Plenty of Ford and GM cars in that list. I’m not sure what you mean by innovation but the Prius doesn’t check in until #13. That’s the only car on the list I would call radically different than your run of the mill car.

So, Ford and GM make cars that people want to buy (Chrysler not so much). Now, neither of those manufacturers are wildly successful overseas so if you call that a lack of innovation then I might be inclined to agree with you. Nonetheless, the big difference between those 3 car makers and their competitors is the UAW.

United Auto Workers has done a great job over the years of looking out for theirs. That’s what their supposed to do. And, on the surface, you are correct about paying for labor. However, when the union agreements result in too much cash going out and poor productivity levels in the plants, people eventually get laid off by the thousands. So, if you had to choose between thousands of people getting laid off or taking a pay cut comparable to what non-union shops pay, which would you choose? This chart sort of explains my point (http://www.heritage.org/research/economy/images/wm2162_chart1.gif). For an hourly wage job to ‘pay’ this high is rare, to say the least. Union auto worker might be the least unique skill set in the US to earn such a high wage (comp and benefits) compared to the average private sector job.

I’m not totally anti-union. When the worker is the clear underdog (Wal-Mart, for example), I’m all for it. Eventually, though, the balance of power shifts and there’s little that can be done to correct it (UAW, Teachers Union). Chrysler going into bankruptcy might just save that company. GM is likely doomed. Obama will kowtow to the UAW and may force GM to make ‘innovative’ cars that nobody wants to buy.

JB, I heard through the Courtney grapevine you all got the axe. Do you wanna come over for a special Craft nite next week?

And for the record, Pier 11 is the first job I was fired from. I never tried serving again.

To Hell wi’ a wannion, Pier II! The snowheads be jumpin’ straight in the brine now instead of eatin’ their 4:30 dinner!

humbling:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/04/02/business/economy/economy-user-photos.html#/0/

Congrats to Sophia. Sometimes bad situations are opportunities for something better. Best wishes to JB in her search for her next opportunity.

On another note, Wisconsin legislature is debating the outlaw of all indoor smoking, state-wide. Was it really just 15 years ago that I was sitting in history class in Budapest, smoking Marlboro’s?