Congress should invest $35 billion in public transportation infrastructure (i.e., high speed rail) rather than hand it to the Big Three automakers. Big Oil should invest their record profits in the auto industry, which has contributed to Big Oil’s success by producing gas-guzzling SUVs.
I would agree that congress should not bail out any company over another.
Not sure how high speed rail would help the economy. If government was to use that for the purchase of Right of way… sure, why not. Then let one of the dozen companies vie for the rights…
It would have to NOT be another Amtrack though.
No, not Amtrak. But high-speed rail like in Europe and Japan. As far as helping the economy, infrastructure projects generate jobs (ala, Hoover Dam, Bay Bridge and other depression-era public works). Those are often sub-contracted, anyway, to private companies–like much of our military these days.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-boyarsky24-2008nov24,0,3761065.story
Interesting post I saw earlier today somewhere about the math of the bailout…$35 billion to save 3 million jobs. Can’t we just give those people each a $1 million tax-free severance and call it a day?
Anyway, just fodder.
If you wanted to bail out the car company, why not have people buy a car and get a check to cover the cost?