The economic crisis, Brooke, and another button
If you want to get a bunch of quizzical looks just situate yourself in the middle of a crowd of people and yell at the top of your lungs, "Go Lions!" It really works. If you try this make sure you have an escape route because the guys in white will be coming after you. * * * The more I talk about the economy, the worse it gets. Do you suppose I should just shut up? I don’t think so, Gram. Where did the notion come from that the executives of the auto companies mismanaged their companies any more than the executives of the financial institutions? I think they both share the same blame. AIG got their bailout almost immediately and without question. Once the deal was cut they held a $400,000 weekend retreat for their executives. It kinda looks like we’ve been had — at least by them. I know the Senate and House committees have been having fun with the auto executives over flying to Washington on corporate jets. I have two sons-in-law that fly for their companies; and even though they don’t fly on corporate jets, there’s still an expense involved and it’s necessary. Even President-elect Barack Obama has jumped on the band wagon’ and he, too, is bashing the auto executives. Do any of us common folks really care how they traveled to Washington? Isn’t why they’re there more important? The country is folding around Congress; and all they can say is, "Hey dude, how’d you get here?" I don’t believe any members of these committees could withstand the kind of scrutiny they place these guys under. And furthermore, who are they to point fingers? They’re all a bit shaky. Let’s get to the real question and bypass all of that political rhetoric. Isn’t the viability of the auto industry a matter of national defense? That’s all I would ask because it sure as hell was during World War II. I think we do what we have to do to make the auto industry whole again. If we have to ask for some resignations along the way, so be it. We’ve had the right people in charge during times of need, and we’ve had the wrong people in charge. At this stage I want the right people. As for the economy as a whole, I’m all for what some people have suggested. If the American workers have to sacrifice during hard economic times, so should Congress. A reduction in their numbers and a reduction of their benefits only seem fitting during these times. Maybe they should have to co-pay their health insurance or maybe cut it altogether like some people are experiencing now. If that actually happened to the members of Congress, what do you want to bet things will get better in a hurry? Just like the price of gas. Meanwhile, I’m not going to change my spending habits, at least not for now. I’ll just keep doing what I do. I’m not going to take our money out of the credit union and stuff it in our mattress. With my luck the house would burn down the same day and that mattress would go up in flames. We don’t have to stuff our mattresses anyway thanks to our money being insured. If we really want to have an economic recovery in this country, let’s get rid of that made in China tag or labeling on almost everything we buy. * * * I just learned that our youngest granddaughter, Brooke, rolled over from her tummy to her back while playing with her dad. Are we missing things? Not really. We keep in touch via phone almost daily and through the internet with pictures, and I’m sure Walt and Bernie do too. They are Brooke’s other grandparents who are just as interested in her growth as we are. * * * I keep hitting the horn button on the keyless car door opener on my key chain. It drives me nuts! Its purpose is to help me find our car in a large parking lot. In the ten years we’ve had our car we have yet to lose it. That doesn’t matter; I keep hitting the button anyway. Monday morning was one of those mornings. The horn started honking and I hadn’t even left the house yet. I felt like yelling out to Betty, "Honey, I found the car," to which she’d say, "You hit that button again, didn’t you?" "Yup." Until the next time . . .
