The more things change

There is much to be said about what is going on both nationally and locally in the world of politics. It’s interesting to see how the world is acting after the election—for the most part, time just passes by. On the other hand, things are as bad as they were before Nov. 4, if not worse.

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As I was browsing through the news, I came across an article in the New York Times written by none other than Mitt Romney. It was called “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt.” He was commenting on the economy, and more specifically, the possible auto industry bailout. We all know that he, without a doubt, has an eye for good business, plus he is the son of a former president of American Motors. So it was thought-provoking to read what he had to say.

Romney wrote, “Detroit needs a turnaround, not a check.” And I agree with him fully. The U.S. government keeps throwing money at these problems—first, Fannie and Freddie, then the banks, and now possibly the auto industry. What our elected officials are not seeing is that we are bailing out the people who destroyed the industry in the first place.

We have all heard the phrase, “Give a person a fish and he eats for a day. Teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime.” Well, this idea applies to these bailouts. Why hand someone money but not show them how to spend it? This will just fuel the nation’s economic fire, and probably help the cycle of problems continue. Instead of bailing out irresponsibility, it would be best to spend the money elsewhere. If the government wants to throw money at the auto industry, then they should throw it to technological development, such as energy efficiency and other designs that would help consumers save on fuel.

Instead of pushing for greatness, our government contemplates bailing out the stockbrokers and executives who let their companies down. If these “leaders” truly wanted their companies to stay afloat, they would look to cut some of what goes into their wallets. Instead, they look to the government like a child looks to his or her parents for a larger allowance.

Such actions breed irresponsibility. What has the world come to when people have no concept of personal responsibility or good judgment?

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On the Nevada front, life is fairly quiet. The election is over, and people are sleeping at night again. The University is quiet, no more campaigners flooding the campus. Our local government and our politicians are settling into their new roles. But we do have a small place in this auto bailout as well since U.S. Sen. Harry Reid will help decide what happens with that $25 billion.

Reid is not completely opposed to this plan. He has said to Fox News that if manufacturers have a plan, then the government can help them. Reid also said that the executives who went to talk in Washington, D.C., all arrived in their own private jets. If this doesn’t show a lack of personal responsibility, then I don’t know what does.

Reid needs to look to the state of Nevada, his home state, before he makes the decision to vote for or against this bill. If he looks closely, he will see a struggling community, one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country. Nevadans don’t need this auto bailout, they need to keep the money they have in their pockets. These continual bailouts of our failing, irresponsible industries can only lead to higher taxes for Nevada and the rest of the nation, which is the last thing needed right now.

It used to be when a child was bad, he or she got a spanking. Well, in this society, we have taken away the fear that if one does something bad they will be punished. These executives were irresponsible, and we should all hope that Harry Reid and the rest of Washington see this. The constituents of Nevada and this nation should not have to suffer because of the irresponsibility of others.