Trick or Treat

A few days ago I got trapped into a conversation about current events, specifically about the current public opinion about the bailouts and the recent testifying (testification?) of the big three automaker CEOs to Congress. (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/11/19/congress-divided-fate-detroits-big/)

There is a lot of opinion out there, but where in the constitution does it say that we as a people or Congress as our representatives, have the right to butt our collective nose into the internal business of, well… business??? – if you need a refresher click here (http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html)

The CEOs of the big three automakers are asking for $25 Billion, and I say “don’t give it to them.” I am not against the American auto-worker or American made cars (although I don’t own one and God willing never will – unless as a second car). But I have a better idea. Tell the UAW to take over. Since the Chairman of the UAW. Ron Gettelfinger, attended the same congressional hearing as the CEOs (flew in on his own private jet as to not seem beneath those big bad corporate baddies – I wonder if his flight attendant was just as hot, and if his plane had the same caviar?

Since for years now the UAW seems to have known better than those allegedly overpaid execs on how to run the auto industry. These are the same folks that have coerced, blackmailed, and brow-beat the automakers into paying over $70 an hour to a guy who fills up the window-washer reservoir while the American auto industry has come in second place to European and Asian car makers.

The unions have their place and have advanced the quality of life of the American worker, but when retirees of the big three get better benefits than current workers of most other companies then maybe they are among the ones that need to start making sacrifices.

I am not suggesting that the CEOs of these companies should be paid big bucks when their products fail, their stocks go down the crapper, and they come to the tax payers (via the congress) looking for a handout (like a teenager that should have stopped trick-or-treating knocking on your door on Halloween night, dressed as a McDonalds cashier – knowing that you know, that they gave up and really shouldn’t be coming around for a free snack sized Kit Kat, but you feel obligated to give it to him, since none of us have the balls to “just say no”… sorry I probably lost you, I am rambling.

So tomorrow (Dec 2nd) the CEOs will fly out (presumably plane-pooling if not flying commercial) to Washington D.C. and lay out their plan for how they will use any monies loaned to them to save their industry. I hope for the sake of 350,000 auto workers and additional 200,000 in related industry that something can be worked out. But if not, then I say “survival of the fittest” and if they gotta shut down, then so be it. But when many of those 500K workers start marching “We shall overcome” they need to direct much of their attention on the unions that helped expedite the demise of the industry by demanding too much, and also onto many of the politicians that got in the way of a market based economy by placing restrictions that were unrelated to customer demand.