December 08, 2008

Let the American motorist pays 50 cents per gallon of gas for new equity in their automobile industry

Sir is Clive Crook panicking? It is hard to draw a different conclusion from his “A question of first things first” December 8. Of course we need some fiscal stimulus and of course we should not procrastinate getting it out on the street… but what is wrong about thinking on the future in terms of what the stimulus should stimulate and what not, and about how to pay for it all?.

The truth is the sooner the market gets a feel for the full circle, “this is what we spend and this is how we pay for it”, in ways that make sense, the faster it will regain the confidence it needs.

For instance I am proposing that the American motorists subscribe and pay for fresh equity in their automotive industry with 50 cents per gallon of gas, as a tax. That should help to raise more than 70 billion dollars a year to take care of the current problems of their industry and finance the green retooling they must embark on. If at the end of the exercise the equity is not worth what the motorists paid, it is still only right that those who drive should primarily carry the burden of rescuing the automobile sector.