BAY CITY -- Bay City Mayor Charles Brunner, who been a vocal cheerleader for the Big Three, is putting his money where his mouth is, but NBC25 wanted to know if the people he serves are doing the same.
Mayor Brunner bought a black 2009 GMC Acadia for his wife. "I'm very happy to show support for the Big Three," he stated.
The mayor has been an advocate for the Big Three. His advocacy even took him to Washington where he lobbied for restructuring loans.
But are the residents of Bay City following suit? NBC25 spoke with locals to see how much support there is for the Big Three. Rod Evens, an avid Cadillac fan, stated, "I've had 14 Cadillacs in a row and I'll continue to buy them."
Like Evans, Rich Bachula supports the automakers. "I retired from Delphi, and I've had GM cars and Ford cars all my life," Bachula remarked.
In order to see just how many Bay City residents were driving U.S. made vehicles, NBC25 drove down the streets to scope out the variety of cars. While riding through the downtown area, only four foreign vehicles were spotted out of the 30 seen parked at local restaurants and shops.
Though Bay City seemingly supports the Big Three, it doesn't necessarily mean residents support the recent loans or bailout. For Mayor Brunner, though, bailout was the only option. "There are folks that felt they should go into bankrupty, there were surveys done that said people wouldn't buy a vehicle from the company."
