Get to Bailing

I, personally, drive a Japanese car. There are many reasons for this, the foremost being that the vehicles built by GM, Chrysler and Ford do not meet with my standards on gas mileage or safety. That being said, I think that we HAVE to bail out the big three.

American made cars have a much smaller global market because these companies have pumped millions of dollars into lobbying Washington to block foreign competition and maintain the status quo instead of being the visionary, innovative companies they once were, but the past couple of years have seen some dramatic changes. I am actually excited for the Chevy Volt to come into the market and have watched with interest as American car manufacturers have begun planning to convert their more popular models into hybrids. The companies themselves, while they must shoulder most of the blame, were not in it alone. Consumers who demanded bigger and badder SUVs and large trucks must also assume some of the blame for the current crises.

The fact of the matter is that, with the bailout money, we can see a new dawn in the American automotive landscape. I think that, as a proviso of the bailout, the current managers and CEOs should be replaced with managers with a track record of innovation. But I must be clear - now is not to time to throw out the baby with the bathwater, nor should we plunge millions of Canadians and Americans out of work by forcing the big three into bankruptcy. The industry needs a financial band aid if it is going to heal. I encourage congress to get out the First Aid kit.