Longmont Citzens for Justice and Democracy

Ford Demonstration - June 7, 2003

What happened

First, Ford Central definitely took notice as we (and other participating groups in the US) were contacted by the police several days in advance.

I had a good conversation with the police, and thanked them for "helping diffuse the tensions" on 6th and Main earlier in the year in light of the counter-protestors.

I had a good (long and respectful) conversation with the owner of the local franchise. Topics ranged from freedom of expression, to Ford's (trade organizations) habit of lobbying Congress to pollute and derailing citizen initiatives toward fuel efficiency. (In some ways this corporate abuse of power and affront on our democratic process--influence buying--makes me more mad than the vehicles that get 10 mpg.) Also had a good discussion about advertising..."But we're just making what our customers want..." heard that one before? How about the fact that (as a SUV buyer) $900 on EVERY SUV went to helping convince YOU that you needed to buy it in the first place...of course the financial incentives to stock your business fleet with SUVs instead of hybrids didn't hurt either....

In short, a good conversation...and I definitely let him know that I was a potential future Ford customer if Ford would just do the right thing...

On Saturday about a dozen people came to help me hold signs. When I delivered our letter, detailing our concerns, the owner wasn't there but I had a good conversation with some (disgruntled and offended) employees who told me they were just trying to make a paycheck. Again, I let them know that our actions were targeting Ford, and that we were all future potential customers if Ford would just do the right thing. Tensions eased and they brought me a letter from the owner. (Seems, Ford is diligently working on a hybrid that may get 35-40 mpg....weren't cars getting that in the 70s? Don't hybrids now get 52+?)

It is heartening to me, that despite HUGE budgets to advertise these vehicles, SUVs still have a stigma attached. We got a lot of "good honks" and only one enraged "salute," as far as I could tell.

Thanks to everyone for the help on Saturday and making signs. Some of our signs read: Gas-guzzling is unpatriotic," "Fuel efficiency = National Security," Ford: Oil Wars, Ford: Global Warming, Ford: Pollution, Ford, out of my lungs, only 85 more years of fossil fuel left, Ford: lobbies Congress to pollute, and many more. Thanks again to all!

Ann

How it was |Details | Links | Open Letter

Demonstration Details

Join us in a peaceful demonstration in front of Valley Ford. Saturday June 7th from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Bring signs if you wish! Walk, bike or carpool. Valley Ford is on hwy. 119 (3rd Ave) just south-east of Lashley. (If you drive, park on Lashley or near). We will be on the public sidewalk and grassy area next to 119.

We will deliver an open letter (see below) to the owners and employees of Valley Ford detailing our disgust with, and demands to the Ford Motor Company. Our actions are not directed toward the local franchise or its employees, in fact we consider them powerful allies in helping convince Ford Central that their customer base (us) demands environmental and social responsibility.

Please read our demonstration guidelines.

Learn the facts! Know your talking points if the newspaper or anyone else asks what we're doing. Here's a link: Fact sheet.

Contact: annequinox@yahoo.com

Ford: Stop Fueling America's Oil Addiction!

How it was |Details | Links | Open Letter

Links

Rainforest Action Network
Global Exchange
Sierra Club

An Open letter to Valley Ford

Dear Mr. Weibel and employees of Valley Ford

We are here today as part of a global effort to clean up Ford Motor Company. Please understand that our efforts are not aimed at you or your dealership, but at the irresponsible actions of Ford.

We are certain that as business-savvy, community-minded individuals, you can help carry our message to the Ford main office. We know that you care about the well-being of our planet as much as any concerned American.

It just makes good business sense to listen to your future customers and pass their wishes on to "Ford Central."

What are our concerns with Ford?

As you may know, Ford makes some of the world's dirtiest and least efficient cars and trucks. Ford recently reneged on its promises to improve SUV fuel efficiency. Ford's attempts to proclaim itself an environmentally and socially responsible corporation mask a continued reactionary stance in regard to perhaps the world's most important issue: our dependence on oil.

Our nation's addiction to oil is compromising our national security, promoting terrorism, changing our climate and destroying rainforests around the world. Here in the United States we import over half of our oil - and forty percent of those imports go to fuel our cars and trucks.

Detroit could push fuel efficiency to 40 miles per gallon with off-the-shelf technology, but they continue to delay, stuck in a decades-old model of inefficiency and backwardness. Producing a hybrid could raise efficiency to 60 mpg.

Ford has tried to place the blame on the consumers by saying we choose to drive polluting vehicles. The fact is, Ford fails to give consumers a real choice by refusing to produce clean cars. Ford currently has the technology to make cleaner vehicles-including SUVs-that get better gas mileage. All they need is the will to innovate.

Did you know:
 
0 Private vehicles are the single largest contributor to oil addiction, guzzling 40 percent of oil consumed by the United States. The single biggest step away from oil addiction is for the automobile industry to begin producing cleaner, more efficient cars.
 
o Ford's vehicles, along with those of other American automakers, get fewer miles per gallon than they did 20 years ago.
 
o Ford vehicles are responsible for approximately 9 percent of America's oil consumption, an amount equal to Italy's total oil use.
 
o Ford cars are on average the worst global warming polluters in the industry.
 
o Many Ford vehicles get fewer miles per gallon than their classic Model-T (25mpg) 80 years ago!
 

We are concerned:
 
o In April 2003, Ford broke its promise to America to increase SUV fuel-efficiency by 25 percent by 2005.
 
o Ford lobbies congress to relax clean air standards and tries to derail citizen initiatives toward cleaner technologies.
 
o As Americans, we make up just five percent of the world's population, yet we consume (and pollute with) one quarter of the world's oil. As Americans, we do not want to hold this dubious distinction.
 

In this past year, American servicemen and women - and Iraqi soldiers and civilians - gave their lives in part to feed U.S. addiction to oil. In addition, over the next few decades, scientists expect drastic and destructive changes in the climate will result from our addiction to oil. We must kick the habit - and we're asking Ford for leadership.

Rainforest Action Network and Global Exchange and the local group Longmont Citizens for Justice and Democracy are supporting nationwide efforts to confront Ford at its public face - its dealerships. The activists at your dealership today are here on their own volition as independent citizens concerned about protecting global security and preserving the environment for their grandchildren.

Sincerely,

Longmont Citizens for Justice and Democracy

How it was |Details | Links | Open Letter

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