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February 22, 2010
Toyota: Dems 'not industry friendly'
An internal Toyota memo ridiculed the radicals in the White House and Congress for their unfriendly industry practices.
Toyota: Dems 'not industry friendly'
Internal Toyota documents derided the Obama administration and Democratic Congress as “activist” and “not industry friendly," a revelation that comes days before the giant automaker's top executives testify on Capitol Hill amid a giant recall.
According to a presentation obtained under subpoena by the House Oversight and Government Relations committee, Toyota referred to the “changing political environment” as one of its main challenges and anticipated a "more challenging regulatory" environment under the Obama administration's purview.
This document, in addition to piles of other records, will be front and center this week as the Japanese automaker girds to face lawmakers hungry for answers about a recall that has the company teetering.
Upwards of 8 million cars have been recalled in the U.S. and worldwide, amid reports of Toyota's vehicles accelerating rapidly. The problems have turned political, as the company has shuttered some American factories, potentially resulting in layoffs.
The oversight committee, which is led by Democrat Ed Towns of New York and Republican Darrell Issa of California, will seek to discover if Toyota was forthright in disclosing problems with rapid acceleration – and if the government was responsible and quick in investigating such complaints.
Toyota has launched an image rehabilitation campaign on Capitol Hill, and its top lobbyist has sent emails to Congressional aides in an attempt to shape its image amid this crisis.
Committee aides say the presentation, which was obtained by POLITICO, gives the clearest view into the minds of Toyota executives.
Aides believe the presentation was an explanatory slideshow prepared to explain the inner-workings of Toyota’s Washington lobbying operations. It includes a responsibility flow chart, in addition to resources the office calls upon, including The Brookings Institution and the Chamber of Commerce.
The slideshow is titled “Toyota Washington, DC” and the cover sheet is labeled “Yoshi Inaba” – the president of Toyota North America, who is slated to testify.
It is a peek into how Toyota executives view the American political environment.
The “Activist Administration & Congress – increasing laws & regulations” is listed as one of “Toyota Challenges,” as is “Massive government support for Detroit automakers.”
The July 2009 presentation also says the Department of Transportation and National Highway Transportation Safety Administration “under Obama administration” is “not industry friendly,” and anticipates a “more challenging regulatory and enforcement environment.”
It says the NHTSA “new team has less understanding of engineering issues and are primarily focused on legal issues.”
“While the administration may have changed, the bureaucracy itself has not and we must ensure that government regulators give every possible consumer concern its due diligence,” said Republican Oversight spokesman Kurt Bardella.
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Wild Thing's comment........
Obama and his cronies in power aren’t America “friendly” either. They hate this country more than our enemies do.
More and more every business in America, whether a home based one person small enterprise to a 100,000 employee company has exactly the same opinion as Toyota.
Internal Toyota documents derided the Obama administration and Democratic Congress as “activist” and “not industry friendly," a revelation that comes days before the giant automaker's top executives testify on Capitol Hill amid a giant recall.
Welcome to the fight, Toyota. The first step is to identify your enemy.
Obama is trying to destroy non-union Toyota for their decision to walk away from a union operated plant in California- the same plant that GM walked away from.
A recession is when your neighbor is out of work. A depression is when you are out of work. A recovery is when Obama is out of work.
And this past week Japan surpassed China as the majority foreign holder of US debt. Obama is about to meet some Samurai.
The Japanese and Okinawans want the Marines out of Okinawa. And, talks about removing US presence from Misawa AB and Yakota AB. This was an ABC article from Jack Tapper last November.....very interesting article :
Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reached an agreement on creating a bilateral working group to resolve issues surrounding the 2006 agreement reached between the US and Japan on the US moving a military base on Okinawa.
More than half of the roughly 47,000 US troops on Japan are located at the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma on the island of Okinawa.
....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at February 22, 2010 05:47 AM
Comments
Toyota is taking a big hit publicity wise. obama's people are jumping on the wounded lion. They are trying to use this situation to control even more of the auto industry. Between the MSM's vicious attack, the union pressure and obama's regulators, I would not be surprised to see Toyota move some of it's plants out of the US. Maybe to Mexico.
If the Japanese want America to reduce our troop presence on their soil, I hope that they are ready to increase their military and start taking over more of the responsibility for defense of the Pacific Rim.
Posted by: TomR at February 22, 2010 11:34 AM
One word - UNIONS!!!
Posted by: Jack at February 22, 2010 12:24 PM
Seems like a conflict of interest for the Government to demand answers from Toyota while they're supporting GM and Chrysler. Makes me want to buy a Toyota, almost.
Toyota built a large plant near Princeton, IN. Gave the southern Indiana economy a much needed boost. I would hate to see them go elsewhere. Like most corporations, I think they can read the tea leaves and realize the current administration and Congress are short-timers.
Posted by: Jim at February 22, 2010 01:51 PM
Tom, yes maybe to Mexico. I agree with you too about Japan and our troops and their own troops.
Jack that is it, Unions big time.
Jim I woud hate to see that too. I was so happy when I read and posted about how great they were doing with that plant.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 22, 2010 07:45 PM
