On Hovercars

Mitt Romney's Op-Ed in the New York Times just about nails my sentiment on the proposed auto bailout. In my opinion, the most difficult aspect of the Romney plan will be dealing with the unions, who have become extremely short-sighted. But life is never as easy as "here are your choices: (1) everybody loses their jobs or (2) some people get to keep their jobs, but with less pay." Are there any other real choices?

Maybe. They can start by cutting the $20,000 per flight private jets out of the budget. Unreal. Can these corporate fat cats really be trusted to get the auto industry out of this mess?

How Can You Be So Obtuse, Detroit?

Thomas Friedman recalls being flabbergasted at our American car manufacturers' shortsightedness:

Last September, I was in a hotel room watching CNBC early one morning. They were interviewing Bob Nardelli, the C.E.O. of Chrysler, and he was explaining why the auto industry, at that time, needed $25 billion in loan guarantees. It wasn’t a bailout, he said. It was a way to enable the car companies to retool for innovation. I could not help but shout back at the TV screen: “We have to subsidize Detroit so that it will innovate? What business were you people in other than innovation?” If we give you another $25 billion, will you also do accounting?

My head thinks we should refuse government life support to Detroit and its antiquated business model. My heart worries about the workers left behind when the Motor City crumbles.