GM Is Becoming a Royal Debacle

This article is by Jason Edwards

No wonder the king's mediation of 40 years of stalemated labor and business issues in the auto sector isn't going so well. There's a reason royal discretion has long been outmoded as a way to run an economy: Things just work better if a realm's subjects are left to resolve their own disputes and interests through the impersonal mechanism of the markets and the law says Jenkins in the WSJ today. The president should have never took over GM or Chrysler (GM is worst out of the 2). Let them go into bankruptcy! I don't know what else needs to happen for the president to realize that the market and consumers decide what kind of cars they want not the government. This is not the job of the president. GM is just drowning faster and faster while the government stands by their side attempting to help (key word attempting). Go into chapter 11, restructure, and when the market returns so will the auto industry. The problem is that they are not making a profit (GM was number 6 in Forbes 500s). People are still buying cars. The problem is that they are paying billions in health care to retirees (a reason we need to reform health care) and the UAW wages are the highest out all the automakers. In chapter 11 all this can be fixed. There is no need for government intervention.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124035637935940943.html

Please Just Let the Automakers Go Into Bankruptcy

This article is written by Jason Edwards

The government is set to give another $500 million to Chrysler and another $5 billion to GM. This needs to stop now! There comes a point when you just need to say enough is enough. These companies are never going to get their act together because they know the government will just keep dishing out the money. Because the government keeps giving them money they have no motivation to change. Ford on the other hand is doing all that it can to change its companies policies because they know they have nothing to fall back on (in the long run Ford will be a viable company I believe). This is exactly what the Tea Parties were about; throwing money at a bad situation. It is not helping the auto companies at all. Let them go into chapter 11 and restructure. In the short term it will be hard to watch employees losing their jobs (even though with government money employees are still losing their jobs) but in the long run it will make for a more viable auto company.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090421/bs_afp/uscompanyautopublicaidgmchrysler_20090421173310

Bankruptcy for GM on the Horizon

This article is written by Jason Edwards

GM doesn't seem to be able to get its act together. As I said in an earlier post they need to work with the UAW. The union is killing our American automakers. In an article on FOX news Horace Cooper says there are three things that could turn around the auto industry. Adopt a 3 Year Moratorium on UAW union representation and immediately suspend the existing UAW contract, let the consumer decided what type of products the automakers produce (NO BODY WANTS THOSE UGLY ENVIRONMENTAL CARS!), lower the cost of service and maintenance instead of having warranties backed by the government. I agree with every single one of this ideas. I am a liberal but I 100% disagreed with the government taking over the auto industry. There is a reason we have chapter 11 bankruptcy. We have seen many companies come out leaner and meaner after bankruptcy (K-Mart for example). I hope they do go into bankruptcy so only the top brands stay, re-do the contracts with the UAW, and create products consumers want to buy at reasonable price.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30264733/
http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/04/16/cooper_general_motors/

Countries Reaching out to President Obama

This Article is wrriten by Jason Edwards

Wow! Foreign countries are willing to talk to the new president because he is willing to talk to them. In the Bush administration there was no dialogue. Bush just focused on the differences, while Obama is focusing on the similarities. All foreign countries want is respect. They don't want to be bossed around as they were during the Bush era. As the Godfather said, " keep your friends close, but your enemies closer". This is the new administration priority. I know many conservatives are disappointed because Obama went abroad apologizing for our countries past wrong doings. The United States is an amazing country and I am so proud to call it my home but we have made mistakes. A country that is based on law, morals, and human rights the past 8 years we did not act like a country with those beliefs. I know sooner or later that it will be realized that we can't be respected if we keep straying away from our value system.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/17/obama.chavez/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/17/us.cuba/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

Watch out for Left Wing Extremism

Along with the Homeland Security report to watch out for right wing extremist. You have to watch out for left wing extremist the report also says. So conservatives, liberals also have a threat assessment as well, so cool your jets. It was not a partisan Homeland Security Report by the Obama administration as right wing radio and TV host were exclaiming

http://www.skewz.com/link/link_details/obtained-federal-agency-8217-s-memo-warning-of-8220-left-wing-extremists-8221-the-plum-line

My note: While Jason has some good points, I think we can all agree anti-capitalist, communist, and socialist is extremist. Being pro-life, anti-gay marriage, and pro-free market is not extreme, you may not agree with these views but I think calling them extreme is ridiculous

GM and Chrysler need to get their act together

This article is by Jason Edwards

In a very short period a time this country could possible have only one American automaker (Ford). Ford didn't take any money from the government, it worked with its unions to bring down wages, it is creating cars that people want to buy, and it brought in someone that is an outsider to the auto world. Unions have many positives (higher wages and better benefits) but they also have a lot of negatives (high wages and legacy benefits), which are shown recently with the downfall of the American automakers. I believe that unions are a main cause for the implosion of the American automaker. If unions don't step back and look at the bigger picture we will see the end of the American automaker. I believe that GM, Ford, and Chrysler can come out on top, but only if they change their business models, bring down wages (from $75 to $45 dollars an hour like Japanese automakers), and create cars that people want to buy. Now we have seen Ford do this. When will GM and Chrysler get theie act together? I hope it is before their time is up (60 days for Gm and 30 for Chrysler). If they don't then the government should back away and let them fail.

http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/transportation/fiat-threatens-walk-away-chrysler-report/

My note: It's not often that I agree with Jason Edwards, but this is article is 100% accurate.

Public Option for Healthcare?

This article is by Jason Edwards

First let me say that we are finally having this debate. I have seen first hand the shenanigans of are current health care system. Republicans and Democrats both have good ideas when it comes to health care reform, which is why I believe and hope that the Democrats do not go to reconciliation vote. Republicans believe that government run entities (like Medicare) are too costly and inefficient. Majority of Democrats (with the exception of very liberal Barney Frank and others) believe that we should have public and private insurance providers. Which I completely agree with because it will keep private insurances companies in check , keep cost down, and it will also give citizens something to fall back on it hard time (like during this recession when people are losing their job and the one thing they are worried about is losing their health care because they lost their job). I have to say I agree with the Republicans when they talk about all the waste that can be found to be used to reform health care and get cost down. This will lower the need to raise taxes. Remember this is not socialize medicine this is a payment system.In my opinion we should all have a choice in our health care provider (public/government run and private/business pay). What do you think?

GOP Scrambles

This is an article by Jason Edwards

The GOP is scrambling around to pick up the broken pieces of the last 8 years. It seems to me they are taking queues for the Obama administration. They are using the internet to reach out to the American people, to see what is on their mind, and to answer their questions. This is a step in the right direction for the GOP. During the last 8 years they have shut themselves off from the outside world ( at least President Bush did). They need to reconnect with the American people to gain some ground on the Democrats. Right now the democrats have the people's attention. The Republicans are not only saying, NO, but are coming out with their own proposals. Lets just rehash some of the things they proposed. The proposed tax cuts (which is nothing new, even though I do agree that our businesses need to have a lower capital gains tax, we have the highest), a 5 year spending freeze on all programs not military, and health care reform. Is the GOP serious, a 5 year spending freeze in an economic recession? Not one economist ,left or right agrees with the GOP on that idea. Now on health care reform I have to say they have some good ideas. I believe that GOP and Democrats need to come together in a bipartisan effort to create health care reform. The democrats should not just take it to a reconciliation vote (Democrats would only need 51 votes). I believe that people would start listening to the GOP more if their ideas started to make logical sense. Over this past weekend somebody said to me, "so what is a liberal", and before I could answer they said, "common sense". I am not the only one that is thinking this way!

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21214.html

Franken Winner in Minnesota

This is an article written by a left-leaning Spolitical contributor Jason Edwards, who will be featured quite often on this blog



This is a big win for the democrats, it will make them only 1 short of the filibuster proof majority and give them a better chance at passing their policies through the senate (like universal health care and card check). Norm Coleman can still bring this case to the Supreme Court, which he said he will be doing. Coleman has every right to bring this case to the Supreme Court, let just hope that they don't screw it up like they did in 2000 with Bush vs. Gore. I believe Coleman should stop fighting and allow the people of Minnesota to have their 2 senators. This has gone on way to long.

My Note: The Saxby Chambliss win in the Georgia runoff is looking absolutely huge right now for the Republicans, who still have some life. With a couple of moderate Democrats like Evan Bayh and Joe Lieberman in the Senate, Obama will still have trouble passing some of his extreme liberal agenda