Open letter to Michigan's Governor Granholm

In response to: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/13/granholm.energy/index.html

Governor Granholm,

Unfortunately, incompetent management and lower-quality products seem to the modus operandi of the Big 3 in Motor City... until these people catch up with the innovations and create products that American buyers want (like Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Hyunda, Kia and many others have), they will continue to founder.

The unions must be broken (or at least provide significant concessions) so that they can compete on price and hire and fire based on an employee's competence rather than the ability of their union rep to argue against a set of arcane and illogical rules that have stymied any progress on creating a business model that stands any chance of success for the future.

Whilst I agree that having the jobs in Detroit is important, and that the amount of raw materials and product generated in/out of the city are fundamental to the success of the economy there and throughout the United States, her insistence on using the American taxpayer's dollars to bail out incompetence at the automakers is flawed thinking... fix the problems in GM, Chrysler and Ford's management and product lines -- THEN we can talk about giving them my hard-earned money.

As a case in point -- when I went searching for a car this year, I looked for a hybrid that could match up with the Toyota Prius. None could. Every vehicle in the American market failed to measure up. Saturn came the closest -- but since 2002 when they dropped the SL and SC lines, they've had steadily falling sales and even less commitment to their products and vision. Dodge had products and marketing that captured hearts and minds (the Neon commericals come to mind) -- but the product behind it was a failed lark of a vehicle and it is a demonstration of all that is wrong with the American auto market.

Governor, I respect your opinion -- but you need to work with your constituents in Detroit to get them to get back in touch with the American people. Then, perhaps the American people will see clear to help bail them out -- by buying their vehicles instead of writing them a blank check to keep doing (badly) what they've been doing the last several years.

Joe Fox
joe@webcruiser.org

Also posted to CNN's comments on this article.