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Barack Obama
"Lincoln Sells Out Slaves"
by: Rob Kailey - Sep 13
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If You Haven't Seen This
by: Rob Kailey - Apr 28
5 Comments
Impeach the President?
by: Rob Kailey - Mar 16
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It's the system, stupid!
by: Jay Stevens - Oct 25
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Rob Kailey is a working schmuck with no ties or affiliations to any governmental or political organizations, save those of sympathy.

He Said, "How Much?!?!" They Said, "Fine. For Just $1."

by: Matt Singer

Wed Dec 03, 2008 at 13:21:00 PM MST


Jon Tester asked and now they've agreed. The CEOs of Ford and GM will cut their pay to just $1 if they receive the bailout they're pining for (Chrysler's CEO had already agreed; also it is unclear if that pledge extends to their salary or to their total compensation package).

That's good news -- and Tester explains that it goes a bit beyond symbolism (which is true, given the size of their salaries).

So good work to our Senator, but this isn't over yet. Before another dime of public money is handed out, Washington better think long and hard. I'm far more sympathetic to Detroit's situation than I am to Wall Street. For all of their dumb management decisions (including to keep health care in-house and oppose universal health care against the UAW's wishes decades ago), Detroit makes stuff of real value and employs middle class workers. Wall Street got rich trading BS at the cost of the country.

Anyways, there is more to ponder on this proposed bailout. Here's some suggested reading for anyone (including our Senator or his staff) who may be interested:

I have to say, I'm torn on this. The bailouts are bothersome. A vibrant economy has a place for failure and bankruptcy. But the auto manufacturing market is far from a competitive market (witness Ford's support for a bailout package it claims it only needs indirectly). How do we get it to the point where it is? I have no idea.

Matt Singer :: He Said, "How Much?!?!" They Said, "Fine. For Just $1."
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Way to go Tester (0.00 / 0)
I don't know how I feel about throwing Detroit a lifeline--it's a lot more complicated (for me) than Wall Street was (which I opposed), because of the amount of blue collar jobs involved.

But I'm glad that Jon is injecting some Hi-Line common-sense into all of this madness.  That's exactly why we elected him and that's why a lot of Republicans that I know have come around to him in a big way.

Thanks Jon, keep up the good work.


All bailouts should be put through a sustainability filter (0.00 / 0)
...I would even advocate that all federal funding, period, needs to go through a sustainability filter. Obama has promised a "clean and green" future and the bailout (and the federal appropriations process) represent the best way to kick start that transformation and also create lots of jobs in the process.

People are hungry for this (remember the "off the charts" response from those voters during the debates?). And people are fed up with the current system. If the governors want a stimulus package that includes money for transportation or energy projects, put 'em through the sustainability filter. Some people might bitch and moan about it, but at this point in human and US history it just has to be done folks.

Didn't Obama always say something like he'll spend $15 billion over the next ten year's on clean and green energy? Well, consider that sum ($1.5 billion annually) against the trillion + the federal government has just sort of thrown out there in the past few months.

The same type of sustainability filter should be used with  state and local funding too.  


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