General Motor's VP Bob Lutz's Green Pose

Among the most galling visions, as U.S. carmakers stand cap-in-hand before the American people, is the site of a preening GM Vice President Bob Lutz pretending to be green.

Lutz is firmly on the record as someone who is too lazy, too ideologically hidebound or just too stupid to look at the latest robust and frightening science of climate change. He has dismissed global warming as "a total crock of shit," saying that he puts his faith in the signatories of the laughable Oregon petition.

Lutz has tried to reassure us in the past by saying:

"My thoughts on what has or hasn't been the cause of climate change have nothing to do with the decisions I make to advance the cause of General Motors."

Which raises an interesting question: why would Congress bet billions on a policy maker who would dismiss out of hand the biggest environmental crisis in human history, and then go on making self-destructive decisions that drive his company to the brink of bankruptcy?

Now Lutz is all charged up about the new Chevy Volt. Well, good for him.

A decade late, the (former) biggest automaker in the world dusts off electric technology that it once killed in favor of building Hummers and now Lutz wants credit as a far-sighted environmentalist.

No wonder Toyota has been kicking his ass.

As a matter of policy, I believe that government should resist micromanaging industries, even when spending taxpayer dollars to support them. But as a matter of immediate concern, I think the U.S. legislators contemplating this bailout package should demand Bob Lutz's resignation before dribbling a single dollar into GM's leaky pockets.

The obvious goal of the government support is to allow GM to remake itself. there is no reason to expect a new trick from this old dog. He should be dismissed.

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Comments

[johncando]

Canada is hoping you idiots that think the money ,the 25 billion promised to GM Ford and Chrysler by your Government was a lie and the Headquarters of all three move to Canada . Lansing ships Enclaves to China too

[larry278]

Bob & Rick represent the nadir of wrong headed GM execs. No bailout money for any company who doesn't get rid of incompetent executives, all of them, now. These guys brought all of the big 3's problems to a head. They don't have a clue about making a company profitable or designing a car which consumers will buy. The big 3 started forcing poorly made, oversized, gas guzzlers on the market in 1958. The consumers started buying smaller, fuel efficient, well assembled foreign cars in 1958 & didn't come back to American cars again.
The big 3 must have managment with new ideas or the big 3 will die, regardless of billions of $ from Uncle Sam.

[MattInVA]

Did you mean 1988 or 1978?

[Jp2]

Hey jerzyjc16: get your facts straight.Do you know that the Malibu is 90% American made and Toyota is basically just assembled in Tennessee.By the way if it wasn't for Reagan you wouldn't have your Harley to buy parts for.Reagan stepped in and rescued Harley by raising tariffs on imported motorcycles.The first year tariffs went from 4.4% to 49.4%,39.4 the 2nd year,24.4 the 3rd year,19.4 the 4th year,14.4 the 5th year and back to 4.4% after that.Even Reagan got it right once in a while.How about saving American jobs for a moral argument.I swear if you people could buy something for a buck cheaper than an American made product you would not hesitate to do so.Happy Riding

[Jp2]

To jerzyjc16 : The Malibu is 90% American made.Where the Toyoto is mostly just assembled in Tennessee.Oh by the way that American Harley you own wouldn't even be around without Reagan stepping in to rescue the last American built motorcycle.Reagan raised the tariff on large imported motorcycles from 4.4% to 49.4% in the first year. Dropped to 39.4 2nd year,24.4 the thrid year,19.4 the fourth,14.4 the fifth year and back to 4.4% after that.Learn your facts before you start spouting off (about moral argument )in saving American companies.about .Happy riding.

[Friedman4president]

And don't I feel good about seeing my tax dollars going to a company whose leaders have had and still apparently have their heads in the sand.
And NavyMom...god bless you for your US support....but a Prius hybrid would be getting you twice that milage.

[NavyMom44]

OK I understand that the US automakers are inept in managing these companies, but we should also include in our trade agreement or in this bridge loan that the Chinese/Japanese companies receives subsidies from their governments and also has no insurance expenses. I believe if we the ENTIRE upper level management along with their buddy-buddy board should be replaced by innovative free thinkers.

I currently own a GM (Chevy Malibu) it is an EXCELLENT car remodeled by young engineers, so the talent is there, these ole boys networks need to let the new generation lead, because they have no idea of what is green. This Malibu gets 25 MPG in the city (I live outside Houston driving 55 miles each day only filing my tank once per week, just like the Nissan I was driving...we decided to buy cars not just made in this country but by American owned.

[jerzyjc16]

It's nice that you get 25 mpg. Unfortunately, countries of the EU are targeting 47 mpg for 2015. Even if the "talent" at GM et. al. works 24/7 they'll just never get there--or by the time they do, the rest of the world will be getting 100 mpg to their 35 mpg (the target some want us to reach by 2020). GM can't even sell it's cars in China, where they require 35 mpg!

Further, your assumption that "American owned" is better than foreign owned is puzzling. Should Tenessee Toyota workers be pitted against Michigan GM workers? As an American, I'd like to spend less on my Toyota and use the extra money to spend on locally grown produce or parts for my American made Harley!

The world is complicated, and there's not moral argument to be made for saving "American owned" companies out of "drill-baby-drill-know-nothing anger. We need rational planning and government policy: single payer health care, a revenue neutral gas tax (lower FICA taxes to make it so), and mass transit. That would benefit all of us. The wonderful "American owned" auto industry opposed higher CAFE standards, destroyed their fleets of electric cars, was even against seat-belts, and joined the conspiracy (yes, it was a conspiracy) to deny that global warming exists.

I would say they haven't been helpful and it's against our interests as a nation to reward them.

[MattInVA]

GM is actually the #1 seller in China.

GM also sold 2.2 million cars in Europe last year.

The reason cars in the US have poorer fuel economy than those sold in Europe (and this includes the cars Toyota and Honda sell in the US vs. Europe) is European counties tax their fuel to the point that people want to buy very tiny fuel efficient cars.

Mandating fuel standards, like with CAFE, is a fools errand. It would be like trying to solve obesity in America by mandating that all clothing makers' average size sold be a medium. It' not affecting anyone's behavior, just limiting their choices.

[FightingTheSuburbs]

GM is the biggest imported car company in China. I have no idea what you're talking about.

Also Europe uses diesels to achieve its high mileage. It has been hard to get diesel tech adopted in the U.S. for many reasons. Again, as I've said elsewhere. It is mostly because of the consumer, not because of the manufacturer.