At first glance, you might say “huh?” (and, maybe after you read this, you’ll say the same). The auto industry has been lobbying hard to scuttle higher fuel emission standards, claiming the industry just can’t afford the changes–and some Democrats seem to be biting. People are rightly upset at the Democrats but the critics have all missed a key point: there is plenty of money for the auto industry to do this if it adopted single-payer health care.

More than two years ago, I made what seemed to me an obvious point: single-payer health care would relieve the auto industry of the tens of billions of dollars in health care costs that the industry shoulders for its current workers, retirees and the obligations for future retirees. More recently, it seemed obvious to me that Chrysler would never have been dumped by Daimler if it was not burdened by health care costs.

It’s one thing to talk about the financial stability of a company or health care coverage for individuals. But, now, we are ratcheting the stakes up to the very survival of the planet. And, yet, these auto executives have the audacity to say, in The New York Times:

In a break with the past, automobile manufacturers have agreed that some increase in fuel economy requirements is appropriate. But they vigorously oppose the Senate bill, complaining that its requirements are too rigid and not economically feasible.

[I added the emphasis]

That is a lie. Fuel economy requirements are entirely economically feasible. Sure, if the industry–along with the rest of the business community–continues to put ideology ahead of economics, then, it will maintain it can’t afford better fuel standards.

We are letting these executives get away with helping kill the planet AND deny people decent health care. And every person in America should be enraged because this is dumb economics, too (and, I will say, this as an aside: I am aghast that the Democratic candidates, with the exception of Dennis Kucinich–I am not making a pitch for him–are refusing to embrace single-payer even though the economics are clear and, instead, are all rolling out health care plans that keep the private insurance industry in the game.)

And what is up with Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, who are usually pretty damn good. According to the Times’ piece yesterday:

Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, both of Michigan, are drafting a bill that would raise mileage requirements but would be more lenient for light trucks and would give car companies the possibility of an escape hatch by demonstrating that the rules would be too costly to meet.

I understand home-state concerns but Democratic senators, if being in the majority means anything, should not be carrying the water for a proposal that will continue to allow the poisoning of our planet–and not when the economics make it clear that there is another path. I can only hope that if, unfortunately, Levin and Stabenow are successful, they include in their bill a requirement that the industry commit to pushing single-payer health care.

So, bottom line: with single-payer, you can save a lot of lives–the people who will have health care and the hundreds of millions of people who will be able to live healthy lives on a survivable planet.