| Levin counters Senate fuel proposal; automakers return to Capitol ...
WASHINGTON -- Michigan Sen. Carl Levin released the text of his 46-page compromise proposal to increase fuel economy mandates, while auto industry officials prepared to mount a grassroots effort to support his proposal. On Tuesday, General Motors Corp. vice president of sales, Mark LaNeve, will be on Capitol Hill with GM dealers. Chrysler Group will muster 14 plant executives, including managers from Warren and Sterling Heights. Ford Motor Co. is bringing in Mark Fields, its president of the Americas. The amendment, if adopted, would raise fuel efficiency standards to a minimum of 36 miles per gallon for passenger cars by 2025 and 30 mpg for light trucks by 2022. It is sponsored by Sens. Levin, Mark Pryor D-Ark. and Kit Bond, R-Mo. Automakers currently must achieve 27.5 mpg for passenger cars and 22 mpg for light trucks.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
TODAY | CHUCK HAUGEN CONSERVATION FUND EVENT, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Quail Meadow Group Area, Toro Park, Highway 68, Salinas. Children's activities and games, food, hikes, ceremony, live music and more. 383-8635. TODAY | SATURDAY EVENING PROGRAMS, Fremont Peak, off Highway 156, 11 miles south, San Juan Bautista. Open from 6 p.m. to midnight, program begins at dusk. www,fpoa.net. .
Busch has bright future ahead of him
Busch became NASCAR's newest free agent when he was pushed out of Hendrick Motorsports so the team could make room for Dale Earnhardt Jr. It's opened a ton of opportunities for the talented but temperamental driver, as at least six of the top Nextel Cup owners are on record as being interested in signing him. And, believe it or not, Busch has far more opportunities than Earnhardt did. Earnhardt had very firm criteria during his job search, which was limited to only the top Chevrolet teams in NASCAR. He wants to win a championship, and at age 32, the clock is ticking on his career. He couldn't gamble with his choice, and realistically only had three teams to choose from. Busch doesn't have the same restrictions. He can drive a Chevy, Ford, or Dodge - maybe even a Toyota - and at 10 years younger than Junior, Busch has a much bigger window to find success.
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