Powerful auto dealers flex muscles, White House blinks



Hayward, CA
One of the many abandoned
auto lots I encountered on
 a recent bike tour in the East Bay.

 In a September 15, 2011 Wall Street Journal article titled "Dealers Oppose Gas Rules, the author describes a renewed sense of power from a recent backdown from the White House. The article opens by stating,

The nation's politically influential automobile dealers, emboldened by the Obama administration's recent retreat on tougher smog regulations, are revving up a lobbying effort to block fuel-economy rules proposed by the administration

This week over 400 automobile dealers will descend upon Washington to block and delay the introduction of rules seeking to improve the nation's fuel efficiency standards on automobiles for at least one year. Congressional member Steve Austria (R., Ohio) sponsored legislation that has already been approved by the House Appropriations Committee that would delay the drafting of the new rules for another year.

The Republicans claim that proposed Obama regulations will burden business at a time when unemployment continues to hover above the 9% level. Democrats although seeking to increase fuel efficiency standards while improving air quality through the new regulations have seen the administration back down twice before. NADA (National Automobile Dealers Association) has previously succeeded twice in getting congressional Democrats defy Obama on key automobile related legislative votes.