So...
We need to bail out the auto industry to save millions of American jobs, and to keep priceless technology here in America.
But the guys in charge at the Big 3 are both stupid, heartless gluttons who take private jets to ask Congress for money without even a plan as to how to spend it. They build gas-guzzling monsters that are literally designed to fall apart in a few years so you'll have to buy another one. The driveways and backyards of rural America are strewn with the carcasses.
In your recent message, you tell President Obama to "Fire all of them, and take over the industry for the good of the workers, the country and the planet."
That's completely ridiculous. First off, it literally is socialism (not that I'm opposed, but...), and secondly, Obama all of Bush's messes to clean up with. Let's help him out and take care of this problem for him.
Back in the days of Roger & Me, you bashed the Big 3 for doing anything to make a buck.
Guess what? They can't seem to make a buck anymore, and the best idea they can come up with is to beg Uncle Sam for money to pay next month's bills. I bet you've made a decent amount of money since those days, too. I know I have.
You wrote: "You could buy ALL the common shares of stock in General Motors for less than $3 billion. Why should we give GM $18 billion or $25 billion or anything? Take the money and buy the company!"
I completely agree. Now, I don't have $3 billion, and I don't think you do either. However, I don't think we need to buy every share. A controlling interest is enough.
Can we do it? Yes We Can! Barack Obama raised about half a billion dollars in less than two years. People went online and sent him $100, asking nothing in return except to get their country back. More than 6.5 million people just gave money away in the hopes of a cleaner, greener country that's run with common sense and a genuine concern for ordinary people.
Hold on, you say? Obama raised half a billion in two years, and we need many billions right away! True, but we have some pretty serious fund-raising advantages, starting with the fact that people just gave money away to Obama. This time, people would be getting stock in a company.
Is it possible to lose every dime? Yeah, but when this auto company starts doing the right thing, I'd bet we're more likely to make money in the long run. Any investment goes up and down in value, and judging by how other investments are doing right now, even at our worst we'd be better than most!
The most you could legally give to the Obama campaign was $2300. That's small potatoes in the world of investing. I only gave Obama a couple hundred, but I'll pledge right now to take $5000 from my savings and invest in our peaceful takeover of GM. How much are you in for Michael? Anyone else? (No? The bailout is coming from your tax dollars anyway.)
The devil is, as usual in the details, but I think we can agree to a few principles:
- Genuine concern for ordinary people. Pay people fairly. Value the American worker, and give them good work to do. Make products that people want, and make them last (even if it hurts demand).
- Cleaner and Greener. Take us off oil, and run cars on booze. Cut carbon dioxide emissions. Cooperate and integrate with mass transit instead of fighting it.
- Do the right thing. Sustainability should be the focus, not growth or profits. The mission is to be the force behind American transportation. Profit should be a side effect of doing that mission well.
We can give the company a "constitution" of rules, where every shareholder gets a vote.
Instead of complaining about it and asking Obama to bail us out of this mess, let's do it ourselves!