To say that I’m pissed off by these recent developments with the Big 3 (i.e Rick Wagoner’s forced dismissal) is an understatement. I don’t know about any of you, but it hurts when I watch the news. Like many in this area, I’m a Big 3 baby. My dad worked close to 40 years as a toolmaker for GM, so I owe much of what I have to GM. So it really upsets me when I see people on TV tossing around incorrect terms or insist on dressing down the Big 3 out of some misinformed ignorance than out of an informed dislike.

First of all, I detest when the term bailout is used. Now, let’s get one thing straight. What GM and Chrysler requested weren’t bailouts, they were loans just as with Lee Iacoca and Chrysler in the 1980s. Loans are sums of money lent with the expectation of paying them back with interest. In case you’re wondering why I’m going over this, it’s because there are people out there on network TV passing themselves off as journalists who insist on using the wrong terms. Before you open up your mouth, get your terms straight. These are loans, not bailouts.

Also, while the Big 3 might have contributed to their present situation (their seeming reluctance to adapt with the times), they are not necessarily the causes. What we have here is a cluster of biblical proportions-a perfect storm. You have financing that is not getting to the average consumer. After all, what’s the point of making vehicles, when people that want to buy them and might even have excellent credit can’t get any financing?

So if we’re talking about the problem with financing, why does it seem like the Big 3 seems to get the lion’s share of the flak? Now, here’s an excellent question. I wonder the exact same thing. We have our Michigan politicians defending us and explaining our situation to people that seem to think that this problem is a Michigan thing that has nothing to do with them. If somebody doesn’t want to buy a poorly made American car, what does it have to do with them?

Well, let’s be honest. America has a practically non-existent manufacturing base. Out of the things that I own, I could probably count all of my American-made things with one hand. Without deviating from this piece, I’ll repeat what I keep hearing on the radio: should America lose its manufacturing base, then she’ll lose her middle class. Vehicles are one of the few remaining things that are at least assembled in the US (not counting those assembled in foreign factories). Especially here in Michigan and in much of the Midwest, the economy revolves around the automotive industry. Automotive pays these people, who in turn buy lots of stuff. Auto workers are among the people truly living the American dream. Auto workers aren’t just a part of America, they help to drive it.

I don’t want to play the blame game because it’s not helping anybody out these days. However, I feel that if the Big 3 is held to such a strong standard, then the same needs to happen with the banking industry. The automotive leaders have to bend over backwards to even get a government loan, while it seems that only recently has Congress begun to hold the banking leaders accountable. They’re the ones that received bailouts. Their bailouts were given out, under the assumption that by giving them money it would trickle down to Main Street. If it’s trickled down, I’d like to see where it’s gone. If we’re going to dress anybody down, then let’s dress down the financial leaders. Even foreign leaders at the G20 conference are fuming with those individuals that put us as well as our counterparts in this situation. So if we’re going to blame anybody, let’s blame the right ones.