State Treasurer Richard Mourdock’s attempt to stand up for the rule of law in the Chrysler bankruptcy appears to have been
futile, but we applaud the treasurer for trying. Mourdock went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to preserve the rights
of secured creditors in bankruptcy cases.
Hoosier economic development officials are working to attract police-car maker Carbon Motors to Connersville.
Indiana’s $86M incentive package to establish the Subaru plant in Lafayette was initially controversial.
The Obama administration recently reversed a Bush-era policy that prevented states from imposing some of their own environmental policies with respect to corporate average fuel efficiency, or CAFE, standards.
The Indy Racing League is considering delaying adoption of its new engine formula by a year—to 2012—so teams
can afford to make the switch.
A federal bailout for automakers Chrysler and General Motors won’t fix their problems. I think a bankruptcy of these companies is nearly inevitable.
It might also spell the demise of the UAW.
The weakest of the Detroit Three, Chrysler LLC and General Motors Corp., said they would run out of cash in 2009, potentially
eliminating tens of thousands of jobs in Indiana alone.
Indianapolis Ford dealers John Pearson and Ray Skillman will be among the 300 domestic dealers
of Mahindra trucks and SUVs when the company makes its U.S. passenger car debut as early as next summer.
The Big Three and the United Auto Workers do not appear to be serious about making the concessions and changes that are necessary
to make them a viable entity for the long haul.
While America’s auto industry is being transformed to become efficient and environmentally conscious, put laid off auto employees
to work educating students.
Fueled by its line of gas-sipping economy cars, Honda is expanding in Indiana as car manufacturers almost everywhere else
are shrinking. And the 2,000 jobs the Japanese automaker is promising in Greensburg by 2010 could be just the beginning.
The “event data recorder,” a so-called black box car makers have installed in their cars over the last decade and a half as
part of air-bag systems, can be a double-edged sword for motorists. Yet they likely don’t even know it’s spying from under
their seat or dashboard.
Banker Steve Tolen is attempting to resuscitate the electric car. Tolen believes conditions are ripe for an upstart automaker
to launch a safe battery-powered vehicle capable of rapid acceleration, highway speeds and over 100 miles of distance between
charges.
Indiana’s automotive manufacturing employment for the last decade peaked at 142,000 in 1999. Since then, the sector has shed
20,300 jobs-a staggering one-seventh of its total. Another 5,220 are slated to be cut soon. And there’s no end in sight.
