Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Tenchusatsu who wrote (187343)	4/30/2004 12:46:26 AM
From: Amy J	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1578266

Tenchusatsu, RE: "Amy, consider the source. The GM CEO is obviously under a lot of pressure to reduce the gas consumption" They are not. Not when you compare to the pressure they were under during the late 70s. They were under much more pressure during the energy crisis of the late 70s. When I was a kid, long lines would wrap around blocks just to get to a gas station and on a hot day people's tempers would get out of hand. Scary. The govt was beginning price controls. The auto industry had a tremendous amount of pressure back then. Back then, there was talk of a gas tax, but the auto industry fought it tooth and nail. You truly are unaware of what transpired in the late 70s. It's an extremely huge thing for the auto manufacturers to not fight against a gas tax. Even though such an initiative might impact them. RE: "But instead of taking responsibility" Not fighting a gas tax is taking responsibility. RE: "while GM is responsible to the demands of their customers." It is a fundamental rule for all product managers at all corporations and in all industries, including Intel's, to serve their customers' needs. If the customer's need conflicts with society's needs, that's a situation where capitalism breaks down. This is where taxes (or some other creative solution that appeals more to you), comes into play. RE: "most Americans consider automobile travel to be a constitutionally-guaranteed right." Economic studies show people adjust to changes. But you are correctly implying it would be a political nightmare for the politician to do what is right for society - bad medicine is hard to give. RE: "Plus it can be argued that such a tax might be regressive, which goes against the liberal mantra. Tenchusatsu" Republicans are the folks that are against a gas tax, not Democrats. Though, interestingly enough both Reagan and Bush Sr have conducted such a gas tax study. Regards, Amy J