McCain’s Auto Answers

GOP presidential candidate McCain told an audience of more than 500 GM workers that he would let each state determine its own fuel efficiency standards — a position the auto industry says adds unneeded costs and kills jobs.

His pronouncement — which mirrors what Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has said on the issue — came as he promised to support General Motors Corp.’s work to develop electric and more fuel-efficient cars.

McCain said he supports California and 16 other states that want to establish their own fuel economy standards.

“It’s hard for me to tell states that they can’t impose whatever standards they decide to impose,” McCain said. He said he wants to see GM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Rick Wagoner “sit down with the governors and ask them what they need.”

Automakers and dealers say state officials overestimate their technology, underestimate the costs and ignore the possible chaos from limiting vehicle sales on a state-by-state basis. GM has said the rules could cost $25 billion.

In that vein, McCain praised much of the work GM is doing to create vehicles — including the Chevrolet Volt range-extended plug-in electric vehicle due in November 2010 — powered by a variety of fuels.

Such vehicles would reduce dependence on foreign oil and the automobile’s contribution to climate change, McCain said. Before the town hall, McCain toured GM’s design studio and was given a private viewing of the still-secret production version of the Volt.

McCain said his plan to help the auto industry also would include a $5,000 tax credit for people buying low-emission vehicles, a $300-million prize for the company that creates the first commercially available battery-powered car and job retraining programs for displaced workers.

Have you ever noticed that the best idea from a Repub is to give someone, somewhere a tax break?