[StBernard] Sen. Landrieu Discusses Auto Bailout with Constituents

[Westley Annis]

Sen. Landrieu Discusses Auto Bailout with Constituents

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., in an e-mail to her
Louisiana constituents, today discussed proposed approaches to meeting the
challenges facing the ailing U.S. automobile industry.

The text of the Senator's e-mail appears below, and was accompanied by a
form through which constituents were encouraged to share their views with
the Senator.

________________________________


Dear friends,

Thank you for allowing me to continue to serve Louisiana in the United
States Senate.  Our state and nation face challenges on many fronts, and I
am proud that we will continue working together to meet them.

In this spirit, several changes will be coming to my web site and e-mail
services in the months ahead to better involve you in the important
discussions and decisions being made in Washington.

This week, the Senate will be debating the appropriate approach to meeting
the challenges facing the ailing U.S. automobile manufacturing industry.  A
proposal in the works is expected to provide the "Big Three" automakers -
Chrysler, General Motors and Ford - with loans of about $15 billion with a
requirement that these companies take aggressive action to reform and
restructure their businesses.  

This proposal is still an early draft - too early, in fact, to properly
assess whether these reforms will go far enough.  I voted against the $700
billion Wall Street bailout because it lacked a real plan for how to get the
markets back on track and failed to include safeguards to ensure that
taxpayers are properly protected. Any auto industry bailout must do better,
and the industry's mismanagement and lack of strategic vision up to this
point weigh heavily on my mind as I consider this proposal.  

I will be careful to give both sides of this debate fair consideration,
however. Too many hid behind partisan talking points as excuses to oppose
the necessary support to stand up communities of the Gulf Coast after the
hurricanes.  The people of Michigan and Ohio and other communities dependent
on this industry also deserve as much as we did a balanced consideration not
wrapped in political calculations.

Our state has a vested interest as well, with a GM plant in Shreveport and
hundreds of locally owned dealerships across the state.  I will be
consulting with state and local officials, as well as representatives of the
auto manufacturers, to evaluate how this and other proposals could help or
hinder our efforts to protect Louisiana jobs.

And I want to hear from you too.  Please use the box to the right to share
your thoughts on our automobile industry and the challenges ahead.  It is my
hope that we will be able to use e-mail and the web in the years ahead to
have a productive dialogue on this and other key issues, and that you will
take these opportunities to involve yourself in this important process.

These are trying times for America, and families in Louisiana and across the
nation are struggling in ways that they never have before.  But the holiday
season is also a time for families to come together and cherish the people
we love.  From my family to yours, I wish you the happiest and holiest of
holidays.  

With warmest regards, I remain

Sincerely,

Mary Landrieu

 

United States Senator
Mary L. Landrieu

What Do You Think?

I want you to be a part of this important discussion. 

What are your thoughts regarding the economic challenges ahead?

How has the current economy affected you and your family?

What do you think should be done - if anything - to meet the challenges of
the ailing U.S. automobile industry?

What are your priorities for standing up the U.S. and Louisiana economy?

Please share your thoughts in the box below, or click the link below if your
e-mail reader doesn't support this feature.  

   If you are having trouble, click here.
<http://landrieu-press.enews.senate.gov/mail/util.cfm?gpiv=2000005038.1463.2
98&gen=1>