The Damage is Done

Packers roll, and with it hand Detroit their season of imperfection. 0-16 is an impressive feat.

Just Give Me A Simple Life

Sometimes life gives you lemons. It's what you do with the lemons that determines success and failure in life. Do you hold onto them for all their worth, never enjoying the sweet taste? Or do you squeeze them for every drop, knowing full well that you only live once?

It doesn't take much to make me happy. Give me a place to live, good food, friends, family, and a sense of purpose in life. The past week of family, friends, not to mention GREAT food really reinforced my yearning for family. A holiday season presented a festival of good times for all it seemed. It didn't matter if you were 50+, under 10, or anywhere in between. Good times were had by all. It was a simple week filled with laughs. It was a simple week filled with mispronunciation (Oh-bam-uh, Grun-olm), partisan and nonpartisan politics, beer, spoons, and illegal bread bowls. Talk of college, career, and portfolios was a given, but there was plenty of talk about root beer floats, hand grenades, and Rosie O'Donnell as well.

The Porter family leads a simple life.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

After all, we're lead by example.

Over

Coming This January...

Socialism Fails in the Big 3 For Another Day

With the refusal of the $14 billion helper from the United States taxpayers by the U.S. Senate, the auto industry in America faces uncertain times. Let us not forget, however, that they’ve brought this on themselves with poor management and lack of foresight for energy efficient vehicles. The one thing they couldn’t predict, however, was this “perfect storm” credit crunch. The auto industries are unable to get any line of credit through private investments and lenders. This is a sign of not only the lack of trust that they can be paid back, but it also points back to the inability of the Federal Reserve to tame the problems of debt increases in America.

When I was young I always looked to my parents, immediate family, and teachers/mentors for advice and example. What easier example could we look at than our own government? This is where we’re lead astray. For years we’ve racked up a federal deficit that’s uncomprehendable by even Bill Gates’ standards. Living by a credit card, and a line of credit courtesy of Communist China – we’ve outstretched our own Treasury. This has lead to an increase in credit gouging by everyday Americans. It is said that the average American has 5 credit cards in their possession at a single time.

So what has the “lame duck” George Bush done in this time of economic uncertainty for the Big 3? He’s simply kicking the can down the road, waiting for Barack Obama to take over. The President has given in to the left and is agreeing with anything they put on his desk at this point. Bush was on board with the $700 billion package for Wall Street, and is now on board with the $14 billion for the auto makers. A Republican approach should be from the standpoint of defiantly dividing private from public when it comes to industry.

U.S. House Passes Auto Bail-Out

Michigan Republicans Roll-Call:

Camp - Yes
Ehlers - Yes
Hoekstra - Yes
Knollenberg - Yes
McCotter - Yes
Miller - Yes
Rogers - Yes
Upton - Yes
Walbert - Obstain

And, to think, you call yourselves REPUBLICANS?

Get out the shovel, why everything you know is wrong.

GM's Commitment to the American People

Well, they sure have gotten desperate, haven't they? Today GM released a letter to the American people explaining their mistakes of the past years, along with what they plan to do with a possible bridge-loan. It's no coincidence that this is due to the negative response country wide from congressional constituents. On a FOX News poll, over 70% of those who answered said they did not want to see a "bail-out" or "bridge-loan" of billions of dollars to the auto industry. The letter is pretty effective, as it specifically spells out some of their mistakes over the years. However, does this really mean we should still bail them out for 30 years of mismanagement and poor product? You make the call.

I figured I'd take the time to come out with my own idea of what the auto industry should do to reform its ways.



True GOP's 4-point Plan



-Produce Quality Vehicles

Reform the way Americans perceive domestic brand automobiles. Get creative and bring back some of the great looks that lead people to them in the first place. The easiest way to attract someone to a vehicle is with a flashy look. Spend time coming up with quality interiors. Spend time coming up with quality body styles. Don't settle for the old look that worked before. Continue to lead the field, rather than follow.
Overhaul the engine quality and efficiency. For too long the auto industry rolled out SUV after SUV without paying attention to rising oil prices. The American people want common sense vehicles that are still fun to drive. Focus production toward hybrid cars and crossover vehicles. The future of America is not going to rely on gas for $1.55 a gallon. America has the best workers in the world, let them lead the world in technology and production.


-Reorganize Top-End Management

Rick Wagoner had his chance to shine, however, throwing out the top CEO and replacing him with a person from the government is not the right choice. Leave him in there to get them out of the mess he contributed to. Consolidate management by eliminating positions that overlap. This will make management decisions more smooth and will reduce the budget for the top-end management structure. Cut Wagoner's pay - when times are tough we all need to make cuts.


-Restructure Deals With the UAW

Everybody needs to make a living wage. However, when someone with a high school education works on an assembly line they should know that wealth is not in their future. The UAW has crippled the auto industry with renegotiation of contracts at their mercy. While it's true that they haven't received a penny that the companies didn't give them - that doesn't make it right. Ron Gettelfinger needs to continue on his word that he will restructure deals with workers to make wages and benefits competitive with other automakers.


-Consolidate

Consolidate plants and dealerships that overlap. Toyota sells just as many vehicles as GM with 1/3 of the dealerships. Dealerships don't need to be found within 15 miles of each other. Consolidate these dealerships and cut costs of vehicle transport and wages. Also, plants that overlap in production and purpose need to be consolidated into one functional, efficient shop. Parts makers, window makers, and vehicle assembly lines make up a huge part of the infrastructure in the Midwest. The consolidation of these companies will cost jobs, but cutting a percentage of jobs is much more beneficial than cutting all of them if they were to fail.


General Motors is in a lot of trouble, along with DaimlerChrysler and Ford. Common sense consolidation, restructuring, and reorganization will lead the U.S Automakers out of this - not taxpayer money.

Day of Birth

So, yes, yesterday was my birthday. 19 years ago I hit this Earth, and my mind has yet to stop turning. I've picked up a lot of hobbies along the way, but it seems as though I've finally hit my stride and found what I want to do with my life. So, it seemed fitting that on my birthday I studied and attended my weekly RHA meeting. RHA is Residence Hall Assembly and we allocate money for on-campus programs. We run our meetings much like that of the U.S. Senate, except we have 3 delegates from each Res. Hall. It's a pretty neat way to get involved on campus. Anyway, we decided to do what all good Senators do, and that's bring home some of that budget for ourselves. We allocated money to buy a catered dinner from Max & Emily's that included salad, sandwiches, and cheesecake. All in all it was pretty satisfying.



Thank you all for the birthday wishes!