United States President-elect Barack Obama is apparently mulling creation of a so-called “auto czar” to be placed in charge of emergency federal aid to Detroit’s automakers, as well as overseeing the tough corporate reforms he says the government would put on the automakers and ensuring that taxpayers would receive return on their investment in the industry.
Obama’s team hasn’t identified any potential auto czar names, though he does have three people on his transition staff designated as automotive industry advisers: Economic adviser Jason Furman, Georgetown University law professor Dan Tarullo and former Clinton Treasury official Joshua Steiner, reports the Detroit News.
As is by now well known throughout the industry, Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm and former Michigan congressman David Bonior are helping to advise Obama – both have substantial auto industry experience.
Obama apparently raised the idea of what he called an “auto czar” during his meetings with President George W. Bush on Monday.
The automotive industry point-person would oversee the implementation of the loans that Obama and most Democrats favor providing to the industry. The unnamed person would also likely work directly with the federal agencies that deal with automakers, like the Treasury, Labor and Transportation departments and the Environmental Protection Agency, according to Center for Automotive Research chairman David Cole.
