Ford & GM - Pathetic Leadership

Well for the second time this year Ford and GM have their hands out for billions of dollars of taxpayer money to help them do what they've fought and ignored for what seems my entire lifetime. Getting 25 billion dollars earlier this year isn't enough. Now they want another 25 billion. 

These companies have consistently and obstinately refused to produce fuel efficient cars - something that would have benefited their employees and shareholders as well as the climate. Laws were passed many years ago to "encourage" them to move in this direction but instead they chose the crack cocaine (producing large SUVs not classified for passenger use to bypass the laws). Now they are paying the price (for the second time in my life) for their totally shortsighted decisions and inefficiency. 

While I doubt that a standard Chapter 11 filing by these automakers would be the right thing I certainly think just handing over more money is absolutely the wrong thing to do. There must be real accountability and real pain for the stakeholders and, unfortunately, pain for the employees is unavoidable if this vicious near nationalization of the US automakers is to ever end. Problem is I have trouble seeing Democrats making this kind of tough decision since their re-elections are tied strongly to unionization.