Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Barack Obama

Obama Wants Car Czar to Accompany Big Three Aid

More details of a possible Obama administration-led auto industry bailout emerged yesterday when Politico reported that the president-elect wants a "high-profile point person to oversee reforms" attached to any financial aid.

Specifics about the proposal remain unclear. But the transition teamsays Obama suggested to President Bush on Monday that aid to the autoindustry could be coupled with the appointment of "someone in charge ofthe auto issue who would have the authority" to push for reforms. Thedetails came from a more extended readout of the White House meetingprovided Tuesday.

It will be interesting to see how this proposal plays in Detroit, where resistance to change, even in the marketplace it serves, may be the biggest contributor to its current predicament. In the meantime, how might the next president balance his union sympathies and urban policy cred in the name of auto industry "reform"?

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Wednesday’s Headlines: Gonna Have to Pay for That Edition

We're going to need a lot more money to handle storms like the one we saw on Monday. Plus more news.

July 16, 2025

Appeals Court Halts Adams’s Impending Bedford Ave. Protected Bike Lane Demolition

The judge's ruling came just as the city was set to begin the bike lane demolition process Tuesday evening.

July 15, 2025

New Yorkers Threaten Legal Action If Eric Adams Makes Bedford Ave. Less Safe for Cyclists

Brooklyn cyclists pledged to sue the city if they are killed or injured on Bedford Avenue after Mayor Adams makes it less safe.

July 15, 2025

E-Bike Fans and Foes Agree: Adams’s 15 MPH Speed Limit Won’t Make Streets Safer

A public hearing about the mayor's proposed speed limit devolved into a debate about e-bike licensing, naturally.

July 15, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines: Wet Wet Wet Edition

New York City experienced its second rainiest hour in history. Plus more news.

July 15, 2025

Civic Panel Dings Adams For Cutting Bike and Bus Lanes Out of Fifth Av. Redesign

Mayor Adams's scaled down redesign of Fifth Avenue isn't a "real solution" to safety issues on the packed retail corridor, Manhattan Community Board 5 said.

July 14, 2025
See all posts