Department of Energy Grants a Finnish Car Manufacturer a Taxpayer Funded Guarantee Loan

The Department of Energy has been busy screwing the taxpayers over these past few years. Now, it has been revealed that this rogue agency gave a $529 million guaranteed loan to a Finnish electric car manufacturer.

Fisker was supposed to build its Karma cars here in the United States, but ran into a little problem:

"Fisker is using this funding to bring a shuttered General Motors plant in Delaware back to life and employing more than 2,500 workers. Fisker was attracted to this site in part by the opportunity to rehire some of the trained, dedicated workers who lost their jobs when that plant closed," Leistikow said. The department later clarified that 120 workers have been hired at the site to date, with the rest set to be hired by early 2013.

For the Karma line, founder Henrik Fisker reportedly claimed the company could not find a manufacturer in the U.S. for the job. So the production went to Finnish company Valmet Automotive, along with 500 manufacturing jobs.

A company spokesman told FoxNews.com that Fisker had "explored the possibility of producing the Karma in the U.S."

"However, there are no contract manufacturers like Valmet in the U.S., and none of the established domestic automakers were willing to partner with Fisker to provide an manufacturing option in the U.S. that would work for the Karma program," the spokesman said.

Delaware you say? Why Delaware? I wonder…

And behind every green energy boondoggle there is a Democratic Party operative reaping in a taxpayer paid windfall. Who could it be this time?

The ABC News report noted the political connections enjoyed by Fisker and another company, Tesla Motors, which together received about $1 billion in loans. Fisker reportedly is backed by a firm that counts ex-Vice President Al Gore among its partners. The article said just 40 of Fisker's Karma cars have been produced so far, and that Tesla is consistently losing money.

The World Economic Forum ranked Finland the fourth most competitive country in the world, just above the United States who came in at fifth. Let’s give the Obama administration a hand. It’s not every day that a president sees the fruition of his policies. Maybe the Anointed One can become president of Finland. I just hope that Finland vets there candidates eligibility better than we did.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/10/21/energy-department-defends-loan-to-company-building-electric-cars-in-finland/#ixzz1bTFQy098

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44423519/ns/business-stocks_and_economy/t/us-falls-th-global-competitiveness-survey-shows/?GT1=43001#.TmfUvJXfLjh

Charlotte Screws Taxpayers with Electric Car Boondoggle

Obama’s big energy, stimulus boondoggle has made its way to the Queen City. Charlotte, North Carolina received millions in federal grant money for a handful of electric cars, and a couple of charging stations, so the public servants can tout green technology:

The total amount of Charlotte's energy efficiency stimulus grant is $6.78 million. Some of that money will pay for the seven Leaf vehicles, which will be used by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities (one car); engineering (two cars); transportation (two cars); airport (one car); Neighborhood & Business Services (one car).

Rob Phocas, the city's engineering and sustainability manager, said the goal is to have staff members driving them around the city to showcase the technology.

Don’t ever say crony capitalism isn’t alive and well in the Piedmont. Siemens is contracted to build the charging stations that will cater to the very few and proud who own an electric car:

Installation of the charging stations will be paid for by the $215,000 federal grant. Siemens, which has a large turbine factory on Westinghouse Boulevard, will work with the city to install them.

The charging stations should be in place by January.

Never mind that private businesses have built stations on their own. Even the writer of this article acknowledges that Bank of America, Duke Energy, and the Ritz-Carlton have already installed stations; Wells Fargo also plans on building one. But Charlotte just couldn’t resist taking millions of “free money” from the federal government.

Even a RINO was ecstatic over the great, green hoax:

Republican Council member Andy Dulin said he's excited about the technology. He said he wanted the ability to test drive the Leafs to see if they are viable.

"I'm excited about the idea of an electric car," Dulin said.

"I go eight miles to one place, and eight miles back. I'd like the opportunity to drive it and give it a test. I can tell the community about it."

I hope Mr. Andy Dulin tells the taxpayers of the community the price tag of this caper. I doubt they’ll be as excited as their councilman.


Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/10/16/2696229/city-buys-7-electric-cars.html#ixzz1bHO2YOlx