[Rob Hood]

http://www.autoextremist.com/current/2008/7/8/rants-453.html

Was listening to some newsradio today - many analysts are painting a bleak picture. Heard that Hummer and Saab were going to be let go, maybe more. I've already seen where Chevy is not sponsoring several NASCAR races next year.

Rick Wagoner is supposed to deliver an announcement tomorrow morning at 0830 EST. Should be worth listening to.

This post has been edited by Rob Hood: Jul 15 2008, 05:59 AM

[Sam Strano]

Big business runs the country, it has for a long time and will for a long time. We'll never get universal health care because those that get rich off of the insane costs won't allow it.

Let me enlighten those of you that think private health insurance is the answer than that those of us who have our own businesses relating to what we enjoy (cars in my case) live a dream. My health insurance costs were... $1453 *a month* for 3 people, on a business plan. There are cheaper plans, but none that would have covered the costs involved in my Mom's troubles. We didn't get the cheapest plan, we got the best plan we could afford. That's right, I pay $17k+ a year in just health insurance costs. Since Mom passed away that's dropped to a cheap(?) $1000 a month, so only $12k a year for 3 folks who have no record of health issues, serious ones at least.

Do you know how many parts I have to sell just to cover those costs, let alone the cost of parts (going up as most are made of metal and need shipped), fuel, natural gas, electricity?

We need universal health care, we need a lot of things fixed. I'm lucky I can keep my head above water. I don't have a second job or a spouse with insurance. This business is my life (which is why I get annoyed when folks just buy whatever from whoever when I could have helped them out) and it pays my bills.

The whole system is F*cked up. Business rules, and Bush only made it worse. I'm not saying a Democrat can fix it, I don't think anyone can fix it, or will try, until it's too late. But I know how we got in this mess, and when it's all been since 2000. Somehow that'll be everyone's fault but the "Decider" who lives in the White House is is supposed to watch over this country. But nay, that's not as much fun as killing thousands of kids, wasting billions of dollars, leaving "no child behind" by making education so poor any moron can pass, the fact it costs of hundreds of dollars to fill up our cars, which need to get from A to B--like work.

Gas costs? Sure not as much as Europe, but then we also don't carry nearly the taxes on fuel they do. And last I checked they don't have to cover nearly as much ground (it's not nearly as large as the US). And while they are higher in costs there are places that are cheaper too. It's a nice thought the oil companies have that "we have it good" and they can't do anything. They make BILLIONS of dollars in profits, record profits in fact and then say they feel for those who can't barely get by. Give me a break. And oil is being helped by speculators because it's a safe investment to defend the weak-ass dollar that our supposedly "fiscially responsible" Republican President has gotten us. Yeah, right. Last I checked the the "spend it all and more" Democratic President had a surplus and balance budgets. But let's ignore that little fact because less taxes sound good to everyone. Hell I'm paying more of those too, on top of everthing else.