BigGov: Chevy's Green Efforts Due To “Leftists Tak[ing] Over” And Are Funded By Taxpayers

BigGov Claims Chevy's Green Efforts “The Kind of Business Model That You Get When Leftists Take Over.” A January 13 post on Andrew Breitbart's blog Big Government mocked Chevrolet's Carbon Reduction initiative, which focuses on “investing in greenhouse gas-reducing projects...like wind farms, solar and energy efficiency,” according to the initiative's website. [Chevycarbonreduction.com, accessed 1/14/11]

Including a video clip of a recent ad for the Chevy Volt, the Big Government post claimed:

There was a time when Chevy built cars and trucks. The Corvette and Camaro were legendary sports cars, and the Impala offered full size comfort [sic] a middle class price. But that was before Change came to town. The brand that used to compare itself to Baseball, Hot-Dogs, and Apple Pie is no longer content to just make reliable vehicles, it is now as green as a wheatgrass and algae smoothie.

For instance, in the following commercial: Chevy isn't just building cars anymore, it's “investing” in windmills, and planting trees.

[video clip]

This is the kind of business model that you get when Leftists take over. Before 2008, GM just tried to make cars that people would buy, for a little more money than they cost to build. Now, they have to plant a forest. [Big Government, 1/13/11]

BigGov Claims GM Using Taxpayer Money On Green Effort. The Big Government post also suggested that GM is using taxpayer money to “plant windmills and trees.” From the post:

It's for reasons like this that General Motors is never expected to fully pay back the bailout money. According to the Congressional Oversight Panel, Taxpayers will lose about 19 billion dollars on the General Motors bailout.

That's a lot of green. You can't really blame General Motors. When you have an extra 19 billion to play with, why not plant windmills and trees? It seems like the corporate suites, are working on a bigger Buzz than the one they hired to do the voice-over. A more rational voice might ask about the forest that had to be cut down to print all that money. [Big Government, 1/13/11]

In Fact, Chevy's Initiatives Are Not Government Mandated, Do Not Use Taxpayer Money

Chevy Carbon Reduction Site: “The Government Had Absolutely No Role In This” Project. On the Questions and Answers section of Chevrolet's site about the green initiative, Chevrolet states that the government “had absolutely no role” in the project and that the company “is making this commitment voluntarily.” From the site:

[ChevyCarbonReduction.com, accessed 1/14/11]

Chevy Site: “Funding For This Initiative Comes From Existing Advertising Budgets.” In response to the question, “Is Chevy spending taxpayers' money on this initiative?” the website lists the answer:

[ChevyCarbonReduction.com, accessed 1/14/11]

Chevy Site: Project To Cost An Estimated $40 Million. The site also states that the projected cost of the project is $40 million:

[ChevyCarbonReduction.com, accessed 1/14/11]