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 Editorials | Opinions | April 2008 
Socialists: Re-Thinking Electric Cars and Automobile Industry
 Stewart A. Alexander - Peace and Freedom Party
| | Stewart A. Alexander - Socialist Party USA Nominee for Vice President, and Candidate for nomination by the Peace and Freedom Party | | |
In March 2006, while running as a candidate for California Lieutenant Governor, I introduced a $75 billion plan that was designed to revive the struggling U.S. automobile industry; manufacturing electric cars and hydrogen vehicles. Later, that plan was revised to a 10 year, $120 billion plan that would have positioned the U.S. automobile industry on the forefront of manufacturing electric cars and hydrogen vehicles. It is now necessary to revise this plan to end the America’s dependency on oil and to create good paying job for working people.
Many advocates of electric vehicles were excited in the early 90’s when California established a mandate that would have required the big three automakers to make 100,000 or more electric vehicles available to sell in California; the most heavily dependant automobile market in the world. Later, the state reduced that requirement to 25,000 electric vehicles annually. Today, when electric cars are most needed with skyrocketing gasoline prices, the zero emission mandate, that would have required the production of electric cars, has essentially become irrelevant in California politics.
In southern California, it is common to find gasoline prices well above $3.50 per gallon; and it is almost impossible to find diesel for less than $4.00 per gallon. It will cost, on average $45 to fill most economy cars; and many drivers are paying $100 or more weekly for gasoline; the cost to commute is becoming an extreme financial burden on most working families. It may cost a working family, with two or more drivers in a household, more than $6,000 annually to commute.
Today, it has become necessary to re-think the future of three industries to reduce U.S. dependency on oil; the automobile industry, the petroleum industry and the ethanol industry. The future direction of these three industries will definitely determine the quality of life for working class people for the next 300 years. The world will face certain economic and environmental disasters, including severe food shortages worldwide, if world governments fail to exercise proper controls over the automobile, petroleum and ethanol industries.
There are several major revisions that have been included in the transportation and energy plan that I introduced in April 2007. Under the revised plan, the U.S. government would nationalize the U.S. oil industry, the ethanol industry, and the automobile industry. Over a period of 10 years, the U.S. government would invest $300 billion into the automobile industry manufacturing electric cars; expanding the industry to all areas of the U.S, to include more rural areas.
By January 2010, 90 percent of all automobiles and trucks that are shipped to the U.S. would be restricted to zero emission standards. This requirement would not apply to automobiles and trucks that are manufactured by foreign automakers here in the U.S. By 2015, over half of all new cars and trucks, sold in the U.S. would be required to have zero emission; and by 2020 that requirement would apply to 95 percent of all new vehicles sold nationwide.
Setting politics aside, it would be possible for a majority of working people to have an electric vehicle in their driveway by 2015. Owners of electric vehicles would have convenient charging stations everywhere; at home, work, on roadsides and in grocery store parking lots. Debit cards, with power charging outlets, would be in all public facilities; charging outlets would be available for every home and place of employment.
In 1929, the world was plunged into a deep depression that continued for over a decade. In the mid 30’s, the leadership in Washington was open to implementing major economic social reforms, that were introduced by socialists, that helped put millions of working people back to work. Today, the U.S. is in the grips of a major recession and according to many national economists, it is the worst recession the nation has experienced since World War II.
To revive the U.S. economy will require much more than the token $168 billion stimulus package that was recently passed by the Democrats and Republicans. The U.S. economy needs a total makeover. This will require more than nationalizing the automobile, petroleum and ethanol industries; eventually, this will require social ownership and democratic control of industry, financial institutions, and natural resources.
Rebuilding a strong national economic base for working people will not happen overnight; the Democrats, Republicans, and capitalists have spent decades creating the present economic mess that is suppressing working people everywhere. A rebuilding effort will require the U.S. government investing trillions of dollars over the next decade, in industry and manufacturing and rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure.
The Socialist Party USA, Peace and Freedom Party and socialists everywhere, support abolishing U.S. trade agreement that exploit foreign labor markets for cheap labor, and the exploitation of the world’s natural resources. The two socialist parties also support the development of mass transportation systems nationwide.
For more information search the Web for: Stewart A. Alexander; Independent Voters Rejecting Democrats and Republicans; Federal Tax Relief Package is Welfare for Billions.
http://www.banderasnews.com/0802/edop-stewartalexander04.htm
http://labs.daylife.com/journalist/stewart_a._alexander
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=39173
http://miami.indymedia.org/news/2006/11/6839.php
http://StewartAlexanderCares.com
http://www.vote-socialist.org/
http://peaceandfreedom-sjv.org/home/
http://www.sp-usa.org/
http://www.dcpoliticalreport.com/pres08.htm
http://www.politics1.com/p2008.htm |
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