« "It's Time to Junk the Electoral College" ~ So Says Communist Soros Son | Main | President George W. Bush Visits Our Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan »
December 15, 2008
Dear Car Czar.... by Oliver North
Dear Car Czar
by Oliver North
To Whom It May Concern:
Forgive the ambiguity of the salutation; I didn't know whether to address this missive to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and "Dear Car Czar" just sounded so, well, tacky.
Let's cut to the chase. I need a new car. I'm not asking for a bailout or anything like that. I just need some good advice, and I am hoping one or all of you can help. Here are the facts:
First, we only buy American cars in my family. My dad fought in World War II, and I always have been afraid he would rise up out of the grave and haunt me if I bought one of those Japanese or German machines. Perhaps you can recommend a pill or some kind of counseling for this problem.
I currently am driving an 8-year-old Oldsmobile, and the odometer is pushing a quarter-million miles. Yes, I know that makes me part of the problem. My wife and I just don't buy cars often enough because we don't buy things we can't afford. Silly, I know, but after 40 years of marriage, we're kind of stuck in our ways.
If it makes any difference, in my family we also have a Chrysler PT Cruiser and a Ford truck. They all are paid for, so I guess we don't qualify for federal help in paying them off. And that gets me back to the big question: What kind of car should I get?
During my career, I've driven jeeps, Humvees and even a few tanks. I once owned a Shelby Cobra, but we traded it in for a station wagon when we started having kids. My wife suggested that given my advanced age and the sad state of our economy, I should get a Winnebago. She says that way, if the bank foreclosed on our home, at least we would have a place to live.
I can't get a new Oldsmobile (is that an oxymoron?) because GM doesn't make them anymore. Speaker Pelosi said, "Come March 31, it is our hope that there will be a viable automotive industry in our country." "Hope"? I'm shopping in Virginia. Where is Hope?
In the past when I shopped for a new car, I asked friends about their recent purchases, read newspaper advertisements, paid attention to television or radio commercials, and picked up Car and Driver magazine. After compiling what Washingtonians call a "shortlist," I consulted Consumer Reports to determine how my choices ranked against similar autos. Then I bought what I could afford from a dealer I trusted.
Given what happened on Capitol Hill this week, it's clear that my way of car shopping is hopelessly outdated. Today's experts on the automobile that's best for my family and me are the members of Congress. (Please note that this acknowledgment is not meant as a slight to President-elect Barack Obama, known in our house as "PEBO." During the recent presidential campaign, PEBO admonished us all to keep our tires properly inflated. Thank you for the tip.)
PEBO's help notwithstanding, the recent congressional hearings raised questions I never had thought to ask when car shopping. For example, Sen. Chuck Schumer told auto executives that it is "unacceptable" to continue building cars with internal-combustion engines and that I should be able to buy a "plug-in hybrid electric car." Does Mr. Schumer know of such a car I can afford that would allow me to make my daily 150-mile round trip commute? If I don't make it home, will he give me a ride?
Can you give me a hint as to which of the Big Three automakers Congress will allow to survive? Will you permit the dealer where I purchase a car to stay in business? Should I get the extended warranty?
While driving, I listen to talk radio and would like to have satellite radio installed, but not if Congress is going to insist on the Fairness Doctrine. Will you?
If I get the tow package, will Sen. Chris Dodd accuse me of owning an "inefficient, gas-guzzling" vehicle and of dismissing "the threat of global warming"?
If I put down a minimal deposit at the time of purchase and then wait a few months and default on my loan, will the federal government bail me out? Because the feds will own the automakers, should I call the Department of Transportation or the "car czar" when I need a tuneup?
The best solution for my problem is to have a member of Congress join me while I hunt for a new car. I hope the member you assign can "kick the tires" and answer some of these questions — and one other:
Congress has insisted that auto company executives achieve performance standards or be financially penalized. The CEOs of Chrysler, Ford and GM all are working for $1 per year. Shouldn't congressional pay be adjusted the same way?
Oliver North
Vietnam Veteran
Unit 3rd Battalion 8th Marines
2nd Marine Division
Wild Thing's comment.........
LOL I love this article North wrote.
PEBO = President-elect Barack Obama
Or it could be hahaa
PEBO = Pretend Emperor Behaving Obnoxiously
Hahahaha Love that Oliver North.
....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Posted by Wild Thing at December 15, 2008 02:50 AM
Comments
OK, GM is going to temporarily shut down plants in Canada, the US and Mexico for January. They take three weeks off under UAW contract for the holidays from mid December through the first week of January anyway, so the plants will have been shut down aforehand. Labor is still being paid. The management slither in before Congress begging for a bail out in the States, yet they haven't cut investments in India, They are begging the Euroweenies for $50 Billion too and the Canadians are thinking of giving the sleazy bastards a handout also. Yet Ford announced to India that it was commited to invest $500 million in its Indian operations. GM issued a statement Friday, saying the U.S. Senate's rejection of a bailout package will not affect its Indian operations. Probably of equal proportiion. Wow,Indian car sales fell by almost 20 percent in November. Now just who has their priorities screwed up??? Not no, but hell no on the bailout!!!
Posted by: Jack at December 15, 2008 04:00 AM
We didn't bail out the airlines, so why should the car makers be any different. File bankruptcy and start over. That's what the airlines had to do. I'm sorry you made promises that you now can't keep, but how is that society's fault?
P-Pukey
E-Ectoplasmic
B-Bastard
O-Obviously.
I drive a 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan Sport and it's the only car we have. My daughter needs a car and is looking at used cars, so she can get back and forth to work instead of walking in the cold. Maybe they should have just sent everyone 100k and said "that's it," no more. Put the money back into the economy. But they can't even come up with a good solution. Just how dumb are our elected officials?
Posted by: Lynn at December 15, 2008 04:41 AM
Part of their problem is waste, no a big part of their problem is waste.
I worked for an outfit that did work for Packard Electric who did work for GM they made all the wiring harnesses for GM cars. At this time Packard worked out of the GM plant in Warren. They wanted a machine that would put the little boots on the plug wires at a rate of 60 per minute.
Instead of buying new parts for the Machine, first we had to go to the GM morgue and canibalize parts from the dead machines. This was/is a 5 story building loaded with machines, all brand new machines but never used, for whatever reason, and when that job they were supposed to perform didn't pan out the machine was sent to the morgue and they would start designing a new machine with brand new parts.
To this day no one was ever able to put a dollar figure on what the value of all those machines would have cost, just sitting there collecting dust, paid for, mind you, but never used.
The waste at these plants not just in Warren but in Buffalo too, the engine plant. They had used and brand new machines sitting outside in a parking lot rusting away and nobody ever gave it a second thought about the waste of money.
Guess that's why they got the name Generous Motors. No we should not bail them out this is just absurd, throwing good money down a rat hole.
Posted by: Mark at December 15, 2008 07:16 AM
I bet he daily kicks himself in the butt for getting rid of that Shelby Cobra. You know, it takes a lot of guts to say you traded in a Shelby Cobra for a station wagon. That's like turning down a date with Raquel Welch for an evening with Rosie O'Donnell.
Jack, and when those plants are shut down for three weeks, the UAW employees will be getting 95% of their salary to sit home and enjoy themselves.
PEBO: I like it. That's how I'm gong to refer to the guy from now own.
Posted by: BobF at December 15, 2008 10:03 AM
Let the unions bail out the Big Three.I would like to cut congressional pay to $1, but they make most of their money through kickbacks and corruption anyway.
No to the bailout!
Posted by: TomR at December 15, 2008 12:54 PM
OLIVER NORTH for President!!!!!
He is certainly more qualified than the numb-nut that was elected by a nation of dimwits.
Posted by: Steve Gaston, USMC at December 15, 2008 02:49 PM
The Detroit three automobile companies are among the worst managed corporate entities in the country. Combined with a selfish and destructive politically motivated UAW labor force and we have an unfixable national disaster. No amount of government bailout money will save this capitalistic failure including nationalizing this domestic auto industry led by a government appointed Car Czar.
The government would do more good with any bailout money by just buying up existing auto inventory and giving it directly to lower and middle-income people who need a reliable vehicle to get to work, find work, or just exist in our mobile society.
Competition is the best form of keeping a business viable and I would suggest that Ollie North consider a new and reliable vehicle from one of the other American made manufacturers. Maybe Detroit and the UAW will finally get the message. If not, screw them.
Posted by: Les at December 15, 2008 06:50 PM
Jack, wow, thanks for that information. I agree Hell No!
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 15, 2008 06:57 PM
Lynn, good one!!!
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 15, 2008 07:03 PM
Mark, oh my gosh that is terrible. Thank you so much for sharing about that. Too few people know about this stuff. They even have polls about this and they say the American people ...US....do not want these bailouts....so what happened to we the people. waaaaaaa Down the drain with the left and rinos running our country.
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 15, 2008 07:08 PM
BobF, LMAO so funny......
"That's like turning down a date with Raquel Welch for an evening with Rosie O'Donnell."
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 15, 2008 07:11 PM
Tom, heh heh I would love to do those salaries for the Congress at a $1.00
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 15, 2008 07:14 PM
Steve Gaston, USMC, he sure is more qualified, I agree.
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 15, 2008 07:15 PM
Les, and one of the things said they would need more in a few months too. So just more money being given to them even if there was a bailout.
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 15, 2008 07:19 PM
