From the Department Of Tying It All Together, I bring you the 2nd-only-to-Wolcott Digby!
http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2007/09/strike-by-digby-its-our-duty.htmlStrike!
by digby
“It’s our duty. It’s the only power we have.”
--Eric Lehtonen, 50, of DeWitt Township who works at the Lansing Grand River assembly plant, where the Cadillac CTS, STS and SRX are made.
Amen brother.
GM says it needs to cut costs. Perhaps it would like to work with the Democrats and the Unions to get universal health insurance. It would be good for their workers, good for the country and good for the bottom line.
And Kos-commentary:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/9/24/155243/919For GM, health care costs was $5.2 billion back in 2005. Probably much higher today. This doesn't just affect GM's bottom line, but our competitiveness in a global economy.
...
One of the biggest failures of Clinton's health care efforts back in the early 90s was getting Big Business aboard with crass appeals to their bottom line. But can there be any doubt today that universal health care is desperately needed?
In a world where the plight of regular people is irrelevant to the decision-makers in DC and the oaf in the White House, perhaps the cries of financial anguish from the nation's top business mavens will cut through the indifference. Heck, even Business Week has written glowingly of the French system and the lessons it can deliver to the US.
If GM wants out of this mess, it should work to create a cross-industry group to work with organized labor and the Democratic Party to push for universal health care. It's one of those rare issues where all of their interests align. Might as well push that rare advantage.
EDIT: Forgot Kos link.