Gov. Schwarzenegger to Michigan: Get Off Your Butts

Washington DC April 12, 2007: The AIADA newsletter reported that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger reacted to a billboard along Interstate 75 in Detroit which criticizes him for mandating vehicle emission caps in California that Detroit automakers are unwilling to meet.

The billboard reads, "Arnold to Michigan: Drop Dead," and features the Governor's photo. "Now, there's a billboard in Michigan that accuses me of costing the car industry $85 billion," Schwarzenegger said at a speech at a Global Environment Conference at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

"The billboard says," Schwarzenegger continued, "'Arnold to Michigan: Drop Dead.' The fact of the matter is what I'm saying is, 'Arnold to Michigan: Get off your butt. Get off your butt and join us.'"

In 2002, California ordered its air resources board (CARB) to adopt caps to dramatically reduce carbon dioxide emissions and force more than a 30 percent improvement in fuel economy over the next decade. The auto industry has filed suits to block the regulations, but Schwarzenegger said the rules would help the industry.

"What we are doing is we are pushing them [the auto industry] to make changes, to make the changes so they can sell their cars in California," he said. "And we all know – let's be honest – that if they don't change, someone will. The Japanese will. The Chinese will. The South Koreans will. The Germans will."

According to the Detroit News, Schwarzenegger said he is optimistic about the future of Detroit automakers, all struggling to compete against foreign rivals grabbing ever more U.S. auto sales and he wants the Detroit Three to sell cars in California.