As President Obama strives to develop a cohesive program of sustainable energy, the nation’s poor and disadvantaged are putting-off important matters such as regular maintenance on their cars, adding to the pollution we seek to curb - not to mention driving vehicles that also need brake and tire upgrades for the safety of the general public. The closing of so many GM and Chrysler Dealerships will have a devastating impact on the economy, and as the “trickle-down” effect takes place and their vendors and parts suppliers face a huge loss of their base - the true consequences of so many dealership closings will become apparent. To add insult to injury, General Motors is planning on building cars in China and selling them in the United States - waving the white flag of surrender as China gobbles-up most of our manufacturing capability. Rather than figuring out how to make quality, affordable products that generate American jobs in America, G.M. has all but admitted they cannot compete with the Chinese and our government is so indebted to China that we either dance to their music or face bankruptcy.
The nation’s banking and finance community, held together by taxpayer money, are raising rates on credit cards, increasing fees, and generally taking whatever profit they can - even from those who have managed to keep their credit good. Nobody, except the wealthy, are immune to the greed of America’s Bankers. The Bill which went before Congress to cap interest rates on credit cards was a sham of such proportions that all of us should remember who voted to protect the consumer and who voted for the Corapacy - which was the bulk of Congress! There are other measures Obama states Congress is going to enact to protect the American consumer - but even if all goes well, what about the destruction of so many millions of good credit ratings that came about through corporate greed - not the mismanagement of the individual?
Everyday there is another piece of bad news, and today CNN ran this article:
GM’s 1,100 ‘Dear John’ letters to dealers
By Chris Isidore, CNNMoney.com senior writer
Automaker makes big cut as part of plan to drop 40% of dealer network. Many are expected to leave business this year.”
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — General Motors notified 1,100 of its 6,000 dealerships Friday that it is terminating their contracts with the struggling automaker, the first step in cutting up to 40% of its retail network.
GM spokeswoman Susan Garontakos said that the dealers receiving notice Friday are being told that their contracts will not be renewed in October 2010. Many of them are expected to close shop this year.
The company has told the Obama administration that it plans to cut its network down to 3,600 dealers by next year, although Friday GM vice president Mark LaNeve said the final number would be in the range of 3,600 to 4,000. MUCH MORE
We face the power and strength of America’s corporations, bent on their bottom-line with no sympathy for the American consumer. We can compete with China, and we can make products that last - it just takes good old American ingenuity - something that has always been our saving grace. As we watch the GOP hammer President Obama for his “socialist” agenda, we as a people need to take a second glance at President Obama and understand what he is doing. Slowly but surely, the wheels of progress are being implemented; the Obama administration has reinvigorated our anti-trust laws, is working to replace Bush Appointees that have “dug in” as Attorney Generals and other high profile positions that shape our nation, and finally, that appears to be ending. LINK
My impression of the Obama administration is that he is making changes “under the radar” - and those changes have the potential to change the direction of the United States. In Obama’s defense, I wouldn’t release the photos that vividly demonstrate torture - because as the GOP has pointed out, and they are correct; releasing those photos are a guarantee of Al Quada and the Taliban posting them throughout their network of websites which will make recruitment much easier for those who seek to harm the United States. President’s often make unpopular decisions, however in this matter, the damage to our public image and the blow back we would encounter makes Obama’s decision one of attempting to save lives, not release unnecessary photos that are guaranteed to stir-up Radical Islam.
Many people seem to believe that President Obama is “Bush-lite;” I disagree. The Obama administration is carefully attempting to “make change we can believe in” - but to be successful, politics is a give and take endeavor, and from where I stand, the President is slipping in his agenda little by little, and so carefully that most people fail to realize that in the next two or three years, if Obama “stays the course,” the United Sates may reemerge as the premier Democracy in the world.
We do have one major hurdle to overcome, and that’s the destruction of millions of Americans that have lost their good credit ratings. It’s time for the government to step-in and offer loans to those that lost their credit ratings due to the greed and malfeasance of Wall Street - and until that discrepancy is fixed, the only winners we will see are the carpetbaggers that are descending on America’ most disadvantaged individuals.
It’s also important to note Obama’s likely pick for the Supreme Court. One “pick” that is on Obama’s short-list embodies what most Americans hold dear - adherence to precedent and the United States Constitution. Diane Wood has been serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. Ms. Woods has been a champion of the constitution and precedent, IMO, much like Ron Paul, who has never voted against our constitution. Below are excerpts from an article describing her talents and strategy for making decisions - and it’s a formula we don’t see as often as we should:
Possible Court Pick Is Used to Dueling on Bench
Wood, a Contender to Replace Souter, Often Spars With Conservative Colleagues on the 7th Circuit
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