Money Beat

Jennifer Granholm, the governor of Michicgan, is an idiot. Why do the good people of Michigan punish themselves by electing people like her?

Unfortunately, it appears it will get worse for our fellow patriots in the great state of Michigan. The UAW seems determined to hang on to their bloated benefits and pension plans until the Big3 collapse completely. The state government also adds fuel to the long term economic crisis in the state by refusing to make changes required to diversify.

The Demolibs have turned Michigan into the new East Germany.

Granholm has indeed been inept at saving jobs in Michigan. She is term-limited and will be out soon enough. The State needs a conscious plan to create an industry separate from the fortunes of the automakers. Michigan has great resources and will turn around.

The Wall Street gang just got $1.5 billion in bonuses for doing bad jobs. You know the Wall Street Gang, right? They are the people us poor people bailed out. Why didn't the Wall Street gang get sent to the unemployment line instead of receiving billions in bonuses?

And the Lions are 0-15.

I wish Ron Paul were running the show. I hope Obama is successful.

That's AFTER 400,000 citizens have LEFT the state to find work elsewhere. If we included those and all the ones looking for work but aren't on unemployment, we'd be looking at a 25-30% unemployment rate. Blame the unions? Its the same old nonsense, unless you believe your fellow Americans should work for $.85 per hour with no benefits as they do in other nations. The retirees need their retirement, which other auto companies aren't paying out. Without the big three, who will pay those benefits? You, the barely employed and uninsured taxpayers!

Jennifer Granholm has a legion of detractors, perhaps deservedly so. But here's something to put in your pipe and puff-away on. She's about to become the patron saint of Michigan, finishing her term as a heroine. Are you buckling with laughter? Give you a break?

The economy of SE Michigan is about to sink almost out of sight. We'll be in about the same unemployment straights as N.O. after Katrina. You can believe that the Governor's been sure to connect well on this front with the new president.

First will come the catastrophic unemployment. Then will come a massive infusion of federal funding to be be directed at Michigan and Ohio as economic disaster areas. With sufficient funding, Detroit will have the means to finally develop state of the art mass transit. Also, fiber optic broadband infrastructure. Beginning at Detroit Metro Airport. You read it here: There's going to be enormous federal funding made available to Governor Granholm. It will be followed, later in 09, by aggressive construction employment hiring. As well as free job retraining to qualify for those jobs.

It's all coming, just as surely as Detroit used to be the Auto Capital of the World. It's no Dickens tale: We were once known as the "Paris of the midwest". Merry Christmas, everyone.

If all the illegal immigrants were sent home, there would be millions of jobs available for unemployed AMERICANS. And don't give me that BS that they do jobs that Americans won't do. Before Latin Americans invaded our country, Americans were cleaners, landscapers, construction workers, etc... And illegal immigrants are found in electronics plants and other factories where Americans are being discriminated against because they aren't of the ethnic minority that the company is illegally hiring. Support www.numbersusa.com and take back your country.

Do we all miss this point, when automakers (or any corporation) accept any money, from wherever, in so doing, a fiduciary responsibility is incurred, to return a profit. Is not this, the difference between a corporation, and a charity?
Armed with this knowledge, it is clear what the auto industry needs, and does not need. Think, the auto industry needs sales, not money, is it not true, by giving them money, in essence, the only way they could possibly use that money, to increase car sale, would be, to pay people to buy their cars. Obviously, money is not what they need. Now, here is what the auto industry needs - SALES CONTRACTS.
Wall St., and the big three, needs a Charlie Wilson -With a $540 billion dollar a year defense budget (not including the cost of two on-going wars), can we not just Charlie Wilson our way out of this auto crisis? Gus, will a 3 year, $193 billion dollar defense contract with the big three U.S. auto makers, to convert or replace, all non-combat vehicles, to electric, natural or propane gas, (clean American manufactured vehicles), this plant (all US auto plants) can re-tool and expand, we can reduce our dependence upon foreign oil (increasing national security), work in cleaning-up the environment, expand research and funding in the development of green technologies (creating green jobs), Gus, now tell me, will this be enough?
Well, Charlie, that all sounds good, but, the only problem with this plan, is that, it will drive down the demand/cost for/of oil, which BIG OIL/OPEC are not going to like, now, I’m not sure how familiar you are with these boys, but, it is unlikely, they would allow, that kind of crap, to ever happen.
Though, I will always be pulling for a Charlie Wilson, it is with trepidation, I fear, we may be all out of Charlie Wilsons.
While, defeating the Russians, may prove to be less of a challenge, than confronting oil (BID OIL/OPEC), today’s opportunities, for a Charlie Wilson, could be, quite, remarkable. So, looking for someone to step-up and go find Gus.
I’m assuming you have seen “Charlie Wilson’s war”.

This is a great thread of comments, I run a real estate & business development department for a fortune 500 firm. We do a lot of site data collection before we expand and we have always ruled out Michigan and will continue to do so - for one reasons, the unions in the state make business difficult and not profitable!