Ford Exec. calls for plug-in hybrids

Too little, too late. That's what this is.

Yesterday, Ford Motor Co. President of the Americas Mark Fields said that the federal government should make plug-in hybrids a "national priority" and invest heavily in the technology.

He said Japan, China and Korea are investing in research and development and that we should too. You think?

Am I missing something here? We've known since the 1970s that dependence on foreign oil could devastate our economy. We've known about peak oil for nearly 20 years. And we've watched U.S. auto manufacturers pander to the conspicuous consumption of consumers with SUVs and trucks. The U.S. auto industry could have been proactive and pursued a long-term development strategy like say...Toyota or Honda. But instead the industry chased after short-term profits by selling wasteful vehicles. They backed themselves into a corner.

Now, suddenly they see the light? We need vehicles that don't guzzle $5-a-gallon gasoline. And the industry needs subsidies because research will cost money and retooling will cost money.

The people who really need help right about now are laid-off workers stuck driving gas guzzlers. Not everyone is in a position to purchase a new fuel efficient vehicle at the moment.

Let's help families first. Take a number, Ford.