Fisker Automotive at Monroe Guide Plant? – The (Baton Rouge) Advocate

Today’s (Tuesday, June 16, 2009) Advocate has suggested the name of the mystery company to be located in Monroe’s old GM Guide plant might be Fisker Automotive. They noted that Fisker is partly owned by KPCB Partners, a California venture capital firm involved in the Monroe project. The Monroe News-Star revealed KPCB’s involvement last weekend. Among KPCB’s team members are former Vice-President Al Gore and General Colin Powell.

The dots were connected 48 hours ago here at Lincoln Parish News Online, based on postings at the News-Star discussion boards related to the story.

Fisker Automotive is an exotic “green” auto company that manufactures what amounts to as a high dollar version of the GoreMobile.

It has been suggested that the intent of the project is not so much to build cars and bring jobs to the area, as it is to enrich local politicians and their political straphangers via state and federal grants disguised as economic development.

So we ask the questions.

How much state, federal and local tax money are we talking about? Are the investors putting up any money? How much? Will the taxpayers own any of the company? How will we get our money back? Will these GoreMobiles even sell? Why should the taxpayers be asked to back a new auto company with the industry in the worst slump in its history and car plants shutting down all over the nation?

The State of Louisiana is jammed for money, according to Gov. Bobby Jindal and the Legislature. Is this where we need our tax money to go?

Anyone? Anyone?

UPDATE


The New Orleans Times-Picayune has weighed in this morning with this story.