What looked like a sure bet came to a grinding halt once the leaders of the Big Three Automakers - Richard Wagoner of General Motors, Alan Mulally of Ford and Robert Nardelli of Chrysler - breezed into Washington on their private jets. The cost of flying commercial from Detroit - Washington return is approximately $600 as opposed to flying in a private jet which could amount to over $20,000 each way for the same flight. These overpaid, incompetent executives have effectively driven (pun intended) the auto industry into the ground. They are asking for $25 billion in bailout money NOW in order to stay afloat, bringing the total that they are asking from the U.S. to $50 billion (Congress had already approved $25 billion for the production of fuel-efficient vehicles). General Motors, Ford and Chrysler are seeking $3.5 billion from Canada.

What is their pitch? Where is the plan for the long-term success of these companies? The sad reality is that they have no plan to turn around these white elephants. As is evidenced by the use of their private jets to come to the meeting, the Big Three leaders have no plans to curb their spending any time soon. It might have been a prudent measure to unload the private jets and to fly commercial considering their respective companies are on the brink of disaster. They take no responsibility for leading their companies to ruin. They are threatening Armageddon if the auto industry is allowed to collapse. With no plan to spend the money wisely, why should anyone give them the money? It would only delay the outcome, not change it.

Michael Moore, the famous Flint Michigan native and film maker, was recently on Larry King and his comments were among the best that I’ve heard. He did not believe that the money should just be doled out, but that Congress should demand change for the money. “President-Elect Obama has to say to them, yes, we’re going to use this money to save these jobs, but we’re not going to build these gas-guzzling, unsafe vehicles any longer,” Moore said. “We’re going to put the companies into some sort of receivership and we, the government, are going to hold the reins on these companies. They’re to build mass transit. They’re to build hybrid cars. They’re to build cars that use little or no gasoline.” He said global warming requires the nation and the world to use less oil. “There’s got to be a plan set out to find other ways to transport ourselves in other ways than using fossil fuels,” he said.

Congress will be back in session on December 2nd when they are prepared to hear actual plans by the Big Three. On this point Canada is in total agreement - without a plan for long-term viability, kiss the money good-bye. Are you for or against the bailout?