Talking Points About the Hummer


The Hummer gets obscenely low gas mileage. It hovers around 9 miles per gallon. It gets less than half the mileage of the Model T Ford some 80 years ago!

Hummers are irresponsible and unpatriotic. The gas-guzzling Hummer is fueling this country's dependence on oil and driving us into wars for oil. When soldiers are dying in Iraq, a war largely about oil, a concrete way to support our troops is to drive fuel-efficient cars.

Hummers poison the air we breathe.


  • They emit over 3 times more carbon dioxide than average cars.
  • Hummers, are exempt from meeting ANY emission standards.
  • The EPA just release a devastating report that revealed nearly 1 in 5 counties have unhealthy air---thanks to vehicles like the Hummer.


Hummers glorify war.  It is offensive that these military-style vehicles are being marketed and sold to families as an adventure vehicle. This sends the message that war is fun. Any soldier can tell you that it is not.

Hummers are unsafe and a menace on the road. Their hulking mass makes them more difficult to stop. This lack of maneuverability actually INCREASES the number of fatal accidents. And in an accident with an SUV, those in cars are 3.4 times more likely to be killed.

The tax rewards for buying a gas-guzzling Hummer should be eliminated. Currently, business owners who buy a Hummer are eligible to receive up to a $100,000 tax break under Bush's 2003 Jobs and Growth Act. This same plan only grants a tax break of $2,000 for the Toyota Prius hybrid, which gets over 50 miles per gallon. The government should instead be offering tax incentives for the purchase of hybrids and clean energy vehicles.

Hummers are symbols of American excess and arrogance. Such huge, imposing, military-like vehicles also perpetuate the image of America as a bully. They only serve to sow seeds of ill-will. This is not the image that we should be exporting in this political climate.

(For Californians) California Governor Schwarzenegger is driving California in reverse. He owns at least 6 Hummers and actually boasts of his influence in persuading the automobile industry to turn the military vehicle into a civilian one. He should be a role model and give up his fleet of Hummers and encourage all Californians to make responsible decisions in their transportation choices.

Our goals are:

  • To give voice to widespread opposition to monstrous, gas-guzzling, polluting vehicles.
  • To encourage consumers to buy more fuel-efficient cars.
  • To work towards closing the current tax loophole that favors gas-guzzling cars over energy-efficient hybrids.
  • To promote alternative forms of transportation, like biking and walking, and public transit.