NFB: Opinions please....

[wolfdogs]

from the forum members, your honest gut reaction:

for the first time in "history".. you will start seeing U.S. Govt. plates on ............... a "foriegn" vehicle. GSA Fleet is buying some Honda Civic Hybrids ...............

whats going to be your reaction when you see that on the street?

thanks.

all comments welcome.

[N20LT4Bird]

At this point, there is no clear definition of a foreign car anyways.....Japanese cars are built here and ours built there - who knows. I think its foolish to buy foreign becasue they are so darn expensive to fix, but I wouldnt think too much about it.

[Christopherrr]

You have to think deeper into it...using Hybrids is a good thing (less pollution).

Too many factors to weigh in when...but my initial reaction would be "WHAT DA!?"

N20 said, they build here, we build there...everything is tangled up. Sorta like 911...everyone were putting flags on there car. Personally, I was proud to ride around in an American car with our flag on it...couldn't say the same for the old chap with the Lexus next to me doing the same.

We mean good...and I understand that.

[fastTa]

I don't think it would bother me at all, considering what has already been said about where domestics and imports are put together.

[TraceZ]

I don't think it would bother me at all, considering what has already been said about where domestics and imports are put together.

Keep in mind that even if a company builds the car in one place, the profits and corporation are still overseas. You are still sending that money outside our borders. At least if you buy an American car, the profits and corporation are here, and pay taxes here.

Dont get me wrong, it is good that overseas auto companys are employing people here, but it is still just a scam to make us feel better about buying their cars. I will never own one. I would perfer our government not buy them.

[Jay 02 TA ws6]

I would perfer our government not buy them.

I would prefer our companies would step up to meet the market demand. It isn't the government's fault that GM's idea of a good compact car is a 30-year old j-body with a new front fascia.

Competition is what makes the free market go... so obviously, GM, Ford, and Chrysler need to get their act together and come up with some competitive alternatives to the Civic Hybrid. Until they do, I am not gonna fault our government for going outside our borders to find the product they want.

[Joe 1320]

Just what we need...... The government to support a foreign company and their workers rather than put dollars back into our own economy. Makes perfect sense to the foreign country I'm sure.

[wolfdogs]

thanks guys, yes..its not as bad as it used to be. im sure we will have to answer some congressional inquiries about it..and its my office that will be slammed first for sure... my division does not do the buying, but were are the operations division..so everthing filters thru us first.. im busy writting preventative maint. schedules for them now. oil change iinterval is ever 10k, thats not bad.

back in the mid eightys this happend with a Toyota....... it was spotted in ga. with a govt. take. poo poo hit the fan...even the media got in on it... turned out somebody stole the govt plate cause thiers was expried and put it on the toyota.......

[Mirroredshades]

Competition.

That's all it really boils down too. There is no American car that can compete with the Honda or Toyota Hybrids.

[WICKED LT1]

It all boils down to politics in most cases. Who do they want to please, and who do they want to please more. The UAW has always held an amount of sway with Gov types, but the hybrid thing will surely make the environmentalists happy. Catch 22. You always make somebody mad. Maybe it's the env. turn at the ol' budget cycle. Don't know. Personally, don't care. It a global economy anyway. Even if the profits go overseas, they are still employing our guys and gals.


-Paul