When I read that the top advisor in the White House on the auto industry was a 31 year old, my first reaction was that this guy better be a real genius. As someone who is beyond that age, I can say that at 31 years, one does not "know it all". Beyond our immediate circle of family, friends, and professional associates, there are certainly perspectives that we haven’t yet considered.
In reading the background of Brian Deese, the White House auto industry point man, I have some other concerns. A student of political science and law with no auto industry background. Worked at a couple of advocacy organizations with a politically liberal bent. One parent is a college professor while the other parent is an engineer in the alternative energy arena. While a conservative may complain that his background is liberal, one shouldn’t be surprised due to the party currently in control of the Executive branch. It’s not his age that concerns me; it’s the apparent "sameness” of his background that worries me. There's nothing wrong with what he and his parents do for a living. I just have the feeling that his experience is all left of center field.
The Obama administration wants GM and Chrysler to produce more fuel efficient vehicles as part of its acceptance of taxpayer money. Fiat's green technology is presumably one of the main reasons for its involvement in taking over Chrysler. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, arguably one of the most green-conscious parts of the United States, yet I haven’t seen any "green" Fiat vehicles. In fact, I rarely see any Fiats on the road at all.
His goal should be to send GM and Chrysler down the path of financial viability, not to use these companies as a tool to push a green agenda. While I have no objections to fuel efficient cars, my hope is that he realizes that what may be popular in suburban Boston may not work in other communities. One of my co-workers mentioned that all of her family from the southern part of the country drive SUVs, not because they like big autos, but that having a vehicle with high clearance helps one move around in flood prone areas during the rainy season.
While these two companies have failed to manage money wisely, they have done well with trucks and SUVs. If Mr. Deese is mindful of each company’s strengths, then things should work out eventually. If his goal is to use these companies to advance an environmental activist agenda, then the result will fall short. My hope and expectation is that he considers ideas outside of his usual circles. It's not his age; it's that all three of his outfielders are hanging out near the left field foul line.
--Chiang C
