Here is a link to an article I had saved re this issue. The article itself is a bit wishy washy, but the "money line" that makes it worthwile is that critics of Transportation secretary Mary Peters call her policy of selling off assets "a bizarre, neo-con view of transportation"
Status Quo with Failed Bilateral Trade Pacts.
All of our 3Coms become Chicoms.
In spite of the recession and slight increases in exports, the size of the trade deficit persists. We heard this in 2001 and 1990: exports will grow us out of the trade deficit. It has not and will not happen.
Get Sensible like the EU and get Tariffs.
The very first act of the U.S. Congress in 1789 was a tariff on 60 manufactured goods made in the USA. Trade protection lasted until the 1970s and contributed to economic preeminence. Just look at the growth of the external debt starting with the earliest WTO days in the mid 70s. The pattern is clear. Put tariffs on the ChiComs.
Some help for the what is left of the Industrial Base.
Asset loans for plant and equipment and a return of the Investment Tax Credit on domestically located plants. Banks and Wall Street can't help themselves now, never mind manufacturing. Private equity is the only game and way too scarce.
The Nuclear Option.
Like actual nukes, there are the Dr. Strangeloves out there.
One of them one day, one is going to advocate or conspire to
to shutdown the air supply of Asia trade: U.S. Securities held by the Bank of China. This is not very far-fetched.
All U.S. Securites are held in book form now. Much of that
debt can be canceled by keystrokes. No less than Ole Hickory reneged on U.S. debt with Britain in the 1830s. Don't say impossible.
Tariffs and subsidies look more sensible every day.
While that sale is more visible than others. I think that's what people are screaming about in terms of wanting something done, yet the problem is the people in Congress willing to take action do not have a majority.
The way I see it is people want dramatic policy change and legislation but after the primaries and so on, the choices end up being Tweedledum and Tweedledee, neither candidate has overall good policy positions, or let's say a candidate in the primary did have some good policy positions, but in terms of overall character, well, they might be kind of nuts.
People don't seem to be voting in primaries on policy positions either. Take the GOP primary, McCain I know has so many positions Republicans hate, yet they voted for him and not someone say Duncan Hunter, who I believe had most of the positions they are screaming about.
So, that's another issue to get people to vote on policy positions instead of personalities.
So, we're in this corporate lock, this lobbyists stranglehold on even our choices in elections.
I think we need to push hard for reality based facts and one thing that really isn't discussed much is policy recommendations.
For example, I just ripped in a pretty vague way, the Democratic Platform draft, but what specifics do we want to see in their place?
I have an obvious principle, which is US Citizens, US workers first in all policy. That isn't an only, that's simply citizens of a nation-state and their jobs, this labor market should make their citizens the top priority in terms of income, jobs, careers and so on.
I also say that because this is the policy of pretty much other nation-states.
The concept translates into a host of details. For example, make layoffs very very hard for companies to do, priority US citizens. The practice of turning the workers into disposable commodities, where corporations can just do layoffs to help their bottom line, as if this is an elastic cost, should be highly discouraged through economic incentives.
.....luckily we got Clinton and he was able to reverse the slide into debt.
I welcome the toll road sell off because very soon folks pick up on what's going on and demand a change.
The amounts of debt we are looking at can be dealt with by changing the idiotic tax structure we have which allows the folks at the fat end of the L-curve to just sit on their money. That has to be changed and soon. FDR and Clinton both demonstrated that higher taxes increase productivity. We need to take charge of the dialogue and show the citizenry that the 'conservative' economic theorists are wrong. That their ideas are at the root of the economic problems we face and must be totally rejected as the basis for economic policy. If folks really understood the damage to our economy that Friedman and 'The Maestro' have caused they'd lynch the one still alive and piss on the other's grave.
Unfortunately, unless the Dem party wakes up and throws the idiot Obama under the bus and puts Clinton in the WH we are going to be in serious trouble after four more years of McSame.
We bloggers can spread the word: 'Everything the Republicans, and Obama, know about economics is....
Cintra promplty doubled the tolls on the tollway, and has cut maintenance, and so far none of the promised improvements have occured. Truckers and drivers are increasing using the state hiways and rural rotues to avoid the tolls.
Meanwhile, Indiana's Governer, Bush crony Mitch daniels is claming to have balanced the state budget - he did so with the toll road money - while our schools remain underfunded, roads and bridges in sorry shape and mfg jobs leaving in droves
What's even more frightening to me is it appears we have simply transferred jobs, middle class and wealth to China...at the expensive of the US middle class and workers.
CBS Market Watch has some comments from Morici, who won predicting economic indicators (again) contest:
Things will happen in the next two years that will shock people," Morici said It's not just the broken banking system; it's also that the U.S. economy is being held hostage by oil and by China's undervalued currency
and
He has little faith in either Barack Obama or John McCain to grasp the extent of the rot. Obama, he said, is singing from the "liberal songbook from the 1970s." McCain, who could have run against Wall Street as a reformer, has simply tied himself closer to the policies of George Bush
When I wrote up this blog piece I thought I would get flamed for going against party lines. While I thought I would be a dissenting voice, appears I'm in the majority.
How sick am I of these dirtbags mouthing "inevitable" as they've gutted, pilfered, and parasitized their way through the foundations of this (forgive the cliche) once great nation? The weird thing is that I bet these sociopaths actually buy their own b.s. about doing it for our own good and the good of humanity.
I guess the instability that will be the *inevitable* product of the relentless economic degradation of the U.S. isn't something anybody needs to worry about.
Even us can see it's executive class that's the issue here, we can come up with more efficient business models on a blog. I think they really need to throw the bums out and the reason I saw "UAW" is I am thinking of the workers, the engineers who already know the plants and so on.
What's wrong with that guy? Obama needs all the help he can get! You don't short change the AFL-CIO! If he is the nominee, he better have a Veep that doesn't take such support for granted. Really disappointed, really disappointed!
I linked to that at my blog and brother I can assure you that if Obama gets in and is half the disaster I believe he will be I will spend the next four years making Stoller and Bowers and The Kos look like the idiots they are.
Let's just hope the Denver Group and the polls can get the Convention delegated to wake up and vote for someone who cares about others.
But I'm not entirely sure putting the company in the hands of the UAW is the answer. Both have different priorities at the end of the day. The United Auto Workers' main goal is job security and increase in benefits. GM's main goal is to turn a profit and survive to the next quarter, and hopefully grow. Eventually, you're going to run into a conflict of interest here, what if survival meant shutting down a plant or two? What if it's the reduction or termination of benefits? Sad I know, and perhaps reductions of benefits and job terminations are not in order, but it is within the realm of possibility.
RO, the big thing is the management, if the government bails them out (which I think they should), then they have to throw the bums running the company out. At the very least, the elite tier of managers, because it's obvious they still think they can play their old games. They haven't realized that we are in a new era of automobiles, if they did they wouldn't be replaying their old post-war handbook of gas guzzling polluters in China. They ought to focus one a small set of models, maybe 4 or 5 (truck, sedan, etc) and have that be their global template. No need to have an AERO in China and something else in the EU or US. Streamline it, reduce the carbon footprint and make the damn thing cost effective with fuel (either electric or some sort of hybrid). There is a window of opportunity for them right now, with that Volt, if they only took it. Selling it for $45k is crazy. But who knows, maybe the costs of producing such a vehicle are that high. And if so, then let those MBAs and the government figure out how to sell it for $20k.
That's all that was on their platform. The Republicans, you gotta give them credit. They are openly promoting to sell you out and then manage to recast it as the opposite and if you object then you're unpatriotic. The Democrats bemoan American workers being sold out but then do it in a slight of hand fashion where the selling part isn't as complete and open as the Republican kind. You know what, I want to change my vote, we have no party! BTW, I could have sworn the national debt was larger than 4 trillion, no?
Wow. It gives me no great joy to link to this, but over on a labor blog, Labor Pains, they posted a phone call where Obama literally hung up on the AFL-CIO. Wow. They have the phone tape online.
There was a CNBC show (ahem) on GM this week and I was thinking MY GOD. Firstly a worker pointed out while they lose 15.5B dollars the CEO gets millions in salary, perks, bonuses while GM lays off workers and demands new workers start at $14/hr.
Next, GM sells cars in China for (AERO) $1100 dollars. That's right, a new car for $1100 dollars in China.
So, while we worry about fuel efficiency and global warming, GM is busy pushing cars in China and all sorts of auto companies are there with some very nice polluters, trying to sell $1.3B people cars with even less anti-pollution devices than in the United States.
Same with India.
Then, GM bringing back the Camero. Great, muscle car that somehow I doubt is fuel efficient.
So, they have the VOLT, supposedly to be produced in 2010. This is a plug-in hybrid. Starting price, $45000 dollars
I seriously think the United States should just take possession of GM, get rid of every executive, give it to the UAW and the engineers to do something with and redo.
The most screwed up thing I have ever seen.
Now you're saying that one of the most expensive areas in the country to live as well as labor is going to get a new car manufacturer.
Right GM, it's all because those UAW workers demand sooo much money is the reason you are so screwed.
Glad you're back with the series! Did you see the vague and lack thereof manufacturing plan in the Democratic Platform?
Here is a link to an article I had saved re this issue. The article itself is a bit wishy washy, but the "money line" that makes it worthwile is that critics of Transportation secretary Mary Peters call her policy of selling off assets "a bizarre, neo-con view of transportation"
www.governing.com/articles/0805potomac.htm
BTW - just figured out how to work the rich text editor
Firstly, tariffs will be deemed illegal by the WTO.
Secondly they are fairly harsh in terms of tunings.
Check out a VAT and a BAT tax, which are legal under the WTO.
Then, check out the Horizon project. I wrote an overview on some of their policy recommendations and they cover trade extensively.
I think people need to learn about options, recommendations from experts who really are blasting what is going on, along with you and I.
Tariffs have a very bad connotation and I think people screaming for tariffs are possibly simply not aware of all of these other tools.
In other words, there are many ways to skin a cat but some are much more acceptable than others.
Status Quo with Failed Bilateral Trade Pacts.
All of our 3Coms become Chicoms.
In spite of the recession and slight increases in exports, the size of the trade deficit persists. We heard this in 2001 and 1990: exports will grow us out of the trade deficit. It has not and will not happen.
Get Sensible like the EU and get Tariffs.
The very first act of the U.S. Congress in 1789 was a tariff on 60 manufactured goods made in the USA. Trade protection lasted until the 1970s and contributed to economic preeminence. Just look at the growth of the external debt starting with the earliest WTO days in the mid 70s. The pattern is clear. Put tariffs on the ChiComs.
Some help for the what is left of the Industrial Base.
Asset loans for plant and equipment and a return of the Investment Tax Credit on domestically located plants. Banks and Wall Street can't help themselves now, never mind manufacturing. Private equity is the only game and way too scarce.
The Nuclear Option.
Like actual nukes, there are the Dr. Strangeloves out there.
One of them one day, one is going to advocate or conspire to
to shutdown the air supply of Asia trade: U.S. Securities held by the Bank of China. This is not very far-fetched.
All U.S. Securites are held in book form now. Much of that
debt can be canceled by keystrokes. No less than Ole Hickory reneged on U.S. debt with Britain in the 1830s. Don't say impossible.
Tariffs and subsidies look more sensible every day.
While that sale is more visible than others. I think that's what people are screaming about in terms of wanting something done, yet the problem is the people in Congress willing to take action do not have a majority.
The way I see it is people want dramatic policy change and legislation but after the primaries and so on, the choices end up being Tweedledum and Tweedledee, neither candidate has overall good policy positions, or let's say a candidate in the primary did have some good policy positions, but in terms of overall character, well, they might be kind of nuts.
People don't seem to be voting in primaries on policy positions either. Take the GOP primary, McCain I know has so many positions Republicans hate, yet they voted for him and not someone say Duncan Hunter, who I believe had most of the positions they are screaming about.
So, that's another issue to get people to vote on policy positions instead of personalities.
So, we're in this corporate lock, this lobbyists stranglehold on even our choices in elections.
I think we need to push hard for reality based facts and one thing that really isn't discussed much is policy recommendations.
For example, I just ripped in a pretty vague way, the Democratic Platform draft, but what specifics do we want to see in their place?
I have an obvious principle, which is US Citizens, US workers first in all policy. That isn't an only, that's simply citizens of a nation-state and their jobs, this labor market should make their citizens the top priority in terms of income, jobs, careers and so on.
I also say that because this is the policy of pretty much other nation-states.
The concept translates into a host of details. For example, make layoffs very very hard for companies to do, priority US citizens. The practice of turning the workers into disposable commodities, where corporations can just do layoffs to help their bottom line, as if this is an elastic cost, should be highly discouraged through economic incentives.
.....luckily we got Clinton and he was able to reverse the slide into debt.
I welcome the toll road sell off because very soon folks pick up on what's going on and demand a change.
The amounts of debt we are looking at can be dealt with by changing the idiotic tax structure we have which allows the folks at the fat end of the L-curve to just sit on their money. That has to be changed and soon. FDR and Clinton both demonstrated that higher taxes increase productivity. We need to take charge of the dialogue and show the citizenry that the 'conservative' economic theorists are wrong. That their ideas are at the root of the economic problems we face and must be totally rejected as the basis for economic policy. If folks really understood the damage to our economy that Friedman and 'The Maestro' have caused they'd lynch the one still alive and piss on the other's grave.
Unfortunately, unless the Dem party wakes up and throws the idiot Obama under the bus and puts Clinton in the WH we are going to be in serious trouble after four more years of McSame.
We bloggers can spread the word: 'Everything the Republicans, and Obama, know about economics is....
....wrong.
Let us do so.
Cintra promplty doubled the tolls on the tollway, and has cut maintenance, and so far none of the promised improvements have occured. Truckers and drivers are increasing using the state hiways and rural rotues to avoid the tolls.
Meanwhile, Indiana's Governer, Bush crony Mitch daniels is claming to have balanced the state budget - he did so with the toll road money - while our schools remain underfunded, roads and bridges in sorry shape and mfg jobs leaving in droves
What's even more frightening to me is it appears we have simply transferred jobs, middle class and wealth to China...at the expensive of the US middle class and workers.
CBS Market Watch has some comments from Morici, who won predicting economic indicators (again) contest:
and
When I wrote up this blog piece I thought I would get flamed for going against party lines. While I thought I would be a dissenting voice, appears I'm in the majority.
How sick am I of these dirtbags mouthing "inevitable" as they've gutted, pilfered, and parasitized their way through the foundations of this (forgive the cliche) once great nation? The weird thing is that I bet these sociopaths actually buy their own b.s. about doing it for our own good and the good of humanity.
I guess the instability that will be the *inevitable* product of the relentless economic degradation of the U.S. isn't something anybody needs to worry about.
plus on a legitimate labor blog I wouldn't have linked it.
that would make for lively TV! but never happen.
Even us can see it's executive class that's the issue here, we can come up with more efficient business models on a blog. I think they really need to throw the bums out and the reason I saw "UAW" is I am thinking of the workers, the engineers who already know the plants and so on.
at the poll results.
That's what I saw, while GOP brazenly sell out US workers, this is much more subtle.
What's wrong with that guy? Obama needs all the help he can get! You don't short change the AFL-CIO! If he is the nominee, he better have a Veep that doesn't take such support for granted. Really disappointed, really disappointed!
I linked to that at my blog and brother I can assure you that if Obama gets in and is half the disaster I believe he will be I will spend the next four years making Stoller and Bowers and The Kos look like the idiots they are.
Let's just hope the Denver Group and the polls can get the Convention delegated to wake up and vote for someone who cares about others.
Obama surely does not.
But I'm not entirely sure putting the company in the hands of the UAW is the answer. Both have different priorities at the end of the day. The United Auto Workers' main goal is job security and increase in benefits. GM's main goal is to turn a profit and survive to the next quarter, and hopefully grow. Eventually, you're going to run into a conflict of interest here, what if survival meant shutting down a plant or two? What if it's the reduction or termination of benefits? Sad I know, and perhaps reductions of benefits and job terminations are not in order, but it is within the realm of possibility.
RO, the big thing is the management, if the government bails them out (which I think they should), then they have to throw the bums running the company out. At the very least, the elite tier of managers, because it's obvious they still think they can play their old games. They haven't realized that we are in a new era of automobiles, if they did they wouldn't be replaying their old post-war handbook of gas guzzling polluters in China. They ought to focus one a small set of models, maybe 4 or 5 (truck, sedan, etc) and have that be their global template. No need to have an AERO in China and something else in the EU or US. Streamline it, reduce the carbon footprint and make the damn thing cost effective with fuel (either electric or some sort of hybrid). There is a window of opportunity for them right now, with that Volt, if they only took it. Selling it for $45k is crazy. But who knows, maybe the costs of producing such a vehicle are that high. And if so, then let those MBAs and the government figure out how to sell it for $20k.
That's all that was on their platform. The Republicans, you gotta give them credit. They are openly promoting to sell you out and then manage to recast it as the opposite and if you object then you're unpatriotic. The Democrats bemoan American workers being sold out but then do it in a slight of hand fashion where the selling part isn't as complete and open as the Republican kind. You know what, I want to change my vote, we have no party! BTW, I could have sworn the national debt was larger than 4 trillion, no?
Wow. It gives me no great joy to link to this, but over on a labor blog, Labor Pains, they posted a phone call where Obama literally hung up on the AFL-CIO. Wow. They have the phone tape online.
There was a CNBC show (ahem) on GM this week and I was thinking MY GOD. Firstly a worker pointed out while they lose 15.5B dollars the CEO gets millions in salary, perks, bonuses while GM lays off workers and demands new workers start at $14/hr.
Next, GM sells cars in China for (AERO) $1100 dollars. That's right, a new car for $1100 dollars in China.
So, while we worry about fuel efficiency and global warming, GM is busy pushing cars in China and all sorts of auto companies are there with some very nice polluters, trying to sell $1.3B people cars with even less anti-pollution devices than in the United States.
Same with India.
Then, GM bringing back the Camero. Great, muscle car that somehow I doubt is fuel efficient.
So, they have the VOLT, supposedly to be produced in 2010. This is a plug-in hybrid. Starting price, $45000 dollars
I seriously think the United States should just take possession of GM, get rid of every executive, give it to the UAW and the engineers to do something with and redo.
The most screwed up thing I have ever seen.
Now you're saying that one of the most expensive areas in the country to live as well as labor is going to get a new car manufacturer.
Right GM, it's all because those UAW workers demand sooo much money is the reason you are so screwed.
Glad you're back with the series! Did you see the vague and lack thereof manufacturing plan in the Democratic Platform?
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