Enough Is Enough

Ford, GM, Chrysler--no matter what you call it, they are still asking for a bailout. No doubt they are going to get it. My problem with it is not that they will get tax payer money, but where the money will end up. It is a shame for congress to demand that the Big 3 present plans for restructuring the way they do business without demanding that the United Autoworkers Union do the same.

It is common knowledge that the other automakers (Toyota, Honda, etc.) do not have the legacy overhead costs that the Big 3 have (most of which is due to union payouts of some sort), and that they are more nimble because there are no unions bosses to satisfy when changes are made. Detroit automakers will not survive with the current productions costs they have to bear no matter how much money the government loans them.

Things have changed. Americans cannot go back to the way we have lived for the last two decades. Our viability as a nation depends upon everyone of us coming to grips with this reality. Neither businesses nor individuals can borrow their way to affluence any longer. Big unions will have to adjust their demands upon companies in exchange for job security, and they will have to revamp their organizations to cut the fraud and waste as well.

Our nation was built upon free enterprise with limited government interference. The current economic environment has been a catylist for some to move to change the basic structure of our economy from capitalism to quasi-facism. It is a major shift when the government uses borrowed money to buy shares in financial institutions that they regulate. This is the proverbial "fox in the hen house" scencario. The waste and mismanagement in the government is a good indication that those in charge need to do some house cleaning before they can take on some one else's.

It is up to the American people to say to goverment and to big business, "Enough is enough!"  We will not continue to sacrifice our children's and grandchildren's futures for the immediate gratification of bigger and faster toys. We have to put them on notice that the era of irresponsible spending has ended not only for individuals, but also for government and big business.