Pam Solo's article on how to save Detroit from itself makes a lot of sensible points about what needs to be included in any deal. For instance, if the government is going to give Detroit a big bag of money, Detroit is going to have to their four-year long lawsuit against the global warming laws passed by California, Vermont, Rhode Island, and New Mexico. We can't be giving Detroit money so they can use it to file lawsuits against climate change legislation and pay lobbyists to block federal action and funnel cash to state governments to block clean emissions laws. This deal would, in some sense, mean the partial nationalization of Detroit. That means they have to be in line with the nation's priorities. If they're not willing to make those sorts of concessions, then the only plausible conclusion is they don't really need the money, and shouldn't get it. Either they're a private industry with their own interests in mind and should be left to succeed or fail on their own terms, or they're a quasi-public industry with a mission that makes it sensical for the taxpayers to ensure their survival. It's can't be both. Meanwhile, the executives of the Big Three are testifying before Congress today. You can read their opening statements here. They better be good, because the latest round of reporting suggests they don't have the votes.
