As I've mentioned before, given the chronic overcapacity in the North American auto industry, every new assembly plant built has meant that approximately one existing one has closed. Good Jobs First recently added up the damage (www.goodjobsfirst.org). Since Honda first arrived in Ohio in 1980, foreign automakers have built 16 new assembly plants in the U.S. (excluding the GM/Toyota joint venture in California and the Ford/Mazda joint venture in Michigan, both of which preserved existing plants) receiving subsidies of at least $3.3 billion (I'm excluding four engine plants from the GJF total). Of that, $2.8 billion came from southern states, $758 million from Alabama alone. Volkswagen was just given $577 million to locate in Bob Corker's hometown of Chattanooga. As GJF's executive director, Greg LeRoy, emphasizes, these were in the form of tax exemptions and grants, not the loans being discussed in the Big Three bailout.

So just remember that when Richard Shelby and Bob Corker attempt to justify blocking the auto bailout in the Senate.