SPECIAL DETROIT FREE PRESS EDITORIAL | A MESSAGE TO WASHINGTON: Invest in America

[Bozita]

SPECIAL DETROIT FREE PRESS EDITORIAL | A MESSAGE TO WASHINGTON
Invest in America
DECEMBER 4, 2008
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DEAR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS:

You don't want an economic disaster on your hands. Not when you could have prevented it. And not in times that are already the worst in a generation.

Why we're sending this message

The Free Press is sending copies of this edition to every member of Congress.

We have chronicled the U.S. auto industry since its birth, as Detroit became the world's Motor City, as cars and trucks changed the American culture and landscape, as assembly line jobs gave rise to the American middle class. Our journalists have reported the automakers' triumphs and exposed their troubles. We know this industry better than anyone.

We also know that while a newspaper needs to inform, there are times when a newspaper needs to speak up for what's right.

We know what automakers and autoworkers mean to this nation. We know what will happen if one of the auto companies is allowed to collapse. We know because this industry has been our story since it started.

And we know that America needs this story to continue.

-- Paul Anger, editor

But that's exactly what you'll have — and more — if one of the three Detroit automakers goes belly-up for lack of a government-backed loan. There will be economic hell to pay — not just in Detroit, but all across America, including in your state, in your district.

The loss of jobs, the devastated retirements, the massive loss of health care coverage, the sharp drop in local tax revenues, the closings of supplier and ancillary businesses — all would be calamitous in the best of times. And these are not that. Just ask the people you represent.

More than 3 million jobs are at stake in the industry. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler are threaded in the fabric of businesses in every state across America.

A failure of one or more of the automakers would deepen the country's worst recession in 27 years, and it could take decades to rebuild the nation's industrial base, which will atrophy like an unused limb without the muscle-flexing of Detroit's automakers.

Who will buy the rubber, plastics, copper and computer chips that Americans make? Who will need all the tool and die shop workers, mold makers or software engineers who help drive the small-business economy in so many states?

more...

[Gman]

1. Good message

from a union busting newspaper.

[spindrifter]

2. And besides the auto industry, I offer this

plan for Detroit and other areas that are being devastated by job losses:

Outsource IT work to them. Colonize them. The microserfs who spend 100-hour weeks working for Mr. Bill can just as easily do so in Detroit or Indiana or wherever. At the beginning it may be necessary to send colonists who are working on projects already. Meanwhile, start massive training programs so people can learn new skills. These are green jobs I am talking about. You scoff that people would rather live in California or Seattle--make it desireable for them to live elsewhere. After all, many of these places have great cultural resources or are within driving distances of them. Mr. Bill can match contributions to the arts and other community nonprofits that make places unique and interesting.

[drewed206]

3. its time...

...for America to try and cross the party line. We have two agendas for our money and our support and we need to have a common agenda to be able to have the money to support ourselves. We can cut funding to overseas programs like $400 million to mexico for fighting drugs (perhaps we'd have to consider a fence now) or releaving ecuador of ALL its debt to fix forrests. We have to decide what AMERICA will work together to give up to help our industries that OBVIOUSLY need help.