Auto Industry Begs for Funds as UAW Leadership Retreats to Their Multi-Million Golf Course.

President Bush disappointed many Republicans by going against his core principles to save the auto industry. It may be a hard reality to swallow, but the American auto industry deserved to die. Many of the companies and industries that have been helped by this bailout out should have been forced to let nature takes it's course.

The American auto industry has suffered many setbacks over the last twenty years. Many of them would have been survivable had they not had a gigantic monkey on their back the entire step of the way. The United Automakers Union has had a death grip on the auto industry for years and it will be this union sooner rather than later that puts the final nail in the coffin.

During the recent bailout negotiations in which the automakers were begging Congress for their share of the magic pot of gold, the UAW was asked to help out the automakers with concessions from the workers union. The President of the UAW, Ron Gettelfinger, stated in November that the UAW would make no new concessions to help the struggling industry.

Why wouldn't they want to help out an industry that pays for their $33 million golf retreat in Northern Michigan? This palatial retreat also includes a $6 million golf course and costs the UAW millions of dollars to operate each year.

If the auto industry executives were ridiculed in front of Congress for taking private jets to Washington to request funding, what example should be made of the heads of the union who are living it up in luxury? I am sure that every single average American auto worker, that nine to five, blue-collar worker is flown to Northern Michigan to live up the good life at the union's retreat.

The auto industry should have been forced into bankruptcy if for no other reason to than to cut off life support for their blood sucking union friends. Unfortunately, you won't find those leaders in front of Congress. They are too buys hanging out in their pockets.

"I Don't Think We Have The Votes!"...... Thank Goodness!

There may be a small chunk of goods news in the midst of all the bad bailout news.  It appears less likely that the Big 3 auto dealers will be seeing any chunk of change now or in the future.

Sen. Chris Dodd to ABC News:  "I want to help them if we can, but I'm not going to give anyone a blank check, so we're going to try and do something if we can next week.  I don't think the votes are there.  Candidly, I don't think we have the votes to get that done.  With no big change between now and next Wednesday, I'm skeptical."

The Democrats will need help from Republicans to "get it done" even in January. Republicans are less likely to agree to the deal after the last $700 billion bailout.  Could they actually have learned their lesson?  Republicans have stated that if they bailout the auto industry it will just be a matter of time before the next industry lines up.

It is even more crucial that at least one of the three Senate seats currently up for grabs remains in the hands of the Republican party.  Americans were angered by the last bailout and continue to watch their tax payer dollars being thrown at problems that aren't getting fixed.

We can hope that those so-called "blue-dog" Democrats can still hear their constituents screaming in their ears or we are going to have bigger problems in the near future than those we have today.

Let them fail or we all fail.

Hello Congress.  In the last several months, you have cherry picked which companies survived and which ones failed.  You asked the American people for over $1 trillion with promises that it would loosen the financial constraints  currently being placed on the country. (It's not like we had a choice, but to give them this money.)

Unfortunately, it is time to let some, most, fail.  The companies are lining up to literally grease their pockets with tax payer dollars.  Today, American Express requested to become a deposit bank in order to qualify for some of that cash.  If I say I am a bank, will you give me some extra cash too?  I could use it right about now.

Next in line is the "big three".  Do we really need to save the auto industry too?  What happens if we let them fail?  It could actually be a win-win situation to let these companies fail. Throwing money at this industry is not going to solve the problems they are facing.  In fact, it will most likely make it worse.  If in fact we let them fail, the market will take care of the problem.  

The reason that American car manufacturers can no longer be competitive is because they are being dragged down by their unions.  Foreign car companies, who also employ a large number of American workers, are not beholden to the unions.  They are able to be more competitive and offer better cars at cheaper prices.  Every American made car has $1500 built into the price for health care costs to union members.  This amount doesn't include the pension plans that the unions have enforced onto these companies.

If these companies are allowed to fail, some will be gone for good, others will reorganize under Chapter 11, and other companies will step up and fill in the voids.  If we let them fail, it will send a signal to other companies and other industries.  It will force them to find alternative solutions and they will find those solutions.

If we bail out this industry now, next week there will be another dozen lined up with their hands out waving to Congress.  Where will it stop?  There was news today, that the US' credit rating may be lowered from "AAA."  It will cost us more to borrow from other countries.  Our debt will continue to rise and we will find ourselves in a weakened state of affairs.  I don't mean financially.

Unfortunately, they won't be allowed to fail.  The Democrats have too many favors to pay back to the unions.