Autos, the Government and Bloody Hands

As the whole "to lend or not to lend" auto industry vs. the Congress battle rages on, I wanted to give credit to the Detroit Free Press for taking an honest approach to the topic (read it here).

The loss of jobs, the devastated retirements, the massive loss of
health care coverage, the sharp drop in local tax revenues, the
closings of supplier and ancillary businesses — all would be calamitous
in the best of times. And these are not that. Just ask the people you
represent.

More than 3 million jobs are at stake in the industry. General
Motors, Ford and Chrysler are threaded in the fabric of businesses in
every state across America.

This is one of the things that has scared me. Three million people! Political/economic theories aside, the idea of letting that many people lose their jobs in the name of economic correction is scary. In October, 10.1 million people in the United States were unemployed (Bureau of Labor Statistics), which translates to a 6.5% unemployment rate. And if you look at the map the Free Press put together showing the national breakdown of direct automotive jobs, you'll see that there are 7 states with over 90,000 people employed in the auto industry. It's not just Detroit that is at stake, regardless of where you live.

Because the losses from an auto industry failure are about more than
dry statistics. Every job associated with the industry is a family, a
home, a college education, a cancer treatment or a secure retirement.
Every one of those jobs is about someone making a living doing work
that's vital to the nation's economic interests.

I was pleased to read this paragraph. Why? Because, rather than bemoan Congress supporting Wall Street but not Main Street, the Free Press has hit on the realities of all of this. Three million is not an exit poll statistic. It is not a voting block. Three million is the number of our neighbors that will be affected by the collapse of this industry. Three million more families left in need.

Echoing in my mind through all of this:

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

All I am saying is this: if a company does go under and the church fails to care for the hundreds of thousands (or millions) left out in the cold, there will be blood on some hands, and it won't be Congress alone who gets the goats-vs-sheep treatment.