Utah Free Press

Obama Takes Over GM; Fires Boss

By Richard Okelberry (Note: This essay was originally published at KVNU’s, For the People Blog.) 

General Motors (GM) said Monday that Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner is stepping down immediately after the White House rejected restructuring plans submitted by GM and Chrysler…

…Wagoner said in a written statement that administration officials asked that he “step aside.” – Sharon Carty, USA Today

For anyone who doubts that government money comes with long and powerful strings attached, consider that the President of the United States now seems to have the power to fire the CEO of any company taking his cash. While I know that most want to assume that the now ex-GM chief simply ran his company into the ground and deserves to be let go, I have something for you to consider.

None of the major U.S. auto makers are succeeding. If it were only GM that was failing we might be able to blame their corporate leaders for the failure. Instead we must accept that there must be something in the water that is poisoning these three giants.

It is widely held by a large number of financial experts that the cost of labor in the U.S. for these three companies is to blame and we can’t talk about labor costs among the Big 3 auto makers without bringing up Unions. Unlike the very industry that they provide the work force for, the Auto Union is allowed under Federal law to act as a monopoly and control the cost of labor within an entire industry by using tactics that can only be described as legalized extortion.

While many on the left like to blame the economic woes of the Big 3 on health costs and use this argument to promote socialized medicine, the reality is that it is the unions that have pushed for the cradle to grave medical policies for its members that have  led to the inflated medical costs of these companies. Ultimately, if medical was such an anchor to business, every company that offers medical would be asking for bailout money. Without being restricted by inflated union contracts, U.S. auto makers would be able to do what every other business does and simply cut these benefits back as necessary to make ends meet and provide more lucrative benefits contracts when times are good.

It is more than a little unjust that it is the unions that helped put the auto makers in this mess and it is the unions who helped elect Obama who ultimately ended up blaming and firing GM’s CEO, Rick Wagoner for doing the best job he could running his company with it’s legs stuck in bureaucratic, unionized mud.

Ultimately this problem can be summed up by answering one simple question; what is it in the market that the U.S. Auto Makers have had to deal with that foreign companies have not? As I said before, if only one was failing we might be able to blame corporate greed or mismanagement. Where all three are failing we have to ask; what is affecting them that aren’t affecting foreign auto companies? The only answer must be the government and its constant meddling in the industry standards and labor. I say let these companies go bankrupt and re-organize. In doing so they can toss out all old labor contracts and start on an even footing with their competition. Then step back, take our hands off and let the market drive the direction of these companies.

 While GM may have a new CEO in Fritz Henderson, everyone now knows who is really running the company now… In the end it seems that even the presidency of the United States isn’t a big enough office for a certain charismatic leader.

All the Glisters is not Gold at USU Short Film Festival

 

By Richard Okelberry

 

Introducing the release of the short film, “all that Glisters is not Gold,” as an official entry in the first annual Utah State University (USU-Tube) Short Film Festival.  While hastily constructed, this film starring the formidable talents of Chris Dunker and KVNU’s For the People’s Marc Nielsen is meant to serve as a proof of concept for the idea of using dismembered quotes from various Shakespearian works to tell a completely new story. While a sizeable section of the film had to be removed to meet the 4 minute time restriction of the film festival, the basic concept seemed to work well and will likely pave the way for a future, more detailed and less hurried production.

 

Please take the time to visit the USU Caine School of the Arts site to view the selected entries and vote for your favorites.  (You may vote using the Youtube star rating system.) 

Obama Throws Bone to Abortionists

March 2nd, 2009 – by Richard Okelberry – After stating during his campaign that he wouldn’t support late term abortions for women with mere “mental distress,” Obama has appointed someone who is arguable the highest profile, late term abortion advocate in the entire U.S., Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius to Health and Human Services Secretary of all positions.

“I have repeatedly said that I think it’s entirely appropriate for states to restrict or even prohibit late-term abortions as long as there is a strict, well-defined exception for the health of the mother. Now, I don’t think that “mental distress” qualifies as the health of the mother. I think it has to be a serious physical issue that arises in pregnancy, where there are real, significant problems to the mother carrying that child to term. Otherwise, as long as there is such a medical exception in place, I think we can prohibit late-term abortions.” – Barack Obama

You see Gov. Sebelius, even threw a party for the infamous Tiller the Baby Killer (George Tiller) as a show of support for abortionists and to thank Tiller for his sizable blood money donations to her campaign.  You see, Tiller the Baby Killer isn’t just your run of the mill abortionist.  He is responsible for perhaps thousands of Late and Near Term abortions.  His efforts are so well known that women will travel world  to come see the ‘physician’ that will pluck the dead remains of a fully developed baby at 9 months, simply because the mother complains that she is a little depressed.  Yep, when you read Obama’s quote above about Near Term abortions for ”mental distress,” he is speaking almost directly about Tiller the Baby Killer.

While many can argue over when life begins only the most radical members of the pro-abortion community will step forward and say that what Tiller does isn’t murder.  Yet even Obama, who by his own words has condemned this very practice, has promoted one of its biggest advocates to the highest post in Health and Human Serves.  How appropriate! 

For those of you who are about to defend Obama for this selection, let me put things into perspective for you.  Imagine for a moment how it would be seen by those on the left, if Bush had appointed a person to this position who had just pardoned an admitted abortion clinic bomber and you will have an idea how much of a slap in the face this appointment is. 

It’s so good when we can see how a candidate really stands on an issue.  To bad we had to elect the guy first.  If nothing else the votes to confirm this nomination will certainly give nation a clear picture of which Senators support late term abortion.   I can’t wait to see some of those members have to defend this vote that in support of not just Sebelius by Tiller the baby Killer by proxy, 2 years from now as Democrats are desperate to keep hold of a slim majority in the Senate. 

 

 

Facts:

Governor Sebelius took $38,000 in direct donations from Tiller, his wife and clinic.  In essence she ran her campaign on money from late term abortions. 

Tiller also gave an additional $23,000 to Sebelius’s ‘PAC or political slush fund.