The following was forwarded to me by a very good friend and loyal reader who lost her job due to the economic downturn and recession we are facing here in Michigan. Please give it a read, and if you are so inspired to take action and call your local lawmaker, there will be a spot in heaven for you.

I am asking for your help in urging Congress to act – now – to approve a package of short-term financial support for the U.S. auto industry.

n September, Congress approved and President Bush signed into law a $25 billion direct, low-interest federal loan package for our industry. This package, the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive Program, will provide support for us to retool our plants and invest in new fuel-saving, advanced technologies. As important as this loan package is to our business, these loans will take time to reach us and will support only future investment.

Ford’s product-led plan to deliver more of the safe, affordable, high-quality and fuel-efficient vehicles that consumers want and value remains solidly in place. We are also well positioned to take advantage of our global scale and strengths and we are working diligently to reduce costs. While we are confident in our plan, the situation facing the overall industry today is extremely serious. U.S. automobile sales have plummeted to their lowest volume in 25 years, putting our industry at risk. According to the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), a collapse of the U.S. auto industry could lead to an economy-wide loss of 3 million jobs and cost the U.S. government more than $150 billion over a three year period. We need to ensure that our elected representatives clearly understand that any further decline of the auto industry threatens to drive our economy even deeper into recession.

We need Congress to approve the short-term financial support package before they leave Washington next week. You can help to ensure that they do by making your voice heard and encouraging your friends and family to do the same.

Please contact your U.S. House of Representatives member and U.S. Senators and ask them to support the proposed bridge loan to help the U.S. auto industry weather this economic environment.

The following websites provide all of the information you and your employees need to either call or email your U.S. Representative and Senators:

To call your elected officials, please HERE.

To send an email please go HERE.

Please feel free to send these links to your family and friends and ask them to take action to support our industry and our economy.

There are many who question why the U.S. industry should receive any additional assistance and are quick to assert that the current situation is due to the failure of the automakers to bring new technology to market and an alleged resistance to producing fuel-efficient vehicles. Here are some important points that clearly illustrate Ford’s commitment to a new way of doing business and to bringing the newest, most fuel-efficient technologies to market quickly:

Please take just a few minutes to make your voice heard and ensure that lawmakers understand the urgency for them to act now. With your help, we can ensure that all of the hard work that all of you do every day results in a strong Ford Motor Company positioned for growth as the economy rebounds.

Thank you for your support.