Ray LaHood: Toyota Probably Even Guiltier Than We Thought

Perhaps this is the transparency in government that Barack Obama meant in his run up to the election--the public bashing of out-of-favor employers who happen to not be majority owned by the US government.

“This is the first thing that we have found. It may not be the last thing, it would not surprise me if we discovered other information.”

This comment made by Transporation Secretary Ray LaHood in the wake of a $16.4 million fine levied against Toyota for that company's failure to report safety problems to GM's owner quickly enough.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that the US government, majority owners of unionized GM and Chrysler, is giving the strong arm to Toyota literally promising to uncover more wrongdoing at the large non-union employer and attempting to damage that automaker's reputation.

In fact, it is in the best political interests of union pandering US government officials (did I mention the US government is the majority owner of GM and Chrysler?) if Toyota is even suspected of some currently undiscovered slight of hand, let alone found guilty.

This is not to excuse Toyota for any wrongdoing they may have committed, but their vehicles have historically been recognized as being some of the safest and of the highest quality on the American road. Those companies now owned by the US government? Not so much.