Alabama's Shelby Overlooking Struggles in Auto Industry in Home State

Alabama's Richard Shelby is catching plenty of well-deserved flak from Michigan writers for his stupid remarks against giving aid to domestic automakers.

Check out the Livingston Press and Argus editorial for Sunday (Nov. 23, 2008) which notes it's "ugly to see the members if the Southern congressional delegation almost rooting for our collapse so that their band of foreign auto plants can have a greater market share. Reflecting on the Civil War, I can sort of understand Sherman's attitude.

"Provincialism aside, they should look not only at the national good but at their own best interests.

"According to the CAR report, a collapse of our Big Three will cripple suppliers and likely put foreign auto manufacturers in America out of business for at least a year."

Then there's this from Mitch Albom from The Detroit Free Press, who calls out Shelby thusly:

"Sen. Shelby. Yes. You. From Alabama. You've been awfully vocal. You called the Detroit Three's leaders 'failures.' You said loans to them would be 'wasted money.' You said they should go bankrupt and 'let the market work.'

"Why weren't you equally vocal when your state handed out hundreds of millions in tax breaks to Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Honda and others to open plants there? Why not 'let the market work'? Or is it better for Alabama if the Detroit Three fold so that the foreign companies -- in your state -- can produce more?

"Way to think of the nation first, senator."

Well, it turns out the "market" isn't working so hot for those foreign manufacturers down in Alabama, either. Check out the layoffs, buy-outs, and production cuts that are in progress in Shelby's home state, according to Edmunds Auto Observer.

The piece notes that Shelby's fellow senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama has called the auto industry there vibrant, even as sales of the vehicles made in Alabama are off from 20 percent to 39 percent and as at least one of the plants is offering buy-outs to all of its 11,000 workers.

So Michigan workers do not need to feel that they are alone. It turns out Shelby doesn't care any more about workers in his own state than he does the ones here in Michigan.