Will you help "the Idea" get produced in Indiana?

[Pat Coyle]

The photo above is of a prototype vehicle, the Idea, a delivery van that gets 100 m.p.g.
The Idea was designed and built by Anderson, IN based, Bright Automotive. Bright is currently raising the funds it needs in order to begin building vehicles. One source of funds the company hopes to tap is a the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program (ATVMLP) offered by the Department of Energy (DOE).

If you heard John Waters speak at Bigger Ideas, and you'd like to let your fellow Smoosiers know what you think of Bright Auto, please share your comments here. And...

Can Smaller Indiana influence Washington?
If you want to help Bright Auto earn consideration for that DOE loan, you can write your local, state or federal politician of your choice. For the facts about Bright Auto and the reasons why it should be considered for the DOE loan, view the sample letter attached below.

Insights & Actions Panel by Brian Howenstein.
Jesse Kharbanda, Brian Payne, John Waters, and John Ketzenberger hold a discussion at the Smaller Indiana : Bigger Ideas Conference on June 24, 2009

[Steve Weigle]

Selfish? Unemployment in Elkhart has been as high as 19.8 percent. Who is most deserving?

If Elkhart was to revive from a direct injection of these funds, Obama would be credited with turning the recession around, of course he wants that.

It's easy to stay on your high horse when you still have a job or a sucessful business. I was up there this weekend, those people feel helpless. I met a 62 year old factory worker that has been unemployed for a year. He has lost his health benefits and at his age, the few places that have started hiring won't consider him. He was just diagnosed with a heart condition, he doesn't qualify for Medicare and he can't even pay for presciptions.

The newspaper up there is writing articles everyday about unemployment insurance and what will happen when it runs out. I have never seen an entire community in depression before.

The point is, Bright Automotive has an idea that will work. The money is going to be spent, and Bright can not only help the economy in Indiana, they are very likely to be able to repay the loans, where others may not. The government has already approved loans for Ford ($5.9 Billion), Nissan ($1.6 Billion) and Tesla ($465 million) for these types of vehicles. So why would any Hoosier oppose adding them to the list of companies selected?

[Steve Weigle]

1. A healthy discussion doesn't require personal attacks. This happens to be a subject I've done a lot of reading about, and I believe Bright Automotive is one of the companies that is on the frontline of these issues.

2. What the heck are you talking about? We are discussing an Indiana company, that is eligible for Government loans from the stimulus package, loans that would fund manufacturing facility costs for workers in Indiana. BTW people in Evansville are Hoosiers.

3. How do you think Bright Automotive got this far? Private investors.

4. Read what oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens says about fleet vehicles and how they relate to energy indpendence: http://www.pickensplan.com/act/. T.Boone is spending millions of his personal dollars to get this message out. Take a few minutes to read what he has to say.

[Steve Weigle]

>How do you (the all knowing one apparently) know it will work?

T. Boone Pickens made his money in oil, he is advocating reducing or eliminating Americas dependence on oil.

Let me give you one last example. It appears that you print business cards. Let's say you bid on the contract to supply business cards to the Toyota truck plant in Evansville. The management likes your product better than the competitors product, but your price is .02 per card higher then the competitor. Then imagine that the unemployment rate in Elkhart is reduced from nearly 20% to 6%. The town of Elkhart gets a huge boost in tax revenues and orders a large shipment of Toyota trucks. Is the Toyota management more likely to over look a .02 price increase when sales are up?

Alternatively, lets say Elkharts employment goes up to 50%, and the Toyota truck dealers fail and close, while the city decides to put off ordering vehicles. Will the Toyota management be more concerned about the price difference?

Meantime the Toyota plant lays off workers because of the falling sales.

Now we have seen people in Indy, Evansville, and Elkhart affected as well as where ever you get the business cards you sell.

[Rollie Cole]

I am NOT sure the US Secretary of Energy is the right person to receive the letter. I think local, state, and federal elected officials are. I also like the idea of perhaps sending the letter to potential fleet buyers, such as Fed Ex, UPS, local governments, et al.

[James Ryan]

Amen!

[Steve Weigle]

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20090623/CARNEWS/906239991

[Sage McGreen]

I really enjoyed SIBI. If you didn't make it this time, plan to attend the next. I made new connections and new friends. I was very impressed with all the speakers, but the panel discussion with John Waters from Bright Automotive was the cherry on top of my big SIBI ice cream sundae.

Here's what I'm doing to help:

I'm using the letter to write several state and federal government officials.

I blogged about this bright idea on SageMcGreen.

I found John Waters on Linkedin and asked permission to crosspost a company mission statement and/or a press release on other green blogs.

I found BrightAuto on Twitter and followed the company.

I can help post some of the Bright Automotive Media in Business Forums.

What else can I do to help this company mission go viral?

[James Ryan]

Send him some cash so they don't have to use my tax money.

[Sage McGreen]

It's a Promise that your taxes will fund a war in an oil rich country, continue a broken cycle of health care, and pay for incarceration for individuals tagged by an unjust social stratification.

Or ...........

Your taxes can fund a better tomorrow right here in INDIANA.

Why is this so hard people?

[Sage McGreen]

It's interesting that you use the word "waste" instead of spend. Yes, I think we are conditioned to accept a horrible cycle of waste. Wasteful habits that have altered an original intent - The American Dream. No, not the subprime mortgage American Dream, the other dream.

You mentioned the US Constitution, please hum My Country Tis of Thee while reading the rest of my reply.

Once a nation full of opportunity for anyone, even immigrants, to create a life of abundance. A land budding with prosperity, freedom from (some) oppression, slavery (okay maybe not until later) injustice, etc, etc, etc. The constitution outlined a basic set of RULE SETS for our country. Read any Thomas Barnett book to understand rule sets and a global society.

Has abundance changed our core? Is abundance wasteful? Can abundance create sustainability or does it crumble away the foundation of society because there are pressure points of poverty? Spend or Waste?

You can stop humming now.

[Sage McGreen]

You didn't hum? You should have hummed Chris. I was humming the John Mellencamp song, Little Pink Houses ......... For You and Me....... when I read your reply. Southern Indiana, farmboy, average American, and the more common sense in his PINKy, it all set a tone to understand your point of view.

Did you understand my point of view?

I'm sure you would be much happier running things in the country, BUT, you need to get votes to get in office. Humming makes you popular in some regions.

I don't really like Barney Frank either, but, I've heard he has a beautiful pink house. AND, Pink also smothers out a flame war. last word

[Steve Weigle]

ROTHFLOL!