Ok. The Big Three went back to DC and this time, they didn't fly in their private jets... (you comin' to me beggin for money and you got a jet? Are you kiddin' me? Do I look that stupid?) Well since they did it, the answer must be yes!

Well, the big three are back in DC, humbled and driving, hopefully domestic brands of their own cars! (FYI, Ford owns Mazda, Range Rover, Volvo, and Jaguar. GM owns Saab, and Chrysler was owned, until a couple of years ago by Daimler Benz)

These men came to DC, without any clear plan and just asked for huge amounts of money! Well, where did they get the idea they could do such an outrageous thing? From the bankers, of course. As I stated in an earlier blog, it's pretty stupid to give money without any accountability, but, hey, the banks got away with it! AIG got away with it! There's no detailed plan for any restructuring and retooling AIG. There's no detailed plan for restructuring and retooling any of the banks that have failed.. (did you notice that Citibank is about to go under? What happened to this bank being solvent?)

Anyhow, the issue is, the automakers had plenty of opportunity to retool and structure our automobile industry.

I personally believe that the core issues of the auto industry stem from a lack of respect for the automobile workers, and the lack of foresight by the chiefs of these organizations to change with the times. As I began to write this blog, I was watching the 700 Club broadcast. In one of the news breaks, there was a report on the latest effort by the Big Three to get funding from Congress- the commentator noted that the Big Three Auto CEO's drove domestic vehicles to DC this trip, all hybrids, and (dramatic pause please!) the CEO of Chrysler was driving a hybrid that wasn't available for sale yet! Now, was the Congress supposed to be impressed by this gesture? I mean, if this car was experimental, then, ok, the Chrysler CEO was quite brave in driving it. Bur if it wasn't, that means the good folk at Chrysler was sitting on this car. And for what? I thought that competition was supposed to be good! Why didn't Chrysler put this car on the market and spur some competition?

Why isn't this car in production?

I'm left thinking that maybe there's some kind of chicanery, tomfoolery, or even some kind of monopolistic corruption that doesn't allow for true and proper competition in the automotive market. And without true competition, no true innovation or growth happens. So why should we -through the vehicle of our Congress give these people even more of our money?