to make them in the United States. Recent history has shown what happens when we rely primarily on foreign sources of energy: we subject ourselves to less-than friendly international governments who can manipulate supplies to increase prices and hurt the American people. If they can do it with oil, they can do it with wind turbines. We must not allow it.
Bolivia, the number one exporter of lithium, is not exactly friendly towards the United States. What happens if they stop exporting lithium?
When you boil it down, the United States and Michigan are very expensive places to do business. We have the highest corporate tax rates, complex accounting rules (Sarbanes- Oxley), draconian laws including insane environmental laws, high labor costs and increasingly expensive energy costs. Why do business in the U.S. or Michigan?
If Debbie Stabenow really wanted to help the ‘middle class’ and improve the manufacturing climate, she would drop the command and control economy agenda and work to make the United States more business friendly.
She won’t of course. Stabenow like all liberals, wants power and authority.
