Published: November 21, 2008 10:42 pm      

ERIE COUNTY: Local plea for an auto bailout

Lately the television news has been filled with images of the American auto industry’s CEOs and union leaders begging Congress for $25 billion in bailout funds. Erie County Legislature Chairwoman Lynn Marinelli has added her voice to that list.

This week, Marinelli sent a letter to each of the area’s Congressional representatives asking them to “act now to prevent the imminent collapse of the Detroit-based auto industry.” In it, she cited Western New York’s long history with auto manufacturing, dating back to the turn of the last century and the area’s dependence on those jobs for the future.

“The Greater Buffalo economy is inextricably tied to its proud status as an auto community, and is host to a GM Powertrain Facility in Tonawanda, NY and Ford Stamping Plant in Woodlawn, NY, as well as a number of auto component supply firms,” Marinelli wrote.

The prospects, both for this area and the entire country, are daunting if the auto industry goes under. The estimated job losses are placed at 3 million, but that alone didn’t budge skeptical House and Senate leaders to help businessmen who arrived with open hands and no plans. Congress hasn’t ruled the loan out, but is looking to push the deal off until December, when they hope to see a concrete strategy for how that money would get the industry back on its feet.

While the executives haven’t garnered much support, Marinelli argues that the Detroit-based automakers have been working effectively toward eliminating the labor cost gap between Detroit and the foreign manufacturers.

“The national economic downturn is no fault of our domestic auto industry or its dedicated workforce that manufacture an exceptional product that has been the source of American pride for decades,” Marinelli wrote. “Please do everything in your power to move forward this important economic rescue package before the uncertainty surrounding the future of the American auto industry does further damage to our faltering national, state and regional economies.”

Saving power, one computer at a time

County Legislator Michele Iannello, D-Kenmore, claimed a victory in the legislature Thursday, seeing her resolution to save money by turning off county computers passed unanimously.

Estimates that she got put the cost of wasted power between $75 and $100 per computer per year. The new policy of shutting the computers off at the end of the day could save as much as $400,000 over the next year when those figures are applied to the 4,000 county-owned computers.

Contact reporter Daniel Pye at 693-1000, ext. 158.