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A Game Changer? No.

I notice that the most recent gamble of our tax money involves the Chevy Volt…

Keep in mind, this is the president who told us that the GM and Chrysler bailouts were an unvarnished success. [1] What a lot of people don’t seem to understand is that this monstrosity of General Motors is at the center of the government -run bailout.

Let’s see what happens here.  We have a car that will go 40 miles on a charge. That’s pretty much what a golf cart will do. and this thing certainly qualifies as that.  Unfortunately that won’t even get me to work.  Nor, will it most people.  Particularly, in the northeast where some sort of heat to keep windows clear and passengers comfortable is required.  Yet this is what happens when government becomes involved.  The government is involved in the development of this monstrosity to the tune of billions of dollars and billions of promised dollars.  Remember, that there is a $7,000.00 tax write-off for every one of these $40,000.00 monstrosities.

$40,000.00.  For that kind of money I could turn around and get a real automobile.  And I suspect, that tax write-off or know, most people will.  See, here’s the problem.  Absent governmental involvement, had all this been done simply by virtue of General Motors investors, there would have been an investor rebellion.  The Volt is clearly stupidity on steroids from an investor point of view.  A singularly stupid business decision.  The fact is, it always has been.

[2]New York Times, glowed about the electric car, saying it was cleaner quieter and more reliable than other forms of transportation back in 1911.  It didn’t sell back then, and it still doesn’t sell.  As it stands right now the future of our automotive industry thanks to governmental involvement is entirely dependent on a vehicle that cost something like $40,000.00 but doesn’t offer the performance of $15,000.00 worth of Econo box.  Indeed, it fails to compete in performance and comfort as compared to it’s biggest rival… an electric golf cart, which uses the same technology.

Oh, and the jobs in the automotive sector that the president has been touting ?  You may want a look at where the batteries for this thing are being created.  South Korea.  Reason?  The stuff they’re made with is extraordinarily toxic.

This degree of failure should surprise no one, given that everything government sticks it’s nose into becomes a failure of epic proportions.

Mr. President, I have a small piece of information that you may want to consider.  Game changing technology, it does not require government involvement.  In fact the only way to achieve game changing technology is to keep government the hell out of the way.

Does anyone think that our economic recovery is going to be based on this failure?  Somehow, I don’t think so.