2010 Ford Fusion and previous-generation Fusion

2010 Ford Fusion and previous-generation Fusion

It is no secret that the economy has been rough on many industries. It is also no secret that the automotive industry, especially the American car companies, have been hit pretty hard. Consumers and the automotive press has been taken on a wild ride and with that we have seen the bankruptcy of two of the “Big 3” and more negative press for GM in an eight-month period than they have probably seen in their 100 years as a company. So how does “Test Drive America” fit in?

Test Drive America is the brainchild of Chris Kilcullen, a local Colorado resident, who has a mission to be a part of the change in the economy instead of just a spectator. The general idea is that we, as American taxpayers, now have a vested interest in two of the three major American car companies. With that vested interest we should be looking at American-made cars first to see if they will fit our needs. That way we can help the economy and our “investment” in the automotive industry bailouts.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro V-6 RS

2010 Chevrolet Camaro V-6 RS

I know what you are asking yourself, "How does Test Drive America work?" and "How can I make a difference?” Test Drive America is like the WWII campaigns to buy American made. The intention is that if you are in the market for a new car or even just thinking about a new car, then you should go out and exhaust the American manufacturer options. If, at the end of your search, you can’t find something that works for you then consider an import. The first Test Drive America call to action is for July 3-5 and you can simply participate by going out to your local American dealer and looking at cars that might interest you in the future.

Kilcullen’s rule of thumb for helping turn the economy around is a 60/40 split—that is 60% of your purchases should be made domestically and 40% should be made by importers. Why 40% from imports? The simple reason behind this is that we don’t want to eliminate trade as a country; we still want import dollars coming in and growing the economy, but we want this to happen while making money and promoting a healthy economy for Americans and American owned businesses.

Read more about Test Drive America from the official release below and be sure to go out and test some new small cars this July 4th weekend. Need some suggestions? Check out our blogsreviews and the photo gallery. I might also suggest the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, at a EPA rated 41 mpg city this car can really take you places.

 Press Release:AVERAGEJOEECONOMICS.COM INVITES YOU TO ‘TEST DRIVE AMERICA'The Weekend of July 3-5EVERGREEN, CO - June 24, 2009 - On the weekend of July 4,AverageJoeEconomics.com is hosting "Test Drive America," and encouraging Americans to ‘kick the tires' and test drive some new American made cars and trucks!AverageJoeEconomics.com founder Chris Kilcullen, believes that Americans needs to engage in this industry to participate in our economy. "We now have an ownership stake in the American auto industry," said Kilcullen. "We need to take an active role in this auto industry so we can start the engines of economic recovery."AverageJoeEconomics.com is challenging every American to go to a car dealership this weekend, touch and feel the American-made vehicles and talk around the water coolers about the quality cars and trucks American companies are building again."We don't have to buy the cars over the weekend, we just need to get familiar with what is out there," added Kilcullen. "This industry is critical to our economy. You did not have to be in the mortgage business to be affected by the mortgage meltdown, just imagine what could happen if we loose this entire industry"Kilcullen listed five reasons to participate in the Test Drive America weekend:1. You are stockholders - Your tax dollars have paid for the bailout and can either be a profit or a loss. If they become profitable your tax dollars win, if they fail your taxes will rise again.2. Americans are lenders - Not only are you liable for the taxes that were invested as a stockholder, you borrowed the money to invest and are paying interest on that debt every day. If they fail, you lost your investment but still own the money you borrowed. You will pay two to four times for the loss.3. Trade Deficit - If we loose this industry our trade deficit will never recover. Right now we are importing $128 BILLION in automobiles. The auto industry still represents 1/4 of our trade deficit and if we import the entire industry we will not be able to export enough to generate net income through trade.4. Jobs- If we lose this industry, we lose $52 Billion in wages that are spent in your economy and support your industry that supports your family. Just because you do not sell tires for a living does not mean you will not be affected. Each and every one of us pay for unemployment lower wages, higher taxes and medical care costs.5. We need to start thinking of ourselves. This is a time in our nations history that " We The People" can participate. We have asked for quality cars and trucks and this industry has responded by building some of the best cars in our history. If you want your economy to work for you, you have to work for your economy!For more information on AverageJoeEconomics.com or to receive information about using the Average Joe Economics, visit,www.averagejoeeconomics.com or www.averagejaneeconomics.com, orcontact Chris Kilcullen at [email protected].# # #AverageJoeEconomics.com founder Chris Kilcullen is not an economist, nor does he play one on TV. He is what some might call an "average Joe," who has chosen to take action to fix the economy rather than sit back and watch from the grandstand.AverageJoeEconomics.com was founded on a few solid principles - all which lead to consumer taking action to forge economic change in America. You do not need to be an economist to understand that we need surpluses more than we need deficits. If I am spending more than I am bringing home I either need to cut expenses or build income. This is the Average Joe Economics that we as Americans have the ability and responsibility to correct with our ideas and actions in both the workplace and the market place. We need net income as a nation to reduce our debt and build a flourishing, long lasting economy.What's Your Economic Footprint? For more information, visit us atwww.averagejoeeconomics.com or www.averagejaneeconomics.com