[American Know-how] For all you free-market fetishists out there, here's an example of market forces at work:General Motors is seriously considering dumping the Hummer from its inventory. Gas prices climbing to $4 a gallon and beyond have had their way at last. Sniff, sniff! If the deal goes down as GM officials are saying, we won't have urban road warriors sitting atop three tons of steel to kick around anymore. People simply aren't buying them.
More proof of the free market skipping along: U.S. automakers are deeply concerned about their lines of big trucks and SUVs. How concerned? Well, Ford and GM have been furiously turning out hybrid versions of the Chevy Tahoe and Ford Explorer, giving Americans a few more miles per gallon. But truth is, it isn't out of some heartfelt scramble to win over the green consumer. Both companies have bloated inventories of gas-guzzlers and had to find some way to dump them on the market.
Keep climbing, gas costs! Bring on $5 a gallon! If Americans are really as ingenious as we were taught in junior high school civics class, we'll figure out a way to cope. The saddest thing out of the GM announcement, of course, is that some 10,000 auto plant workers will get the ax.
(Holly Mullen)
Around these parts driving a Hummer is a social outrage,like sporting a Bush/Cheney bumper sticker. Prius and various hybrids are the cars of choice.
ReplyDeleteOn a somber note, a good friend owns a GMC/Buick dealership in Healdsburg...can`t give the big SUVs away and employees are losing their jobs.
Good. I hate Hummers. Always have.
ReplyDeleteWhile returning on my bike from lunch today, I had some moron in a giant, brand new, jacked-up Chevy truck nearly blow me off the road. Not once but three times! We exchanged postions at the lights, as often happens, and as I'd ride past, he seemed to inch closer to me on purpose though he had tons of room otherwise. He could've given me room (just a tiny bit, thanks) but instead brushed by me with maybe six inches to spare.
That scares the crap out of me. I've been riding in this city for years and have always wondered at the aggression of Utahn motorists toward bikers. I will say, though, that with more and more cyclists on the road, the aggression seem to be dwindling a bit.
Minutes before reading this blog, as I got into the elevator, I was laughing at gas prices and the fact that this shithead will have to give up his penis, er, I mean his big, jacked-up truck, and give it up soon lest he go broke because of it.
I agree about bicycles Hayduke. I've been riding to work pretty regularly. The math goes like this: More bikes on the road=more attention from drivers.Mostly.
ReplyDeleteNow, if we could only do something about drivers on cell phones who roll through right turns on red without stopping, almost hitting the cyclist who has a green light and right of way. I come upon that scenario at least twice on every commute.
It's amazing what happens when you let the market dictate things, instead of dictating for the market. The toughest fuel economy standards are dictated by price conscious consumers.
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