The Big Three Automakers Are Using The Airbus Playbook!

Airbus is teaching the U.S. automakers the end around.  On November 7th, in my article Gold Flush (below), I stated there would soon be “stimulus packages available and flushed out regularly from the Treasury” as a result of Obama becoming President.  I also stated that this would happen with the assistance of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid.  Get ready, here it comes, and I’m just wondering if the 160,000 Boeing employees are okay with it?  Even though the U.S. debt just recently exceeded $10 trillion without anyone noticing, I’m amazed there is not already a public outcry!  For a family of four, the current U.S. debt is $140,000.  After you read this post, you might just agree with me that Boeing should be leading the outcry against the stimulus package that will soon be given to General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler.  What do Boeing’s employees have to do with this you ask?  Here’s the connection. Let’s first identify Airbus.

Airbus Industrie, was founded in 1970 as a consortium of the principal aerospace companies of Germany (Deutsche Aerospace, now a Daimler-Chrysler subsidiary known as DASA), France (Aerospatiale Matra), England (Britain’s Hawker Siddeley, later BAE Systems), and Spain (Construcciones Aeronauticas, CASA).1

Airbus and Boeing dominate the aircraft manufacturing business world wide.  Airbus has been, and is a ferocious competitor of Boeing.  The competitive spirit between these two aircraft manufacturers has been ugly at times, to say the least.  The one shot heard around the world so to speak was in 2004 when Boeing launched a blistering attack on Airbus for its receiving billions of dollars in European government loans to help finance its operations.  Is this beginning to sound a bit familiar?  I remember this argument taking place in the news quite vividly.  Boeing began losing some of its world class market share to Airbus.  This dispute started about the same time there was a real populist push in the U.S. with the attendant slogans, “buy American” and “made in the U.S.A.”  The real heat between Boeing and Airbus really surfaces whenever it appears that Airbus might sell aircraft to the U.S. government.  The disputes between these two companies is long-standing, complex, and expensive; especially for the U.S. taxpayers.  Because of direct pressure initiated by Boeing on the government, in the summer of 2004, the U.S. government withdrew from a 1992 Bi-lateral trade agreement signed with the European Union.  This agreement purposely governed subsidies provided to aircraft manufacturers.  Contemporaneously, the U.S. launched its complaint against the European Union because of its subsidies to Airbus. The U.S. government has been involved in this expensive legal trade battle in the World Trade Organization (WTO) ever since.  A key point to note and remember here is that in the WTO dispute, the U.S. argues (on behalf of Boeing) that Airbus received illegal subsidies (loans for an incorrect purpose).  Alternatively, the U.S. argues that the loans (even if proper) were made at preferential rates–patently unfair in the world of free market competition, eh?  By the way, as of February 2007, Airbus has repaid 40% more than the original loans including interest. Airbus continues to pay between $300-400 million euros per year.  The loans to Airbus have turned out to be an excellent return on investment to the participating European governments.2 

Putting it all together here.  Boeing and the U.S. Government stringently condemn Airbus receipt of loans from the various European governments for alleged improper purposes and/or at preferential rates.  All U.S. taxpayers have of course been footing the bill for this legal dispute.  Is this a form of pork barrel spending?  Does anyone care?  Anyway, now Pelosi and Reid will spearhead a stimulus (bailout) package from the U.S. Government to the Big Three automakers.  Undoubtedly, the subsidy will be in the form of loans.  The Big Three are apparently asking for $25 billion.  That’s the number of web pages that Google has indexed if that helps you comprehend the amount.3    Just so everyone is clear on the significance of whether the Big Three actually receive the funds, the bailout will only amount to an additional $1,000 in tax burden (debt) to a family of four.  The question becomes relatively simple, are you okay with an additional G-Note (pun intended) of debt to repay if the Big Three bailout?   Hey, Boeing employees; your portion is $640,000 of the $25 billion, assuming each of you is in a family of four.  That estimate is probably fairly accurate given that there are 460,000 members to the Boeing Credit Union.4 

Although, I am one that would subscribe to the suggestion that the Big Three work it out themselves (Chapter 11 sounds like a good plan), I’m betting that the U.S. Obama Government will cave in.  Pelosi, Reid, and others will act like they care but in the best interest of themselves they will continue to raise the tax debt.  They know, and do not care that it will be some other generation of Americans that will have to worry about the debt if the bailout loans fail.  For a good discussion on the topic of the Big Three filing bankruptcy before receiving bailout funds, see First Bankruptcy, and Then a Possible Bailout.

The U.S. Congress will ignore the blatant inconsistency.

Congress can simply thumb their nose at the EU and Airbus when they point to our government’s inconsistency between battling against subsidies (loans) for Airbus while at the same time subsidizing GM, Ford, and Chrysler with stimulus packages.  Besides, this is different; we have to help our Big Three before they are totally defeated in the free market economy by Honda, Toyota, and those other guys.  I’m now considering on whether I might predict that Toyota, et. al. will launch a legal trade dispute in the WTO against the U.S.  On the other hand, maybe The Big Three will land some Japanese Air Force automobile contracts as a result of being more competitive in the market place because of the stimulus package. Worked for Airbus, it just recently did an end-around on Boeing scoring a touchdown with the Air Force. See Airbus parent beats Boeing for big U.S. Air Force contract.   Your comment is invited and welcome.

The real question is, did you know it was happening and simply not care?

When I say you been pwned, I mean that non-Minnesotans own you. To say it differently, you’ve been bought with the eliest money from Hollywood and from attorneys from basically every state in the union. Ouch!

As this article is being written, Minnesota is about to start a recount of election returns for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Norm Coleman. The well publicized challenge is from the famous (in his own mind) Democrat Al Franken. It is currently reported that Coleman leads Franken by 206 votes which, includes the counting of thirty plus absentee ballots for Franken found in an election official’s car two days after the election.  Now, that’s real election integrity at work.  I realize that you did not have to come here to get this news, but there is much more to the story than is being reported by prime news organizations.  The slice of the story not being reported or discussed is: Where did the Franken money come from?

Elections are often won by the one with the most money.

Although I believe most Americans have always known it to be a fact that whichever candidate has the most money is the one that wins.  However, Fox News just reported the 2008 election facts with respect to money spent by the candidates.  In the 2008 Unites States Senate election, ninty-four percent (94%) all the Seante election races were won by the candidate that spent the most money!  Most political pundit’s would agree that but for a major influx of money to the Al Franken campaign, the Minnesota Senate race would not have been close at all.  So, that being a given, the question is, how did Al Franken get enough money to mount this serious, if not winning, challenge against Coleman.  For sure, the lion share of money did not come from Minnesotans but came from all over the United States and abroad.

The total amount of money received for Franken is startling given the fact that prior to entering this Senate race, he was virtually an unknown.  More than 17 million dollars were contributed to Mr. Franken to help him defeat the Republican incumbent.  The disproportionate amount of this 17 million came from out-of-state contributors. Hey Minnesotans, do you think these out-of-state people really give a damm about your best interest? This issue of who actually won this election will be in the news forefront for many months to come.

Not everyone that contributed to the Franken campaign is a famous Hollywood liberal or an attorney; there are many out-of-state contributors that are teachers, physicians, and big dogs from investment management companies from around the country.  However, out of the ten thousand plus contributors, more than ten percent of the contributors were attorneys from the four corners of the union.  How interesting is that?  Why would an attorney or law firm from New York, California, Florida or Washington care who was elected as the Senator of Minnesota?  Here’s even more of an interesting question: Why would famous Hollywood types give a damm?  Is it because those actors and actresses are more politically savvy; that they care about the citizens of Minnesoata; and they know best what Minnesotans need.  I don’t think so.  Well, no matter what the reason Minnesotans: You’ve been pwned by Hollywood and other non-Minnesota residents!

Here’s just a partial list of those “caring” contributors that want to see Franken elected.

Most of the contributors gave the maximum of $2,300.00 for the general election and many gave an additional $2,300 for the primary election.

Jason Alexander (Seinfeld), Alex Baldwin, Dan Aykroyd, Al Gore, Candice Bergen, George Clooney, Larry David (Seinfeld), Herb Albert - what?, Michael J. Fox, Ted Danson (Cheers), Susan Saint James, Phil Donahue, Larry & Laurie David (Seinfeld), Ashley Garrett, Tom Hanks, Christie Hefner (Playboy - Politically Savvy Bunny), Kevin Kline, Bill Maher (Calls himself a comedian), Paul Newman (disappointing), Leonard Nimroy (Star Trek), Rosanne O’Donnell, Carl Reiner, Meg Ryan, Garry Shandling, and Paul Simon.

What all people should know–not just Minnesotans, is this; if Franken wins the election, the vast majority of the big money he used was not from Minnesotans.  My friends, that fact is disconcerting and sad.  It’s sad because it’s probable that the candidate that spent the most money will be elected.  It’s disconcerting because the result could easily be that the best candidate to represent Minnesotans is not elected.  Moreover, it is sad and disconcerting to face the reality that representation in the Senate can be purchased, and by anyone.  Fox News just recently reported that the average amount on money spent by the winning candidates running for Senate was $6.5 million.  Shown above, the Federal Election Commission records reveal that Franken spent $15.5 million to “market himself” to the Minnesota voters.  Franken’s FEC reported balance sheet reveals that he still has $1.5 million in cash.  Maybe Minnesota will get some of that cash!  In any event just imagine the good things that Minnesotans could have done with $15.5 million other than elect a third rate comedian to the Senate.

Let me know what you think.  Thank you in advance for your comments.

Kelley Acted Like Former FBI Director, J. Edgar Hoover. Yesterday, the Governor of Ohio Put Her On Administrative Leave!

If you’re not outraged, you should be, whether you live in Ohio or not.

About two weeks ago, right as the story broke about the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services doing a sub-rosa search on Joe “the Plumber” (Wurzelbacher), I did a little extra research fully intending to write this post soon thereafter.  One of the first articles I read concerning this issue on October 28, 2008 was Ohio’s Head of Job and Family Services Approved a Child-Support Search on Joe Wurzelbacher Immediately After Third Debate at Ace of Spades HQ.

A follow up story was featured on The O’reilly Report, Thursday, November 6, 2008.  In case you missed it, here’s the outrage.  Helen Jones-Kelley, Director of Job & Family services took it upon herself to order an underling to do some digging around on Joe Wurzelbacher, a fellow Ohio resident, immediately after the third Presidential Debate between McCain and Obama.  Prior to the debate, Obama was caught on film answering  a tax question from Wurzelbacher wherein Obama referred to his tax plan as a plan to “spread the wealth around.” McCain used this against Obama in the third Debate.  Mr. Wurzelbacher was soon referred to on the debate as “Joe the Plumber” and has been ever since.  As soon as it was clear that McCain was using Obama’s comments against his opponent and that Joe the Plumber was a McCain supporter, the coincidence that Kelley went to work soon thereafter surfaced.  She directed a worker to do a records check on Mr. Wurzelbacher.  The fact that Helen Jones-Kelley was a “maxed-out” Obama financial contributor had nothing to do with her actions.  Right.  When this unethical intrusion into personal records, if not illegal intrusion went public, her lame excuse was that “We always do for anyone who comes into the public light.”  What?  Initially it was reported that the records search on Joe the Plumber was limited to child support records.  Now it has been reported that the records searches went far beyond which was originally admitted to!  See, Agency head defends ‘Joe’ searches at Fox News.

It was reported that Kelley contributed $2,500 to the Obama campaign, but what was not disclosed that I  discovered was that she also dropped an additional $2,500 to the “Obama Victory Fund” a Democratic PAC!

So, what we are asked to believe by Director Kelley, and by Democratic Governor Ted Strickland in a statement he made on October 29, 2008 in the Columbus Dispatch; is that “there were no political motives in the data-checking. . .” However, Governor Strickland, apparently as a result of political pressure, has ordered Director Kelly to go on leave in what is now being described as a fund-raising probe. Ms. Kelley is now being investigated for possibly misusing public computers in ordering those records checks on “Joe the Plumber” as well as possibly using state email accounts for political purposes.

Now all of this may have gone by the way-side rather quickly if it were not for a credible and ethical employee working in the Department of Job & Family Services, namely, Vanessa Niekamp.  Ms. Niekamp was the state employee that was actually directed by her superiors to do one or more of the record checks.  Her statements to the press, as reported by Randy Ludlow, Columbus Dispatch totally contradicted Kelley’s story.  Following these reports, many Ohio government officials began to call for investigations.

For those of you who weren’t around in the 60’s, J. Edger Hoover was Director of the FBI from 1924 until his death in 1972.  Hoover became famous for a number of reasons, the least of which was that he amassed significant power by collecting files containing large amounts of compromising and potentially embarrassing information on many powerful people, especially politicians.

Hoover has also been accused of trying to undermine the reputations of members of the civil rights movement. His alleged treatment of actress Jean Seberg and Martin Luther King, Jr. are two such examples. U.S. Senate officials declared his intelligence gathering activities toward U.S. citizens as being illegal and against the Constitution of the United States.  See, J. Edger Hoover: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

What Helen Jones-Kelley has done is albeit, a microcosm of Hoover’s tactics and abuse of power. Nonetheless, her ordering record checks as an attempt to “gather” information on political activists who disagree with her politics is no less excusable.  This is one of those examples of a government agency being misused against citizens and at the expense of the state’s taxpayers.  What we have to do now is contact the appropriate officials in Ohio and express our outrage that a government employee would we allowed to engage in these type of improper if not totally illegal activities for political purposes.  I invite you to express your disagreement with her actions by sending comments to the proper Ohio government officials that are in a position to do something about it.  Select either link and make a statement that may help protect you or others against this type of abuse in the future.  Tell me what you think pro or con–give me your comments.

Contact the Governor of Ohio

Contact the Office of Inspector General of Ohio

It was here in this sleepy little hollow of South Chicago that the American dream was redefined and shared with all of us.  In this place, this Illinois community, a Great Organizer would rise up to eventually create a new kind of lifestyle: Change, a new dream, non-entrepreneurial, and protected.  In 2004, it was a discovery of human brilliance by the Democratic Party, almost by accident.   In Boston, at the 2004 Democratic Convention, The Great Democratic One, Edward “Ted” Kennedy openly shared the stage with Him.  After He spoke, everyone seemed to know that lifeʼs complex struggles were soon to be no more.  The One1, has arrived.   Barack (blessed) Obama is his name.

Yes, the long arduous search for a transcendent level of wisdom, charm, and rhetoric is over, He was elected as President less than a fortnight ago.  From Kenya to Venezuela, from Berlin to Johannesburg, there were people dancing in the streets, the fields, the deserts and the jungles.  “Yes, we can!” they paradoxically chanted.  “Bail us out!” they all screamed.  There were women crying in the streets with huge tears of sweetness–many lost their eyelashes.  Whoopi Goldberg finally unpacked her bag and no longer fears becoming a slave.  Kenya has ordained a national holiday in His Name.  All across America, word processing spell checker dictionaries have learned the two new words–Barack Obama.

One could say that the old American Dream began in 1849, the year “. . . thousands of young people streamed west in unison . . . with a collective . . . dream for a lifetime of riches.”3 These thousands of Americans feverishly going west to stake their claim in the California Gold Rush were dubbed “forty-niners.” Gold became the dreamweaver for a new kind of life where one would work hard for a short while and become rich. Today we contrast the Gold Rush of 1849 to a gold flush of the Treasury and our economy.

The new American Dream: to not have to solve your own problems, to not concern yourself with quickly becoming rich, nor to make a fast fortune.  Instead, instant affordable, if not free, education for all young people 18 to 29 years old will be the new law.  On-the-spot welfare is upon us and available for the taking.  Folks will soon be screaming, “No more taxes!”  In Red States and Blue, men, women and “young voters” will soon text and Twitter the Organizer for a handout.  Young folks will soon ask for and receive that free education.  Poor people throughout this country will now expect and receive free gas and have their mortgage payments made by the government.  The Organizer will quickly command that the price of gas be lowered.  The commuters will cheer because they no longer have to worry about the amount of air in the tires on their cars.

Within His first hundred days, The Organizer will:

• Eliminate all home mortgage foreclosures;
• Command free health care for everyone without further ado;
• Give rise to a new “Fairness Doctrine” which will ban all Republican
  radio talk shows thus, clean up the polluted air ways.

The Organizer will stop the Iraq war immediately (depending on the conditions on the ground). Osama bin Laden has a renewed fear for his life. The Organizer has vowed to hunt him down and kill him! Pakistan will no longer be concerned about our planes and troops violating its sovereignty.

Stimulus packages will be available and flushed out regularly from the Treasury. With the support and assistance of other Great Democrats, Pelosi, and Reid; The Organizer will tax the evil rich, take their gold, spread it around and give it to the poor. “Long live Barack Obama” they will shout! The rich people, those that make more than $___________ ? a year will despair, many will turn to poker, gambling and other sinful behavior. Exasperation and vexation will run rampant in the empires of the wealthy.  They will hide their gold, but The Organizer will find it and extract it from their greedy hands. Wall Street will no longer rule. Ultimately, there will no longer be rich, only middle-class. Everyone will be the “average Joe.”

Peace will come throughout the world. Chevaz, Castro, and Ahmadinejad will be making travel plans soon for a trip to the Great White House. Construction on a new Cuban Embassy will begin shortly. Iran will drop all nuclear research and production without delay.

Jessie Jackson, Jr. will soon replace The Organizer in the U.S. Senate and their will be brotherly love again between Jessie Jackson and The Organizer. Change has arrived and all the people will come together as one. Thousands of young people will volunteer to serve their country and begin forming the New Civilian Security Force to help protect us all.

Also, within the first hundred days, the Great Liberal Justice from Chicago, Illinois, Justice John Paul Stevens will retire so The Organizer can appoint a fair-minded Justice; a Justice that will look out for the poor and under privileged. Senator Clinton will replace Biden as a member of the Judicial Committee. The ten current nominees for appointments to the Federal Courts of Appeal will be cast aside and The Organizer will fill the twelve vacancies with folks that suffered injustice; or with people raised in single parent homes, and the like. Senator Clinton and Senator Leahy will help get it done. Yes, the same will happen with the twenty-eight vacancies at the District Court level and the current sixteen nominees.

All across America, even in the Red States, folks know in their hearts that their troubles will soon depart. Every victim of any kind, size, age and gender lacking a cell phone or computer will make their way to The Great Organizerʼs new home in Washington D.C. seeking the new American Dream. Some will walk, some will travel by train, others by plane–“no matter how you get here, just get here if you can,” He will say. Someone asked; “but, wait, what shall we call them?” The two Davids replied, “08ʼers.”

The Organizer will say, “yes, out of this long political darkness a brighter day has arrived. I am that brighter day.” It will be one of the greatest misadventures that the World will see.

The Gold Flush begins!

1. Dubbed The One by Oprah Winfrey.
2. “Barack Obama was originally named ‘Baraka.’ It is not an African name. It’s an Arabic word meaning “blessed” and comes directly from the Koran.”
3. http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/fever.html