You Need a Plan

First it was Wall Street, then it was the credit card companies, and now the American auto industry is hitting up taxpayers for a bailout.

I say let 'em fail. And please dear god, take their Hummers with them.

Apparently Congress has told the Big Three, no money without a plan. All of which sounds logical to me. After grad school I briefly answered phones for a local branch of the Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC). While I didn't learn much, aside from the fact that the guy in the cube next to me liked to look at porn online at work, I was struck by the rigorous paperwork that was involved in starting up your own business through the Center.

The SBTDC was all about people having a plan for starting, maintaining and growing their businesses. I say, what is good enough for your local coffee shop or service station should be more than good enough for Ford, Chrysler and GM. But then what do I know, three of my four cars have been made outside the U.S. of A. much to my father's chagrin.

(And don't get me started on the money the CEO's of the three spent flying their three private jets to testify in front of Congress. Talk about a flagrant waste of money at a time when those dudes should have been hoofing it. Furthermore, I have heard from several places now that some auto workers are getting paid $40 to $70 an hour—depending on if you factor in the value of their benefits. Yep, that is $83,000 to $145,000 a year for jobs that don't require college degrees for the most part. Listen, I am not against someone making a fair wage, but I have SIX years of higher education and I am not making in that range. Something doesn't seem kosher there. Welcome to the real world, folks.)

Congress will eventually cave, but when that time comes, I sure hope they have made the auto industry create some sort of plan to straighten up and fly right. Until then, me and my Mini are going to keep cruising into the sunset . . .