Manufacturers Respond to California Lawsuit
The National Association of Manufacturers has posted a couple of responses to the lawsuit filed by California attorney general Bill Lockyer yesterday, and they are not happy. They are accusing Lockyer of grandstanding and trying to bypass legislation by litigating. The association issued a press release that opens with:
The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) criticized California's attorney general today for issuing a lawsuit against automakers for damages related to greenhouse gas emissions, calling the endeavor an "appalling misuse" of the California court system to force public policy changes.
"This is a blatant attempt by the California attorney general to get back-door regulation through manipulation of the courts," said NAM President John Engler. "Already, manufacturers are dealing with some of the highest legal and energy costs in the world, we shouldn't be making matters worse with unwarranted lawsuits.
"While our nation is in the midst of an energy crisis, lawmakers should be looking for environmentally safe and economically sound solutions, not posturing with litigation," Engler added.
While former Michigan Governer John Engler rips the California AG for his "posturing" he neglects to mention that attempts by California and other states have been fought constantly in the courts and the Federal Government has done absolutely nothing about increasing efficiency and emissions standards for at least two decades. Lockyer probably doesn't have a viable case to fight, but he is certainly making a statement. The North-East States and California want do something about pollution and fuel economy, so maybe NAM and the auto companies should sit down and work something out. Read more from NAM here and here.
[Source: National Association of Manufacturers]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Alric 2:12PM (9/21/2006)
"The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)"...or NAMBLA.
They cry now but they sue the california air safety(?) board because of their proposal to require Zero emission vehicles to be available. I guess what goes around does come around! Crybabies.
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Tony Belding 2:30PM (9/21/2006)
I have to side with the car companies on this one. California's lawsuit is absurd, they're trying to sue the car industry for existing. The car makers are exactly correct in saying this is a matter for public debate and legislation, not litigation. We are supposed to have a democratic process in this country.
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loikll 4:14PM (9/21/2006)
*** The North-East States and California want do something about pollution and fuel economy, so maybe NAM and the auto companies should sit down and work something out.***
Well the other 40 states apparently DON'T want to do anything about pollution and fuel economy, so maybe California should just accept the fact that its constitutional authority does not extend beyond its borders, and sometimes in a democracy the majority disagrees with you. Boo-hoo.
It's easy to get caught up in your self righteousness and forget that there are 300 million other people in the country with competing interests. Doesn't seem to me that anyone is losing any elections as a result of the EPA not bowing to California's commands, and so like it or not it seems people have other priorities.
The statement is absolutely correct: "This is a blatant attempt by the California attorney general to get back-door regulation through manipulation of the courts". Surely no one would even bother denying that.
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Dave 6:17PM (9/21/2006)
This is another case of misusing the court system to achieve what correctly must be obtained through the legislative process. Lockyer is behaving in a manner that is illegitimate and immoral, misusing public office for personal and political gain (he is aping Eliot Spitzer in New York). Junk lawsuits to secure what is desired (sometimes with settlement terms brazenly stated, as with the lawsuits against the gun makers) is simply the ugly cousin of the more common form of judicial activism, invention of law out of thin air by (activist) judges in place of real law created through the legislative process. It seems that even in loopy liberal California's legislature, which itself actually has already engaged in ridiculous "global warming" nonsense, it may not be possible to be as outrageous and downright stupid (and venal) as Lockyer wishes to be. Lockyer is preparing for a fresh election by appealing, as so many of his kind do, to the losers and scum who would vote for him, the only kind of people who support what he is doing, or what others do when they illegitimately misuse the courts as well.
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Rob Lowe 11:47AM (9/22/2006)
If there was enough money to spread around Congress to trump the bribes already in place by the Energy and Auto Industry so that Global Warming was addressed appropriately perhaps California would not have reverted to using the courts.
What a stupid species we are. The same people who almost destroyed the Ozone layer have found another way to make the planet uninhabitable and we argue over taking even the most minimal steps over doing something about it.
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Guenther 3:31PM (9/25/2006)
The funny part is that if the Peoples Republic of California still represents it "people" then it shouldn't give a rats you-know-what, since its people have continued to chose vehicles that get poor fuel economy. tHE nam needs to file a countersuit (financed by toyota) on bases of defamation. Automakers have comlied with every regulation. Automakers, or any other group, cannot bow to a frivilous assault like this.
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Paige 4:35PM (9/22/2006)
My fear is that the last thing we need is to dish alternative vehicles! So much is spent just to boost the existing systems... It makes me sad that we can’t' even explore a new system without the oil coffers squashing a change. I mean the rest of us can't imagine that much money. So our power is small. But in the long run the free and positive thrust of alternate fuels and vehicles is important to all! Even the people who mistake money for brains.
Sincerely,
Paige Harlow
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Paige 4:37PM (9/22/2006)
My fear is that the last thing we need is to dish alternative vehicles! So much is spent just to boost the existing systems... It makes me sad that we can’t' even explore a new system without the oil coffers squashing a change. I mean the rest of us can't imagine that much money. So our power is small. But in the long run the free and positive thrust of alternate fuels and vehicles is important to all! Even the people who mistake money for brains.
Sincerely,
Paige Harlow
Reply