Dear Mr. Furgerson:

Immediate support is needed to shore up our automotive manufacturing sector and to preserve the more than 2.5 million jobs directly and indirectly linked to the U.S. auto industry. This morning, I testified in front of the House Financial Services Committee to emphasize the need for Congress to take swift action on behalf of our nation’s automakers. Standing idly by as the financial crisis decimates our domestic manufacturing capabilities and pulls our fragile economy further into recession is unacceptable.

Throughout the world, the dire financial crisis continues to spur governments to provide assistance to their manufacturing industries, which are not able to obtain the credit they so vitally need to continue operations. Both Germany and the European Union are studying the possibility of providing support for their automotive industries. Australia has provided more than $4 billion in funding for its vehicle manufacturers. Automotive manufacturers in China are already voicing their expectation of financial assistance from their government as well. “The Chinese government will undoubtedly support us,” says She Cairong, general manager of JAC Motors, a Chinese automobile manufacturer. This quote appeared in a New York Times article this morning, highlighting China’s consideration of a plan to provide assistance to its domestic automobile companies.

The spotlight is now focused on Congress, which is considering the possibility of rescuing the industry from an economic downturn not of its own making. President-elect Obama has called the U.S. auto industry “the backbone of American manufacturing” and said that the failure of our domestic automakers would be “a disaster” for our economy. President Bush, Speaker Pelosi, and both the Majority and Minority Leaders of the Senate agree that bridge loans for our domestic automakers are necessary at this time. I will continue to work with my colleagues in the Senate and the Congressional Leadership to come up with a plan that would provide auto manufacturers with the bridge loans they need to weather this financial storm.

You can read the transcript of my testimony before the House Financial Services Committee by clicking on the following link: [http://levin.senate.gov/newsroom/release.cfm?id=305099]. During these difficult times, I am doing everything within my power to convince the Congress to provide the bridge loans for the domestic auto industry that the President, the President-elect and the leaders from both houses of Congress support.
Sincerely,
Carl Levin

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MY REPLY:

Senator Levin,
Thank you for your email. As a life-long resident of Michigan I am well aware of the true nature of the auto industry's influence here. But let me just share a few thoughts with you.

1) European socialism has proven to NOT be the way to go, over and over again. THEY are the failures, not free market capitalism which, sadly, has almost disappeared from America. How can anyone in their right mind suggest that just because that's what they do we should follow suit?

2) You know full well that a company that pays $72 an hour to its employees can't continue to compete with a company that pays its employees $44 an hour. And the $44 an hour is well above the national average. You also know full well the nonsense that happens around here every time the UAW contracts come up for renewal.

3) George Will writes: "Some opponents of bankruptcy stress that it might terminate health-care coverage enjoyed by UAW retirees who are too young for Medicare. Think about that. If people want to retire before 65, or 35 for that matter, that is their business. But there is no public interest in protecting the luxury of retirement in the prime of life just because in palmy days a private contract between a union and a corporation established it as an entitlement for all seasons."

I'm not advocating bankruptcy, but can I just ask one simple question here? Who ever said it could work out that everybody can retire at 55 - or younger? The answer is, of course, the UAW and the contract they worked out with the companies. So, why the hell should I put money on the line as a taxpayer to guarantee some Joe's retirement while I will have to continue to work probably until I die?

4) "an economic downturn not of its own making"...that is probably true. But what started it? The number one culprit - aside from centralized banking policy - is the housing bubble and consequent mortgage crisis. Who started the housing bubble? You guys. Who started the mortgage crisis? You guys. Carter. Community Reinvestment Act. Clinton's expansion. ACORN blackmailing banks. Obama. Your buddies involved in the Fannie and Freddie debacle. Barney and Dodd and all the congresspersons in the YouTube videos who were outraged (one guy said "pissed off", remember?) that the regulators (Republicans) would even think that these crooks were crooks? Campaign contributions had nothing to do with it, I'm sure. By the way, can you explain to me how Franklin Raines and Jaime Gorelick and Tim Johnson never were prosecuted, or even charged, after cooking the books?

5) the left's absolutely STUPID ban on domestic drilling. Now, I know you guys think the oil companies are the true evil in the universe but if they didn't get us the gas what would you put in your limousine? Ethanol? Then how high would food prices go? I know leftists want gas prices so high that your alternative fuels will become economically viable and at the same time we can SAVE THE PLANET but YOU are helping to bankrupt the auto companies when gas is $4 or higher, right where you want it.

6) CUT TAXES. You love taxes, I know, you support, what, about 90% of the tax increases that come up for a vote? The corporate tax, you know, that double taxation thing that has been going on for decades, is almost the highest in the world. Why? So you leftists can finance your socialist domestic programs. CUT TAXES. CUT SPENDING.

7) Is Ron Paul the only one in Washington who understands economics, that no government ANYWHERE can run the local, let alone, world economy? You guys can't "fix" the market, you can only distort, ruin, or bankrupt the market no matter how hard you try. Are all the rest of you really that ignorant of basic economic principles? Or perhaps, and more likely, you all have another agenda, like world socialism and government control of everything?

8) LAST but not least: you Democrats want to bailout, loan, subsidize, nationalize, or just plain OWN all the businesses in the country? You want to spend any amount of money on anything you want?  Then VOTE FOR IT and stop blaming Republicans for it. Most of us citizens can count, and our count shows that YOU have majorities in both houses NOW and when the Obamanation takes over you will have TOTAL CONTROL. Music to your ears, isn't it? Then stop passing the buck, tell us what you REALLY think instead of hiding your socialist instincts behind some label like "progressive", and then go out and vote on your principles. If leftists/statists/socialists/progressives/etc. believe so much in what you believe than have it out in the open. No need to hide. I'm sure the voters will see things your way, especially if you start bribing them with their own money.

Been a pleasure,
Chris Furgerson

PS: Let me just say that anything that Reid or Pelosi are in favor of, the exact opposite should be government policy. They have been total failures. Nice favorable opinion numbers they have, too. Has it risen above 10% yet?