Road To Ruin

Once upon a time, American automobiles were the envy of the world. Power steering, V-8 engines, fuel injection, cruise control, upholstered seats, automatic transmission . . . everything you could ever want.

That is, except for fuel efficiency(or the lack of one), tanks resembling cars, the sameness of models, a product that requires numerous trips to the repair shop, and, well, need I go on? Which is why Japanese-based cars such as Toyota and Honda are now considered the envy of the world.

Now it appears the American auto industry is about to go broke for failing to meet the needs of its customers. Rising gas prices meant people couldn't get rid of their SUVs fast enough. Production of hybrid vehicles have yet to take off. Some auto dealers have been shut down nationwide. Any kind of bankruptcy among the auto companies would force massive layoffs not just in Detroit, but also at the companies that handle their supplies. People who still have jobs aren't in the mood to buy cars, or much of anything else, right now.

So here come the Big Three automakers--General Motors, Ford and Chrysler--knocking on the door of Congress, asking for a $25 billion bailout to keep their companies afloat. They are told to go back to Detroit on the corporate jets they came to Washington with, and come up with some kind of business plan before asking for money again. Meanwhile, the government has other priorities, such as propping up Citibank for more billions.

What to do? If the automakers went away tomorrow, most people would be saying good riddance, they don't deserve to be saved. Well, they're cutting back on discretionary spending like the rest of us. GM, for one, won't be advertising on this year's Super Bowl and Academy Awards telecasts. And they have just ended their endorsement contract with golfer Tiger Woods--not that he'll be hurting for money any time soon.

Ford, GM and Chrysler will eventually get their money whether we like it or not. Before they do, though, they must agree to the following provisions:

• They must make major investments in green technologies, public transportation, and construction of new or existing infrastructure.
• Build cars that get at least 50 mpg, and don't fall apart once it leaves the dealership.
• Buick and Mercury, just to name a couple of underperforming brands, needs to join Oldsmobile, Plymouth and DeSoto on the scrap heap.

Only if Detroit gets a grip on reality can it once again be on the road to success.