Auto Industry’s request for a Bailout is Congress’ Golden Oppurtunity

So it is hard to stay positive when every day sees more news headlines about the stocks dropping and  Congress giving away more and more money.  I’m no economist and I decided to let those (supposedly) more intelligent figure out the details.  However, when I heard that the auto industry was begging for handouts as well, I had to speak up.

Automobiles, in my mind, are the single most polluting part of American and world society.  If everyone stopped driving tomorrow, it would reduce by half the amount of carbon monoxide, by a third the amount of nitrogen oxides, and by a quarter the amount of the hydrocarbons in our atmosphere.  As a consumer-driven and convenience-driven country, we are nowhere near eliminating our addiction to cars.  However, this economic crisis for American car companies is actually a good thing in the fight for a greener country and planet.

Instead of writing a blank check to the “Big 3″: Ford, Chrysler and GM, Congress should think long and hard about how they want the transportation in this country to look like now and in the future.  Let’s think beyond fuel-effecient vehicles that still rely on gas.  Let’s implement incentives for vehicles that run on renewable sources, such as vegetable oil – which is also great because it reduces unnecessary waste.  Let’s get those car companies working on something entirely different, like mass transit vehicles that could take the place of cars.  I’m no scientist, but I have faith in those in this country who are, and I believe that they can find a solution that satisfies convenience, energy efficiency, unemployment and of course pride.

Let’s make this economic disaster into something that can transform transportation and improve our country, instead of simply propping up greedy, outdated and (obviously) failing companies.