Originally Posted by
Warrenite84
IMHO there are many to blame for the way Detroit and the Big 3 are now. Here is a partial list:
Removal of streetcars limited movement of citizens and dammaged businesses by changing pedestrian traffic patterns;
Implementing an urban freeway system with minimal input by affected citizens and fair compensation for taken homes and businesses;
Nearly limitless suburban options for those with the means to bail out instead of dig their heels in to preserve their neighborhoods, [[not that they had much help from City Hall to help stem crime)
City Hall for not maintaining infrastructure, protecting its citizens, hard on violent crime, policing against vandalism, punishing poor property maintainance, and having instead a lack of fiduciary standards, lack of ethical standards, lack of business acumen, and nearsighted urban plans that decimated streetscapes and wiped away neighborhoods that were prosperous.
The Government for giving people fish instead of teaching them how to fish, unaccetpable poor trade policies supported by Republicans and signed into law by a Democrat President,[[NAFTA), [[which is one of the biggest causes from which our current financial mess stems), spiraling debt for things promised to past generations, [[another big cause), that must be wound down or reduced drastically to future generations,[[me), health care policies that promote 50 monopolistic markets with limited options for competition and high costs, [[another big cause), a lack of any ethical standards or sense of fair play with us, and last but not least, allowing Lobbyists to get in line in front of us the citizens so that their voice can be heard over us, [[they should be outlawed).
For the Big 3 and unions of which I am a member: Both lacking fair play and taking/giving up more that they need, company's crappy product designs, ignoring the customer, poor engineering quality, [[cheap, cheap, cheap), dealerships that lack customer focus at fair prices, and unions who have catered to and babysat driftwood and brats who are now getting broomed out from my observations. More need to go, not necessarily by seniority but those who play the system.
[[Pant, pant, pant! I'm off my soapbox now).
P.S.- This guy sees the trees but misses the forest.