Michigan mayor's auto aid plan: Buy Michigan-made or you're fired

You’ve got to admire James Fouts and his eagerness to start a courtroom brawl.

The mayor of Warren, Mich., has issued an executive order requiring that all political appointees drive an American-made car. For those who now drive a Honda or a Lexus? Get shopping.

According to Fouts, they have to guarantee that their next car purchase will be a vehicle made by General Motors, Chrysler or Ford.

To those who don’t want to make the switch?

“They can find another place to work,” Fouts said.

Seem harsh? Consider this: GM and Chrysler are the town’s No. 1 and 2 employers, respectively.

Tax revenues generated by the two carmakers account for 15% of the city’s $98-million annual budget, and one-third of the Detroit suburb’s 138,000 residents rely on the auto industry for their livelihood.

That’s a lot of folks.

When someone dared to point out that Honda and Toyota make many cars in the U.S. with U.S. workers, Fouts shrugged. 

“People understand," he said adamantly, "their salaries are dependent upon whether Chrysler and General Motors succeed, or whether they go out of business.”

Fouts himself drives a new, midnight-black Dodge Charger, which he sheepishly admitted to getting pulled over for speeding in it a while back.

And he is determined that, someday soon, all city workers will join him in driving vehicles made by one of the Big Three. Teachers. Janitors. Sewer crews. Anyone pulling a paycheck from the city.

It’s become a point of contention these days, as Fouts and city officials are proposing the requirement as they negotiate contracts with the local labor unions. Given Chrysler’s recent bankruptcy filing, and GM facing a June 1 deadline to come up with a viable plan to avoid a similar fate, it’s possible that Fouts’ wistful proviso might actually get some traction.

There's more about how the community’s wrestling with the Chrysler bankruptcy over here.

-- P.J. Huffstetter

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Photo: Warren, Mich., Mayor James Fouts. Credit: Associated Press

Comments

[marty rosa]

Next they'll be telling us what kind of light bulbs to use (oops! - that is already slated for 2014), what to eat, what we can listen to on the radio, how big our houses can be and what to think. Welcome to the new fascist America, brought to you by today's Democratic party.

[Connor]

Apparently the mayor of Warren is unaware that Dodge Chargers are made in Canada.

[mike]

way to go its about time someone in a public office made a stand BUY AMERICAN.Americans should stand together not sit and complain about each other.stand together and make it happen

[Rick Weaver]

Buying Michigan is only a part of the solution to our state's economic woes. As many readers point out Michigan buyers do not have the buying power to catapult us back to prosperity. What we really need to do is Sell Michigan.

MBC Global just started the Sell Michigan campaign (see http://sellmi.mbcglobal.org) to connect Michigan businesses with buyers in the world's economic hot spots. The program is creating and retaining Michigan jobs by selling Michigan's inginuity and creativity to countries that have chosen not to participate in the whiny "global recession".

Selling Michigan is also something we can all do by talking with others, in and outside of Michigan, about the greatness of our state. From the "smarts" already mentioned to our wealth of recreation and natural resources, this state truly has a lot to offer.

[Tania]

You should consider networking with the moms in the bizymoms Warren community.