GM, the maker of more vehicles that exceed 30 mpg than Toyota and Honda combined, is rolling out some great new technology to cut gas consumption and lower C02 emissions. From the plug-in hybrid Volt to new gasoline engine technology to advanced diesels to leap ahead two-mode hybrid systems, GM is moving fast to put environmentally-friendly, fuel-saving technology on dealer lots.

Check out today’s Freep story on the new GM technology.  This is great news from the RenCen.

This raises the question … if GM has more fuel efficient vehicles and all this great new technology, why does Toyota have higher fleetwide fuel economy averages? The answer is simple. Toyota sells a lot fewer trucks than GM, but not because of concern for the environment. It’s because Toyota never really was a full-line automaker until recently. But they are pushing hard to crack into the truck market with their big Tundra Truck and big SUVs like the Sequoia. Why? Because the profits are higher in the truck market, a segment of the North American market dominated by GM, Ford and Chrysler. The American companies have approximately 91 percent of the truck market in North America. Toyota is playing catch up with the Tundra, but it definitely wants to catch up … so keep an eye on Toyota’s fuel economy averages. They will go down if Toyota succeeds in selling more Tundras.

The Tundra is less fuel efficient than GM’s top selling truck which is the Silverado, the 2007 North American Truck of Year. Toyota gets a lot of fawning press coverage because of the Prius, but GM has one heckuva of a great fuel economy story to tell. It’s time for the New York Times and the other elite media to tell it.

Thanks to the pro-small business, pro-entrepreneurial, pro-family tax cuts of 2001 and 2003, federal tax revenue is coming in at a brisker than expected pace. As a result, the federal budget deficit is expected to fall to $158 billion this year. That is $90 billion less than last year’s deficit and it’s $19 billion less than the amount projected earlier this year.

Tax cuts work. When we let businesses and families keep more of their hard-earned money, good things happen. This is a fundamental truth that Governor Granholm needs to grasp. Instead of hiking the state income tax up to a California big government level of 9 percent, a staggering tax increase that will discourage individuals from staying in Michigan or relocating to our state, she and the Democrats in the Legislature need to reform state government.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid also need to drop their push for big spending increases so we can make the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts permanent. We don’t need more bureaucracy and runaway spending in Washington or Lansing. We need tax relief and pro-economic growth policies that help job creators create jobs.

People often ask me what is the real difference between Republicans and Democrats. It’s simple. Democrats want to raise taxes and spend money. Republicans want to cut taxes so you can spend and save your money.

I have been making the rounds in the district during the August recess period. Last week, I had the good fortune of touring EDAG, a global automotive supplier headquartered in Auburn Hills, to learn more about their exciting work and their plans to grow and create new jobs in Oakland County. I made a visit to the Costick Center in Farmington Hills to provide Oakland County seniors with a Washington, DC update. And I made a stop at the CREST Center on the campus of Oakland Community College to learn more about how this state-of-the-art facility is helping to improve the readiness and effectiveness of first responders.

Please visit the photo gallery section of this Web site to view some pictures from these tours.

It’s always great to be home in Oakland County and to have the time to visit with my constituents and see all of the innovative things that are happening here first hand.

This morning, I had the good fortune of touring EDAG, a German-owned engineering company with a strong presence in Auburn Hills. EDAG was named General Motors’ global supplier of the year in 2006. This high honor is a testament to the commitment to excellence that EDAG brings to the automotive industry as a major supplier of engineering services and manufacturing technology.

I am proud that EDAG is located in my district. I wish them well as they look for new opportunities that leverage their automotive expertise. And I want to help them grow and create new jobs in Michigan.

EDAG is just one bright example of the innovation occuring in Detroit that is tied to modern manufacturing. We need to be supportive of manufacturing so we can recruit and retain more companies like EDAG that are looking to do business in the hub city of the international automotive industry.

For more information on this exciting company and the great work they are doing in Auburn Hills and around the globe, please visit www.edag.com.

Daniel Little, the chancellor of the University of Michigan-Dearborn, has a very insightful op-ed column in today’s Detroit News on the importance of math and science education to Michigan’s economy. I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments expressed in his column.

I have been working hard to advance math and science at every level, from grade school through college. We’ve got to do a better job in preparing our people for the job opportunities of the future and that means raising the bar on math and science education.

The Sunday Free Press reported today that Metro Detroiters are strongly opposed to raising the state income tax from its current rate of 3.9 percent to 4.3 percent.

Democrats in Lansing and Washington just can’t seem to help themselves. In the past couple of weeks in Congress, the Democrat majority has passed legislation to raise taxes during consideration of the farm bill. They raised taxes and cut Medicare for seniors to pay for a huge expansion of the government program that provides health care to kids. And they passed legislation yesterday that raises taxes on energy producers.

Earlier this year, the Democrats passed a five-year budget plan that allows the tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 to expire in a couple of years. If these tax cuts are repealed, the average family in Oakland County will see their tax burden rise by between $2,000 and $3,000.

These are taxing times indeed for Michigan as the Democrat majorities in Lansing and Washington push for higher taxes that will hurt our economy and make it harder for us to rise out of the current downturn.Â

The collapse of the bridge in Minnesota is a national tragedy. We need to have a full investigation into this incident to see what happened. We also need to take a look at making investments in materials science R&D to improve the strength and durability of our bridges.

I have been a strong supporter of innovative research being conducted at Lawrence Tech University by Professor Nabil Grace. Dr. Grace is the head of the Civil Engineering Department at Lawrence Tech. He is developing carbon fiber technology for bridges that is 10 times stronger than steel. I used my position on the House Appropriations Committee to secure funding for Dr. Grace’s research.

Dr. Grace was recently featured in Crains Detroit Business for his innovative research.

Below are links to a couple of press releases:

http://www.ltu.edu/facultyandstaff/nabilgrace_news0106.asp

http://www.ltu.edu/facultyandstaff/nabilgrace_news0305.asp Â

Today, I am very pleased to announce that the House of Representatives passed the America Competes Act, with my strong support.  This bill includes scholarships to students majoring in science, math, or engineering in order to increase the number of math and science teachers in our nation.  This legislation also included measures that will provide extensive higher education teacher training through math, science, and technology college preparatory courses.  In addition, this bill provides grants to scientists and engineers at the early stage of their careers at both higher education institutions and research organizations.  And last, but certainly not least, this bill doubles the authorized spending for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, or MEP, over the next ten years.  This program is essential to the survival and growth of our country’s small and medium sized manufacturers.

America must continue to be a strong economic leader.  Today, I am proud to have supported legislation that will ensure that we are leaders in the fields of math, science, and engineering.  America has always been a leader in technology and innovation and that is why we must support education and research in these critical fields.  The America Competes Act will allow America to continue the advancement of technology to compete with the realities of the global economy.

Detroit has been rated the number one sportstown in the country, according to The Sporting News. Here for the AP news item.

We love the Tigers, Pistons, and Red Wings in Detroit. We also cheer for GM, Ford and Chrysler to do well. Detroit is a town with a lot of hometown loyalty. Here’s to many more winning seasons for our hometown guys.