密西西比州長投書華郵：美國欠豐田汽車公平

密西西比州長投書華郵：美國欠豐田汽車公平 4 governors ask Congress to be fair to Toyota

　　豐田汽車「回收門」爭議愈鬧愈大，不但禍及日本汽車及出口業，隨著美國拉高調門正式向豐田展開刑事調查，奧巴馬政府若處理不慎，或有可能殃及美國經濟復甦及就業機會。

　　美國密西西比州州長黑利.巴伯24日投書華盛頓郵報，題為「美國在安全問題上欠豐田公平、認真對待」，指出美國國會和奧巴馬政府對豐田汽車回收案爭議的處理方式，將會影響美國經濟復甦及工人就業機會，不可不審慎處理。文章摘譯如下：

　　三年前宣布豐田將在密西西比州設立一家美國汽車廠時，我說豐田是世界頭號汽車製造商，我現在依然相信如此。別誤會，當然豐田汽車的安全問題是嚴重的。然而，我認為該公司已經盡其所能儘快朝向正確方向解決問題。

　　國會對豐田汽車安全問題召開聽證會，我擔憂他們會做出倉促判斷。國會和奧巴馬政府對該爭議的反應方式將產生真正的經濟後果。

　　我們不能對豐田汽車公司對美國經濟的重要性視而不見，亦不該忽視該公司對美投資承諾。儘管豐田汽車公司七十年前創立於日本，經歷過去半個世紀在美國的發展，該公司已經成為一家 「美國」汽車公司。

　　在密西西比州，豐田汽車公司將投資十三億美元設立一家裝配廠，這將提供二千個職位，加之供應商們將再創造二千五百個工作機會。儘管經濟不景令開工日期推遲，然而豐田還是履行其財政承擔，包括未來十年捐助教育項目五百萬美元。

2月23日，豐田汽車美國銷售公司總裁兼首席運營官詹姆斯·倫茨（右一）在美國華盛頓國會山出席聽證會。詹姆斯·倫茨當天在美國國會作證時，就該公司對安全問題處理不當表示道歉，但堅持認為電子控制系統與豐田汽車的突然加速問題無關。

　　綜觀全美，豐田公司（包括一千五百個經銷商和五百個供應商），已經幫助創造了超過二十萬個職位，遍及十個州的設計、研發和生產運作。近半豐田汽車是在美國生產的。過去二十二年來，一千六百萬輛豐田汽車產於美國。

　　該公司在美國直接投資已超過一百八十億美元，並非僅僅美國工人受益，八成過去二十年來在美銷售的豐田車還在路上跑。

　　有鑒於此，我希望國會能夠頂住打擊豐田、而僅僅旨在增進美國汽車業競爭對手利益的誘惑。豐田不應該暗中為底特律汽車製造商的問題而遭受指責。而且，美國政府用納稅人的錢挽救破產的通用和克萊斯勒汽車公司已然令華盛頓處於棘手處境。我知道交通部長雷.拉胡德是位君子，但是在聯邦政府成為通用和克萊斯勒汽車公司股東的情況之下，能否保證聽證會公正？

　　國會議員一定要謹慎處理，以免令聯邦政府佔一成股份的克萊斯勒或者佔大股的通用公司，獲取不公平優勢。

　　華盛頓的主要作用應該是與豐田合作保護消費者利益，並提供協助將問題儘快解決。還有，就是留意要追求公平——豐田不應被不公平處罰或令其經濟復甦受阻，而旨在令聯邦政府擁有的公司攫取優勢。

　　美國的開放與公平聲譽令我們的經濟對國外投資頗具吸引力，外來投資將有助美國經濟復甦。假如國會和媒體對豐田區別對待，國外投資者將對密西西比州以及其他州投資三思而行。

　　在聽證會上，對豐田的過分痛擊可能發出這樣的信號，即美國在經濟艱困時代將變成保護主義者。這對美國的經濟、公司和工人均無好處。


4 governors of states with Toyota plants ask Congress to be fair to carmaker in hearings

4 governors ask Congress to be fair to Toyota

By ROGER ALFORD | Associated Press | Feb 10, 10 6:03 PM CST in Business
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Four governors of states with Toyota plants called Wednesday for Congress to be fair to the automaker in hearings concerning safety recalls.
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Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and Alabama Gov. Bob Riley asked in a letter Wednesday that Toyota get "a responsible and fair response from the federal government."

"Toyota must put the safety of drivers first and foremost," Beshear said in a statement. "However, they deserve a level and reasonable response from the federal government _ one that is not tainted by the federal government's financial interest in some of Toyota's competitors."

The governor was referring to money the federal government invested in Chrysler and General Motors last year.

Toyota has recalled nearly 8.5 million vehicles around the globe since November for problems that include floor mats that can entangle the gas pedal, gas pedals that can stick, causing sudden acceleration, and braking problems. The recalls have drawn interest in Congress, where lawmakers are looking into how the company handled the recalls and whether the government properly investigated numerous complaints.

Critics have accused Toyota, the world's No. 1 automaker, of moving too slowly to address safety concerns and fix the millions of vehicles involved in the massive recalls. The company is engaging in a fierce lobbying campaign to salvage its reputation and has hired additional lobbyists, lawyers and public relations experts in advance of congressional hearings later this month.

The letter did not include signatures from the governor of California, which is home to Toyota's North American headquarters, or the governors of West Virginia and Texas, where the company has manufacturing plants.

Beshear spokeswoman Kerri Richardson said the idea for the letter originated in Kentucky. She said Beshear simply wanted to affirm Toyota as a good corporate citizen.

"No one asked us to do it," Richardson said.

West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin is writing his own letter to Congress, spokesman Matt Turner said. Manchin shares the concerns expressed by the other governors, Turner said, and also wants to provide more information about the automaker's role as employer and corporate neighbor in West Virginia.

Richardson said the Texas governor indicated that he would write his own letter and that the California governor wasn't asked to participate.

Toyota is planning to halt production at the Fremont, Calif.-based New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. plant. The plant, established in 1984 in a joint venture with General Motors, employs 4,600 workers and makes the Pontiac Vibe station wagon for GM, and the Corolla compact car and Tacoma pickup truck for Toyota.

Toyota is scheduled to close the plant in March despite efforts by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, members of congress and state officials to keep the plant open. The governor at one point offered tax breaks and other incentives to try to save the plant.

Schwarzenegger's office did not immediately respond to a reporter's request for comment Wednesday.

Those who signed did so based on their experiences with Toyota, said Barbour spokeswoman Laura Hipp.

"In Mississippi, Toyota is a valuable partner in building a highly skilled, high-tech workforce," she said. "Governor Barbour wanted to convey his confidence in the auto maker and in Toyota's beginning operations in Mississippi when market conditions improve."

The House Oversight Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee are planning hearings, as is the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

In the letter, the governors said that Toyota employs more than 172,000 Americans in plants and dealerships across the nation and said the company's continued success is in the national interest.

"Besides the obvious good-paying jobs provided in our states, Toyota demonstrates a commendable positive spirit not only with its own employees, but also in the communities and neighborhoods within which its plants operate," the governors said.

They also criticized what they called "aggressive and questionable" news coverage "when the real story is how quickly Toyota identified the problems, found solutions and delivered those solutions to its dealers worldwide."

___

Associated Press writers Ken Thomas in Washington; Larry Messina in Charleston, W.Va.; Emily Wagster in Jackson, Miss.; and Judy Lin in Sacramento, Calif. contributed to this report.