Our Country's Financial Woes

Even though the election is over, there is so much going on right now with this country from a financial standpoint. I had to comment on the latest development--this Big 3 Bailout.

Okay, first of all, what GM, Ford, and Chrysler are asking for is not a "bailout." They are asking for a loan from the federal government. A loan implies repayment, unlike the financial system bailout. There are actual terms of repayment being discussed and the auto companies are very open to speaking about.

Next, I have to get this off my chest. On principle, I am totally against this sort of government assistance for any business. In general, I think if businesses are badly run, they should fail. And I'll be the first to say, the Big 3 have been some of the worst run businesses in this country for a very long time. And they have themselves to blame for that--for a long time, they put out crappy product that didn't appeal to buyers, yet still had the arrogance to think that they deserved to continue to have total market domination. Sorry, that's not how it works. Also, the UAW bears a HUGE portion of the blame for this. For many years as well, they've refused to give wage and benefits concessions, even as market conditions demanded it. They've continued to think that people who put bolts in holes all day deserve to make $30 an hour. Well, I'm sorry, I have a law degree, and I don't make $30 an hour. The auto industry created a false standard of living for a great many people in this country who have no education (i.e. line workers) for a long time. Now, the shit is hitting the fan. And I say this as the step-daughter, granddaughter, and daughter-in-law of UAW member GM workers. But something has to give.

Okay, in light of what I just said, it pains me to say that the government MUST give these bridge loans to the Big 3. Some are advocating that they go into bankruptcy. That would be an absolute disaster. Who the hell would buy a vehicle from a company in bankruptcy? I predict that if the Big 3 went into bankruptcy, any one of them, their sales would fall to at least half of what it is now, which are already in the toilet due to the economy.

Many Republican Senators are refusing to give the Big 3 the money. What they don't understand are the steps the Big 3 have actually taken recently to return to profitability. I know from speaking with my step father and others all the changes that have made in these plants. These new plants are efficient. What 3,000 people used to do, 300 now do. And I have personal experience with the fact that GM (I can't personally speak to Ford or Chrysler) is putting out some damn good product now. I LOVE my Saturn Aura. It's a fantastic car. Also, the Chevy Malibu is THE BEST mid-size sedan right now, beating all that Japanese crap that people think is so great.

Another thing these Senators, and people in other parts of the country, don't understand is that if the Big 3 go away, 3 MILLION jobs would be immediately lost, many right here in Michigan. Our unemployment rate is already 9.3%, 3 points higher than national average. If those 3 million jobs are lost, that unemployment rate could be double that. Those are depression level numbers. Also, 1 in 10 jobs in the entire nation are linked to the auto industry. Bye bye millions more jobs. Plus all the small businesses that would die in the area of these plants because the auto workers are gone, and all the tax revenue gone from cities that have plants in them. Holy crap, the idea is frightening.

As I said, saying these things go against my strongly held beliefs that the government should stay the hell out of these matters. But I do not want literally two-thirds of the people I know to lose their jobs, and I want my family members pensions to be secure. So these bridge loans MUST happen for the good of the Mid-West and the country as a whole.

Not Looking Forward to Winter

So, Monday morning was an absolute traffic debacle. And no one saw it coming. This leaves me absolutely dreading the winter driving months.

I had to work on Monday morning, so I got up at my usual time of 7 and I leave the house at 8:45 to get to my 10 o'clock dep in plenty of time (I like to have plenty of time in the morning, plus feel guilty about sleeping much later than that during the week). I get up, look out the window, and say, "Oh crap." There was about an inch or two of snow on the ground. This did not bode well. Brian hears me (having for once gotten up and going before me, as he was getting ready to be a big bad hunter) and says, "Oh the roads are fine." The subdivision roads looked okay, so I was hoping he was right. I turn on the news and immediately am hit with the news that the road crews were NOT out with salt, because the snow fall was unexpected, so the roads were NOT fine, in fact, they were absolutely terrible. The Channel 4 traffic girl tells me to leave 2 to 3 times my normal travel time to make it to my destination. So, I eat breakfast as fast as I can, barely shower and leave at 8 am.

As I'm driving down Hacker Road, things seems fine, so, I again am hoping the weather people are totally overreacting. I get on the highway and within 2 miles am at a dead stop. Not because the roads are bad, mind you. The road conditions were FINE. I turned on my XM Detroit traffic and listen to the reports. Apparently, the problem was that the bridges, overpasses and highway ramps were totally frozen, causing all sorts of accidents and closures and back ups. So, I proceed to drive all the way to Southfield at an average speed of about 25 miles an hour. It totally sucked, but at least I didn't feel like my life was in danger. It was just sloooooow. I finally made it to my destination after an hour and 40 minutes. That is an hour longer than usual.

That nightmare has made me very fearful of this winter driving season, especially in light of the fact that the road crews are cutting way back this year on manpower and salt usage for budgetary reasons. It was all over the news tonight. So, this winter, I will be prepared to make my hour and 40 minute trek to Southfield on a regular basis. Thanks Old Man Winter.

Socialism...Beginning in January

So, I need not post very long, but suffice it to say that I am extremely disappointed, but not surprised, over last night's election. Basically, my feelings are that President Obama will take this country in the WRONG direction--higher taxes, more government dependence, and sitting down and appeasing terrorists and crazies. Here is a short rundown of my basic fears.

1) Obama wants to sit down with the president of Iran and talk with him. That crazy bastard wants to blow us up. He is so nuts, he denies the Holocaust and thinks we are Zionist sympathizers. Sitting down with him is like the Allies appeasing Hitler before World War II. That turned out well.

2) Raising taxes. People think, oh a social safety net is great--it's like Europe, nobody is poor. Well, I've been to Europe, and it's a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. EVERYONE is mildly poor, because everyone pays 50% taxes to subsidize people who choose jobs that make next to nothing. There is no spirit that if you work hard you can get ahead, so people don't bother. Well, no thanks. Brian and I worked hard to get where we are, had $80,000 of student loans between the two of us. We chose to do that. To hell with everybody else who didn't make that choice, and then whines about it. I am ready to start stuffing our mattresses with money to keep it out of the government's hands.

3) Obama wants to make it nearly impossible for law abiding people to buy a weapon, and wants to put a 500% tax on ammunition. Goodbye 2nd Amendment. What those crazy anti-gun people don't realize that if you outlaw guns, the only people who will have guns are outlaws. Screw that. Brian is going to stockpile some weapons, and ammo. Watch out coming to our house.

So, there is the short version of my thoughts. I am scared. Very scared that my way of life is going to get flushed down the toilet.