Don't Stretch the Truth (pt. 2)

This year there are few issues Americans are more concerned about than the economy. There are other important issues, but since the end of 2007 at least, the economy has been paramount. All the candidates will be vying to show they are best suited to handle the financial problems we find ourselves in and navigate us cleanly through to the other side. They will all attempt to demonstrate the reason we have high unemployment and the many other concerns are due to the actions, or lack thereof, of their opponents and the parties their opponents belong to.

The GOP establishment pick is Romney and he will in all likelihood face the president in the fall. All of the other GOP contenders, though almost all at one point pulled ahead of Romney in the polls or tied him etc, either have too much baggage or are too far right of center to beat the president – the overall establishment pick - in the fall. If any of the others win the GOP caucuses, it will only make it that much easier for the current president to prevail in November.

Of all the GOP moderates available, only one ended up in the field of candidates. Though Huntsman was definitely moderate – he may have been too much so with regards to conservatives that vote in Republican primaries, though he would have been better suited to win over independents and even conservative Democrats in the general elections. Of course that's neither here nor there, now. The producers of the Bachelor couldn't have selected a field more ripe for drama in an election year when distractions are desired.

As we still are not out of those races there is but the president as a sure candidate. He has been touting his automaker bailout – or his contribution to it - as a success with regards to his record. In all fairness there have been some things that have gone right and others that haven't. And as a matter of record, the whole automaker bailout was not initiated by him, but by former President Bush.

Though Detroit has seen jobs saved and the domestic auto industry has probably been saved in part because of his actions, it hasn't all been milk and honey. Detroit has struggled and in fact is in crisis mode right now. The city is in jeopardy of being taken over by the State of Michigan through emergency powers.

Michigan's State Treasurer Andy Dillon stated in January, “'It troubles me, when you look at a community and see people waiting for a bus for three hours, and the city running out of cash, and people call police and they don't show up, and it's the residents that suffer.

”'The state has an obligation, and when we see a city like Detroit, where we estimate they will run out of cash in April, you have to make sure that public health, safety and welfare are satisfied. I don't want a federal judge to get involved and solve that problem for folks. That's our job.'” (http://www.freep.com/article/20120106/COL10/201060407/Rochelle-Riley-Fix...)

In fact, “Detroit has suffered a staggering population decline in recent years, causing its revenue base to shrink. And companies that once paid hefty taxes, including General Motors Co, have lowered their presence in a city that was long synonymous with the auto industry.

“In recent days, the city council has been crafting a cost-cutting plan that includes a set of actions decried by the president pro-tem of the council as 'draconian.' [The mayor] and the city council would lose much of their power if an emergency manager were appointed.” (http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/02/us-detroit-unions-idUSTRE8112B...)

It is no small matter as, “the city of Detroit's most venerable assets — from Belle Isle to the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel — could end up on the auction block as the city fights for its financial life.

“Facing mounting debt and the prospect of a state-appointed emergency manager, the city is looking at all options to shed expenses and raise revenue. If city officials can't come up with a viable budget plan, an emergency manager would have the power to sell assets as part of a financial takeover of Detroit.” (http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120213/METRO01/202130329/1409/metro...)

Due to the population and resulting revenue shrinkage the city is thinking about reorganizing its map to consolidate. In 2010 an article in Better Cities and Towns it was noted, “the city will offer some kind of incentives for people in miserable neighborhoods to move, (though) no neighborhood will be simply shut down... A place deemed not worthy of new residential investment might see subtle shifts: services like garbage pickup,' Marja M. Winters, deputy director of the city's planning and economic development department, said, 'could slow to every 12 days from once a week.

“'We want to reduce the city’s cost of delivering services, but we also want to support a baseline quality of life — the key is how do we balance that out?' Ms. Winters said.

“The ultimate plan for those neighborhoods — and the ultimate cost of consolidating them — is uncertain; some might become home to new industry, and some might be used to fill temporary needs, or for urban gardens and green space. … For their part, city officials say the police and firefighters will always serve all Detroit neighborhoods — even ones where only a few people may be left.

[Mayor Dave] Bing’s hope is that a 'core group; of neighborhoods connected to downtown, and to the city’s spine, Woodward Avenue, will remain, and that the master plan will ultimately help end the exodus of Detroiters.” (http://bettercities.net/article/detroit-officials-dig-details-how-and-wh...)

All the while some of the less praiseworthy aspects of the auto bailout include this news from GM in 2009, “General Motors Corp. will shift more production of vehicles bound for the U.S. market to China, Mexico, South Korea and Japan, but will keep total imports at roughly one-third of all sales here.

“In a confidential 12-page presentation to members of Congress, obtained by The Detroit News on Friday, GM said it will boost U.S. sales of vehicles built in those four countries by 98 percent -- or about 365,000 vehicles -- while shrinking production in Canada, Australia and European countries by about 130,000 vehicles.

“GM also disclosed it will start importing vehicles made in China in 2011, reaching 51,546 vehicles in 2014. Imports from South Korea to the United States will jump from 36,967 vehicles in 2010 to 157,126 in 2014. […]

“GM's plan to import more vehicles from low-wage countries raises questions about whether it should beef up its foreign operations as it is relying on federal money to stay afloat. It also puts the automaker at odds with the United Auto Workers, which is trying to protect U.S. jobs amid a dramatic restructuring of the domestic auto industry.

“GM has faced strong protests from the union that its turnaround plan unfairly targets U.S. workers and plants for cuts. GM plans to trim 21,000 hourly workers and close 13 of its 47 U.S. plants by the end of 2010 as part of a tougher recovery plan sought by President Obama's auto task force. It will close three more U.S. plants by 2014” (http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20090509/AUTO01/905090337/1025/GM-pla...)

So while there most certainly have been great things about Presidents Bush and Obama's auto bailouts, there were some things that did not go well. There are things president's have control over such as intelligence operations like the killing of people like Osama Bin Laden, and things they don't like – apparently everything people do with bailout money. It's important that as we move forward into the general elections we don't have politicians fiddling with the truth.

There were reasons president Obama didn't do as well as he could have during his first term, some that were his doing and others that were because of unnecessary and unproductive actions taken by those on the other side of the isle from him. Let's hope the president and his opponents will bring truth and facts to the debate and not squander the opportunity for productive debates as opposed to ridiculous theater. We only have two parties right now to choose from – it would be nice if they would level with us as to what's really happening and how best to move forward. Although, as he is the establishment pick, after the election drama is finished, it will most likely be the current president that will take us through the next presidential term. At least as it stands right now.

To read about my inspiration for this article go to www.lawsuitagainstuconn.com.