Fighting for good union jobs, Obama administration buys…. foreign cars

**Posted by Phineas

I’m sure UAW will understand:

President Barack Obama’s administration, which set a goal of buying only alternative- technology vehicles for its fleet by 2015, cut purchases of hybrid and electric models by one-third last year and bought mostly Asian brands.

About 54 percent of the 1,801 alt-fuel vehicles purchased by U.S. government agencies last year were built by Hyundai Motor Co. (005380), Toyota Motor Corp. (7203), Mitsubishi Motors Corp. (7211) and Honda Motor Co., according to data obtained under a Freedom of Information request from the U.S. General Services Administration, which coordinates most vehicle purchases.

The Korean-made hybrid version of the Hyundai Sonata unseated Ford Motor Co. (F)’s Fusion hybrid as the top-selling alternative-technology vehicle purchased for the federal fleet. U.S. hybrid purchases in previous years were made almost exclusively from domestic automakers.

The problem is that they’re trapped by their own Green ideology: committed to “alternative fuel” vehicles, they have to buy from foreign companies because there aren’t enough models produced in the US. (And some have a bad habit of catching fire…)

But try to explain that to the northern auto worker who’s facing layoffs from declining sales. Wasn’t the whole point of the bailout and partial nationalization to save their jobs, no matter what the cost to the taxpayer? Shouldn’t the Obama administration “buy American?” (Including fire-proof suits?) Shouldn’t the US autoworkers being wondering what in heck they’re getting in return for their blind loyalty, votes, and millions in dues funneled to Democrats?

(And I’d be glad if they did start asking those questions, since it might provide some much-needed enlightenment.)

Honestly, I’ve no problem with the government buying cars from whatever source, just as long as they’re getting the best deal for our tax money. (Of course, by definition that leaves out almost anything that’s “Green,” because of the heavy government subsidies required to make them competitive in the marketplace.)

I’m just amused at the knots the administration ties itself in, shafting one client group to please another. One of these days, all those patronage balls the Democrats are juggling are going to come crashing down.

(Crossposted at Public Secrets)

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