"Personally, I do not enjoy history. People were always telling me I had to learn it because history repeats itself. I say, if it's gonna repeat itself, why the heck should I pay attention the first time?!"
June 1st, 2009 - "The UAW lynch mob is at (Ford's) gates having successfully pulled a revolt at GM and Chrysler, elbowing their way into the board room, they now have Ford right where they want them in terms of bargaining power. Ford may not have needed to go bankrupt and may complain until doomsday that they had the right to survive as the sole American Automaker, but that ship has sailed. Now they are saddled with unattractive Union commitments and costs that the other two of the big three have shed. Ford either goes slowly under the waves, or signs onto some version of what the other two have been forced to accept.I've had people come up to me on the street, at work and in Church and loudly proclaim how great Ford was because they "didn't take Government money" and get visibly agitated in some cases when I point out that Ford would go down some similar path. Not wanting to be too odious face to face, I eventually said the following:
In the end, with behavioral precedents now firmly set, when the Government comes knocking, Ford execs will likely get up, dust their chairs, pack their knick knacks in boxes and head for the doors, just like Chrysler and GM because disturbing perceived realities are now governing." (Who said that?)
September 19, 2009 - "I'm not prepared to argue with anyone (without wanting to explode at the same time) how it got that way. Let's just say there is blame to go around and it doesn't all settle on Auto Industry Fat Cats, the convenient location both those on the right and left like to place most of the blame. We have a new Little Three left over, and Ford's problems are the same as those of GM's and Chrysler's prior to both going bankrupt. All were losing money. 67% of the US auto industry going down the tubes with one remaining almost assures that the next time we're having this discussion (and there will be a next time), 100% of the Auto Industry (Ford) would be on the chopping block."Now, "the Blog Prof" says:
"Someone explain to me how this is right. GM is owned by majority shareholder the UAW. The UAW negotiates a labor contract with GM competitor Ford, refuses to make the same concessions it basically gave itself at GM, shoots down the Ford contact that would have put it on a level playing field with UAW-owned GM, and won't renegotiate. Uh - am I missing something? This coverage over at MLive seems to miss the whole conflict of interest angle in its entirety: Ron Gettelfinger: UAW membership has spoken loudly, won't renegotiate with Ford."And he points to this article:
United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger says members spoke loudly last week and the union will not renegotiate with Ford at this time.Found at "Michigan Live."
Members resoundingly rejected a new contract with Ford last week, as 70 percent of production workers and 75 percent of skilled workers voted against concessions that would have made their contracts competitive with workers at General Motors and Chrysler.
'We have a political process. It's called ratification,' Gettelfinger told Paul W. Smith this morning on WJR AM-760. "We all are disappointed, but the membership has spoken.'
...Gettelfinger acknowledged Ford did not enjoy some of the benefits its domestic competition gained by going through bankruptcy. GM and Chrysler, he said, were able to reduce debt, cut dealers, walk away from liability claims and rework supplier contracts during their bankruptcies."
You don't gamble with the nation's prestige. The President of the United States is the embodiment of the State, the United States of American, abroad. Barack Obama gambled with the image of this country, and lost: FoxNews - "Chicago was knocked out in the first round — in one of the most shocking defeats ever handed down by the International Olympic Committee. Even Tokyo, which had trailed throughout the race, did better — eliminated after Chicago in the second round."You have to have the courage not to put your, and consequently the nation's reputation on the line. The "Audacity," if you will, to be reticent, to shut up, to not be innovative, to not be "cutting edge."
The Hill - "Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) has introduced S. 673, the so-called 'Newspaper Revitalization Act,' that would give outlets tax deals if they were to restructure as 501(c)(3) corporations. That bill has so far attracted one cosponsor, Cardin's Maryland colleague Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D).
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs had played down the possibility of government assistance for news organizations, which have been hit by an economic downturn and dwindling ad revenue."
" 'I haven't seen detailed proposals yet, but I'll be happy to look at them,' Obama told the editors of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Toledo Blade in an interview."
"The White House on Friday claimed it was unaware of the planned rally.
'I don't know who the group is,' White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters with a shrug.
But a House leadership aide has warned fellow Democrats that up to 2 million demonstrators could turn out." (FoxNews)
" 'It looks like Saturday's event is going to be a huge gathering, estimates ranging from hundreds of thousands to 2 million people,' Doug Thornell, an aide to Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., wrote in a memo obtained by FOXNews.com.White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs claims NOT to know "who the group is." Robert. They're AMERICANS.
But conservatives believe the memo is ploy to inflate expectations for the turnout anticipating that it will fall short.
'It's an old political tactic to get out in front and make wild projections and when they're not met, claim their opponents don't have the juice,' said Pete Sepp, a spokesman for the National Taxpayers Union, one of the organizers of the rally."
Is it me, or is the coverage from NBC a bit snarky?From the movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”:
Butch Cassidy: How many are following us?
Sundance Kid: All of ‘em.
Butch Cassidy: All of ‘em. What’s the matter with those guys?
"The forecast for Saturday's first-ever Taxpayer March on D.C. is cloudy, wet and a bit cold.CNN says "Tea Party Movement has anger, no dominant leaders. Well, sort of CNN. Witless ones. That's why they call it a MOVEMENT.
The organizers behind the march seem to think otherwise. 'The day is expected to the HOT (82), HUMID (66%) and BRIGHT (UV index 7),' according to the 09.12.09 March on Washington web site, in its aptly-titled article, 'How to be prepared for Saturday.'
Actually, that looks more like Sunday's forecast, but hey, who are we to protest?
Encouraged by conservative commentators such as Fox's Glenn Beck and organized virtually on Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites, FreedomWorks -- the main organization behind the event -- predicts the march will constitute 'the largest gathering of fiscal conservatives ever,' according to USA Today."
