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Enough about the friggin' planes already!

by: Hazen Pingree

Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 07:59:48 AM EST


Newsflash! Turns out the Big 3 automakers are run by a bunch of arrogant assholes!

Well, duh! Who didn't know that already?

But  no...since said assholes decided to do a typically assholish thing and show up in three separate private planes, we're going to let the U.S. domestic auto industry die. (BTW, has anyone checked to see how the financial CEOs traveled to DC when they suckered us intogiving them $700 billion? Just asking...)

The problem here is that even if the worst happens and all three car companies are destroyed, Mullaly, Wagoner and Nardelli are not going to be the ones to bear the brunt of this situation. These are guys who make million of dollars a year. They'll certainly take a hit...and probably will have to settle for some sort of six-figure consulting gig somewhere. But they're not going to have to go on food stamps.

Instead, it'll be former auto workers who don't have any savings to fall back on, and especially people in Michigan who make hamburgers, sell clothes, appliances or other goods and services to the line workers who will have no income. These are the folks who WILL have to go on food stamps and who will pay the price if we blow up the U.S. auto industry. 

Look, fire the damn CEOs - and all of the management too. Exile them to Afghanistan if you like. I completely support that. But this is about a hell of a lot more than 3 assholes on private planes. This is about an industry that involves 1 in 10 American workers. Don't punish the servants for the sins of the master.

Hazen Pingree :: Enough about the friggin' planes already!
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GOP shock doctrine on the UAW (4.00 / 1)
the GOP is going full bore to break the UAW and with it, cripple the union movement across the country.  
The GOP is banking on crippling economic chaos so the nut bags can ride into 2010 and 2012 as saviors or something.  

The GOP has proven over and over again how sadistically insane they are.  Their oil centric invasion of Iraq has blown up in the world's face.  Gas that was over $4/gal is creepily less than $1.70/gal today.  

It's full on shock doctrine and they are trying to have our Democratic leaders left holding the bag without taking any political heat.  

This is a monsterous political event.  Smash mouth politics at it's sickest.  

Leadership needs to put together a more comprehensive media strategy to counter act the GOP's demonization of the Big 3 and the UAW.  And then a vote is needed to show America that the GOP is letting Michigan die.

Katrina killed a city, the credit crisis looks like it may kill our state of Michigan.  


Very nice post... (4.00 / 2)
But, I gotta ask this question ... why is a dead governor a better and more forceful advocate for Michigan than its living members of Congress who are Republicans?

Among the Trees

Brillant post and observation... (4.00 / 1)
... on this one, but from the Honorable Mr. Pingree what else would be expected for all those years of experience to the citizens of this State, and his commitment to the "common good".

This is not about planes but people, a lot of people.

Was talking with some Ford guys late last night right on this plane thing. It's very frustrating because it's the same crap, while HUGE events are occurring CN is running the story "Raccoon in Kitchen" and "Bear in backyard" stories. We have lost the mind-set of "facts" for "frivolous" fights to minor emotional images (like the private jets) and over simplified slop.

The US industrial base as an active part of the US economy is at stake here, and any past and future benefits this "transformer" vs. the "service economy". Sorry, but the four dollars spent at Walmart or Starbucks, or trading on eBay, does not have the "economic value" of the four dollars spent on major, high-tech capital and durable goods.

The automotive sector is a "federation" of industries from steel to iPhone and connectivity electronics across multiple disciplines from mechanically engineering to advanced science based IP in nano-tech & chemical-mechanics.

What has the financial sector done for us lately? You can base a significant portion of Our Economy on CDS and hedge funds?

Gadgets are nice, but as a German friend once said to me "How can you just make ring-tones and call it 'industry'?"

The problem is we don't measure the "economic impact" of these "transformation based" industries and activities. We need some serious new developments in the world of economics (wish I was at the conference at UofM today actually). Have a long story about that, but no time for that now.

I agree, if firing the Big 3 executive ranks does the trick to turn public opinion on this thing, do it. The sad reality is that we are now in a fight to defend the "rich guys" when we need to fight for the millions of people the fall of the industrial base will cause, hopefully not permanent damage.

Trickle-down (read: pinkeled-on) economics is dead, financial services from the US to the rest of the world as "unquestioned" and trustworthy is dying. Newt and Milt, YOU WERE WRONG. We can't survive on services alone.

Where, Oh hwere is the MIT 'Group 6' work group on national competitiveness (1970's and 80's) now when you need them? Made some call and looked them up, they are dead to a man too, just like Mr. Pingree here, but not without delivering us their message.

If we don't make SOMETHING, ANYTHING in this country, we are in SERIOUS trouble.

Our economy is about people, those that transform materials and innovation in to products and services dirived from those products.

This fight is about people not petty noise pieces about private planes.

Great post, sorry I got carried away there on my comment.

[rant complete now back to work time is running out]




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