Pro-Domestic Automaker Group Launched

Washington DC October 8, 2005; The AIADA newsletter reported that a new pro-domestic grassroots group, the Level Field Institute (LFI), was launched. The group founded by former Commerce official Jim Doyle, announced its formation in a full page ad in the Capitol Hill newspaper, Roll Call. Additionally, LFI started a website at http://www.levelfieldinstitute.org which contains a copy of the ad, press releases, a mission statement and newspaper briefs. The Level Field Institute alleges that some sales by international automakers in some countries may violate U.S. sanctions against terrorist nations. LFIs website says the group is a grassroots organization, established by retirees and families of GM, Ford, DaimlerChrysler, and the suppliers and dealers that support them. It states that as Toyota, Hyundai, Nissan, BMW, Honda and others seek to sell more cars by praising themselves as good neighbors and employers, American families must hold them accountable to the same standards set for and by American automakers. AIADA will continue to monitor the group and work closely with the American International Automobile Manufacturers (AIAM) and OEMs to develop a response.