Posted by
Too Tall in Texas on Friday, November 21, 2008 5:36:27 AM
Fans of the J. Geils Band may remember the title of this post from one of their early hits. (If you guess the title of the hit, you win ... my undying gratitude -- HA!) But the sad reality is that Detroit is about to undergo a complete demolition. If you've read me before you know I'm a "Detroiter in Exile". I'm one of thousands who have left the Motor City and has never returned because of the poor economy there, the lack of true leadership there, and the weather there SUCKS! I may not have a hard time finding a job there (fortunately, nursing is one of a few careers that will always be in demand), but I probably wouldn't be making what I currently make here in Texas.
The point of today's post is this....Washington almost had it right - and (dare I say it?!) Michael Moore almost had it right when they came out against the CEO's of the "Big 3". I got a "tingle up my leg" when (shockingly) the Democratic Rep. from CA Brad Sherman asked Mulally, Wagoner, and Nardelli if they flew commercial to come testify before Congress. These characters all thought that they would actually be able to cash in on the spending frenzy going on there. As Nelson from "The Simpsons" would say - "HAAAHaaa!"
The sad thing about the Big 3 CEO's getting sent home in their GulfStream jets without a big fat check in their pocket was that it was these same Democratic Congressmen who were bought and paid for by the UAW and then regulated them into this position. So it was no suprise to see Mr. Gettelfinger (the current head of the UAW) sitting there next to these clowns to remind the Congressional panel that if they don't want to lose campaign money - er, votes for re-election they better not make the union pay up. But that is exactly what should happen!
The union in tandem with the liberal environmental extremists were the primary cause of the Big 3's demise. The UAW has held a gun to the heads of the Big 3 ever since the 60's - getting insane salaries, pensions and LIFETIME benefits for its members. Regulations from the enviromental lobby has forced the automakers to spend money on developing technology that isn't even available. Then throw in the bad economic policies that Democratic governors Jennifer Granholm (MI), Rod Blagojevich (IL), Ted Strickland (OH), Ed Rendell (PA), Joe Manchin, III (WV) - all from key states that have interest in the auto industry (steel, coal, and factories) - have instituted in their states that tax businesses into submission. All this - in a time when energy prices (not just gasoline) were skyrocketing - added up to become a "perfect storm for economic disaster" for automakers.
What needs to happen is some good ol' fashioned "Free Market Correction". Basically, the Big 3 are going to have to eat a "doo-doo sandwich" (bankruptcy) and then start over again. The UAW will be forced to re-negotiate their contracts with the auto industry (its not just Ford, GM, and Chrysler - but their suppliers who are unionized too) and have their own "doo-doo sandwich" when they realize that the honey pot that was once there is now full of doo-doo. This doo-doo (hopefully) will bubble up to the congressmen who depend on the campaign money - er, votes of the union members - to keep them in power.
So let's all just sit down and have a heapin' helpin' of doo-doo sandwiches!!