Governors defend Toyota, cite federal 'conflict of interest'

[Bozita]

Source: Detroit News

Last Updated: February 10. 2010 7:02PM
Governors defend Toyota, cite federal 'conflict of interest'
David Shepardson / Detroit News Washington Bureau


Washington -- Four Republican governors strongly defended Toyota Motor Corp.'s safety record and suggested the Obama administration has a "conflict of interest" because of its majority stake in General Motors Co.

The letter, from Kentucky Gov. Steven Beshear, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, was the first public defense of the Japanese automaker after a series of recalls of 9 million vehicles worldwide.

All four states have close ties to Toyota and operations in their states. They called the company a "valuable friend."

"Toyota has unquestionably placed the safety of its customers above its profits," the letter said. "Toyota has not laid off a single employee, despite the impact these concerns have had on sales."

Read more: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100210/AUTO01/2100438/1361/Governors-defend-Toyota--cite-federal--conflict-of-interest-#ixzz0fBWKrRK4

[PSPS]

1. Our corporo-government has spoken.

[OhioChick]

2. My thoughts, exactly. n/t

[onethatcares]

3. let's have them use un recalled toyotas for official vehicles.

then we'll see how much conflict of interest there is.

[UpInArms]

4. these flucknuts can't even spell "conflict of interest"

because their heads are too far up Toyota's ass.

[Bozita]

5. Toyota's US plants are in KY, IN, AL, TX, WV and soon MS. ... Hmmmm

How'd they manage to not include Rick Perry?

according to Wikipedia:

Toyota has a large presence in the United States with five major assembly plants in Huntsville, Alabama; Georgetown, Kentucky; Princeton, Indiana; San Antonio, Texas; Buffalo, West Virginia. A new plant slated to be built in Blue Springs, Mississippi has been put on hold owing to the financial crisis that erupted in late 2008. Toyota had a joint-venture operation with General Motors at New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI), in Fremont, California, which began in 1984 and ended in 2009.<52> It still has a joint-venture with Subaru at Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. (SIA), in Lafayette, Indiana, which started in 2006. Production on a new manufacturing plant in Tupelo, Mississippi was scheduled for completion in 2010 but is currently on indefinite hold. North America is a major automobile market for Toyota. In these assembly plants, the Camry and the Tundra are manufactured, among others.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota

[madrchsod]

7. the japanese love these guys....

billions in tax breaks and a cheap docile work force. is it any wonder why 50% of toyota`s profit comes from it`s us operations?

[pattmarty]

9. I don't think even those morons want to be seen with "Crazy Rick" .

If I remember right, these same kind of good ole patriot Americans were bashing the Japanese and to a lesser extent "German" car makers back in the 80's (pre Toyota US plants). This fucking country is really getting comical over the last 40 yrs and is actually getting worse.

[winstars]

22. REDD STATES

The other day when I saw these states listed as to where Toyota's US plant were I waited for this BULLSHIT from these vermin!!! What a fucking shocking thing for these tools to say. As we say where I come from 'not for nutting' but maybe if well paid workers with a fucking union might have built those cars.... Although I drove a new Imapla last week and it was NOT very impressive, yeah I know the Malibu is cool, but that American car sorts clunky opposed to Mazda medium size (gallant) with was smaller and zippier than the just bigger but not better Impala...

But I digress, FUCK these republican scum.... I mean Haley (I gone my state all the dough that NOLA was missing....) Ycccccchhhhhhhhhhhhh

[madrchsod]

6. the obama administration owns part of gm...?

here i thought the us taxpayers did....

these racists just can`t accept the fact that a black man is the president.

[Alcibiades]

19. Hard to take an article such as this seriously

When it contains an uncorrected error in the first sentence. Don't they have editors?

[Hawkeye-X]

8. READ THIS: 4 REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS and NO UNION

I'll say this for once.

Eff the Thugs, and eff Toyota.

I love my Honda, even though it was built in Japan, and the customer service I get for my car is top-rate.

Hawkeye-X

[jmowreader]

14. Well, three Republican governors and no union

Steve Beshear, governor of Kentucky, is a Democrat:

http://www.democraticgovernors.org/governors?id=0007

Mitch Daniels, Haley Barbour and Bob Riley, otoh, are definitely Repukes.

[cally]

10. This has to be a great campaign issue for Dems

Are they out of their minds?

[toetyperfl]

13. this is

insane. everyday im more ashamed of being a republican'

[KILL THE WISE ONE]

11. 4 Governors of 4 states with Toyota Plants - i am so surprised

bow down before your cooperate overloads.

[Codeine]

12. Union-busting assholes.

Fuck the lot of them.

[demosincebirth]

15. All of them RTW states. Figures

[TheCowsCameHome]

16. Gee, who would have guessed.........

Nio surprise here, eh?

[Turbineguy]

17. Democrats have by their very nature

a conflict of interest. They don't want people to die needlessly.

[nonconformist]

18. KY Gov. Beshear is a Democrat.

And if he keeps it up he won't have my vote next time. Ass.

[tomm2thumbs]

20. if the cars were working fine, they wouldn't be in this pickle - blame someone else instead?

oh dear, did I just say pickle?

[DesertDiamond]

21. Sorry, I am still a Toyota fan. As a single woman who drives alone long distances

I hate to diss American cars. But I need a car I can rely on, so I buy Toyotas. I had had enough of cars that broked down frequently and unexpectedly, often in unsafe places. I have never had that happen with my Toyotas, which have all been low maintenance and long-lived.

[LiberalFighter]

23. Gee I've had my 99 Cavalier for over 11 years.

[joeglow3]

25. Interesting. However, you can't use anecodotal evidence

My GM cars (Blazer and Sunfire) had no problems. My Blazer was at 120,000 miles and was almost 10 years old when we got rid of it (for a minivan) - ZERO spent on non-maintence repairs. My Sunfire is 7 years old with 101,000 miles - ZERO spent on non-maintenence repairs. My brothers Honda is 6 years old and they have spent over $6,000 on non-warranty repairs.

That said, you HAVE to look at the research done and it shows MANY US cars are now MORE reliable than foreign cars. For instance, we bought a 2006 Chrysler T&C Touring. It is the number 1 reliable car by JD Power and Associates.

Thus, I suggest you do research and support the US worker the next time you buy a car. Times DO change (I should not have to tell a fellow progressive that) and what was tops 10 years ago is no longer tops today.

[LiberalFighter]

24. This was my response to our online television website's comment section.

I used their statement to rebut.

"It is unfortunate and unfair that Toyota has fallen victim to aggressive and questionable news coverage of these issues when the real story is how quickly Toyota identified the problems, found solutions and delivered those solutions to its dealers worldwide"

Quickly? The problem has been ongoing since 2002 with over 2000 complaints. And it was the NHTSA that pushed Toyota to suspend production. Toyota initially did not accept there were any problems. And then providing diagnoses with fixes that failed to work. Even claiming that the NHTSA was backing their conclusion when in fact the matter was not closed.

[Yavin4]

26. Well, When Toyota Put Their Plants in States With A High Level of Uneducated Workers

And went with non-union labor, it's no surprise that their cars have major defects.

[Dappleganger]

27. Toyota has been dragging their feet on this since 2007...

and the US didn't have the nerve to read them the riot act until November/December last year. If this had been any American company they would have been held accountable MUCH sooner but because the US cowtows to the Japanese companies especially the almighty Toyota they went slow.

The Japanese have a lot to learn WRT to addressing FAILURE and Toyota is deservedly taking this bit hit on the chin.

And those four governors just need to shut the fuck up.

[Bozita]

28. Article linked in the OP has been updated to reflect Beshear's being a Dem.