WE ALSO MET WITH VARIOUS SENATORS, REPRESENTATIVES, AND DEPARTMENTS OF GOVERNMENT SUCH AS INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION, U.S. TRADE REPRENTATIVES, STATE DEPARTMENT, ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE. WE SPENT SEVERAL HOURS WITH SOME P.A.C.T.s AS WELL.
THIS VENTURE TURNED OUT TO BE ONE OF THE MOST FRIGHTENING AND DISILLUSIONING EXPERIENCES OF MY LIFE. A FORMER U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD US THE FIRST DAY THAT WE WERE ABOUT TO LEARN THAT NO ONE RUNS OUR GOVERNMENT. HE SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS NOTHING MORE THAN A MINDLESS BLOB THAT ROLLS AHEAD, BASICALLY UNIMPEDED, AND RUNS OVER ANYTHING THAT GETS IN ITS WAY. ANY MINOR SHIFTS IN DIRECTION ARE THE RESULTS OF POWERFUL ACTIONS AND ONLY TEMPORARILY CAUSES SOME VARIANCE TO THE PATH THE BLOB IS TRACKING.
THE WEEKS THAT FOLLOWED PROVED HIM RIGHT. THE PRESIDENT DOES NOT RUN THE COUNTRY. THE CONGRESS DOES NOT RUN THE COUNTRY. THEY OCCASIONALLY CAUSE SOME REACTION FROM THE BLOB. BUT IN TOTAL, THE DIRECTION IS ONLY TEMPORARILY DETOURED. THE SUM TOTAL OF THE MANY ACTIVITIES THAT TAKE PLACE IN ALL BRANCHES AND DEPARTMENTS OF GOVERNMENT DETERMINE THE PACE AND DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE GOVERMENT. TO PERMANENTLY CHANGE THE DIRECTION WOULD TAKE AN EXREMLY HUGE AND TRAUMATIC AMOUNT OF FORCE.
THE CONCERN OF OUR GROUP WAS TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WAY OUR GOVERNMENT WAS RUNNING OUR INDUSTRY. NO ONE IN WASHINGTON OFFERED US A SOLUTION. SENATOR CARL LEVIN OF MICHIGAN TOLD US THAT, BASICALLY, MOST SENATORS AND AND REPRESENTATIVES ARE RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT OR HIGHER APPOINTED POSISTIONS AND THEREFORE ARE RESPONDING TO THE ISSUES THAT EFFECT LARGER NUMBERS OF VOTERS. HE REMINDED US THAT NORTH AMERICAN AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING WAS TAKING PLACE IN SEVENTEEN STATES. WE WERE REMINDED THAT THE OTHER 33 STATES' REPRESENTATIVES WOULD NOT BE INTERESTED IN OUR PLIGHT. AFTER ALL, FOREIGN DEALERS EMPLOY PEOPLE, PAY TAXES, CREAT THE NEED FOR RESIDUAL BUSINESSES SUCH AS WAREHOUSING,SERVICE AND TRANSPORTATION. THEY ALSO VOTE . IF WE ALL WENT HOME AND BROUGHT ENOUGH PRESSURE ON OUR REPRESENTATIVES TO TAKE ACTION FOR LEVELING THE MARKET PLACE PLAYING FIELD FOR AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURERS, WE WOULD BE MOTIVATING A BLOCK TOO SMALL TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
WE MET WITH THE POLITICAL ACTION GROUPS, IN WASHINGTON, FOR THE U.A.W. AND CHRYSLER. THE U.A.W. GROUP HAD 19 LOBBYISTS AND A PREVIOUS YEAR PACT FUND OF $1.400,000. THE CHRYSLER GROUP HAD 20 LOBBYISTS AND A FUND OF $400,000. THE JAPANESE INTERESTS HAD ALL OF THE PEOPLE NECESSARY AND ALL OF THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT AVAILABLE TO THEM.
THE LOBBYISTS INDICATED THAT MOST OF THE POWERFUL LOBBYISTS, ATTORNEYS, AND ANY CONGRESSMAN OR GOVERMENT OFFICIAL WHO WAS FOR SALE BELONGED TO THEM. ABOUT HALF OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVES, TWO FORMER CIA DIRECTORS, AND ONE PRESIDENT HAVE WORKED FOR THE JAPANESE AFTER LEAVING OFFICE. WE LEFT WASHINGTON WITH THE FEELING THAT MOST OF THE FOLKS IN WASHINGTON WOULD BE RELIEVED WHEN THIS NUISANCE "THE U.S. AUTO INDUSTRY" DISAPPEARED.
Dan Robling©1994