Self Driving Cars: Alcoa, Google, Lyft, Apple, Uber, GM, Ford

It looks like Apple has entered the self driving car race. Yesterday Apple.Car was added to Apple's domain name lexicon.Apple joins Google, Lyft, Uber, GM, Ford, etc. as eager providers to "must have" choices for consumers.The tech group speaks to what they will be their value added to this care free driving experience. What could possibly go wrong? But who will build the platform?Tech equipped is one thing. But The car still needs wheels and a wrap around metal sheet to keep rain out and stop other cars and tech equipped pedestrians from walking into the cars space. Alcoa has a patented process called Micromill. Ford now uses it to reduce weight in its vehicles to meet government mileage goals. The Micromill processed aluminum is not only lighter than steel but more durable.The same enhanced aluminum was used in combat vehicles in Iraq. Bay Area driving isn't as dangerous as driving any where in Iraq.Let the gadget gods fight it out. They still have to come propeller hat in hand to Alcoa's engineering and metal working shop. Google will offer insurance with its entry.That's the business they really want to get a foothold. Why? Look what the insurance business did for Warren Buffett.Google's eco friendly motto will parlay no towing fees with crashed/damaged self driving aluminum cars. Just leave the car. The homeless will remove it in shopping carts for return fees.

Government Unions : Super Citizens

Wisconsin is having trouble reining in state unions. Facing a budget deficit, Governor Scott wants give backs and layoffs. The unions won't hear of it. They have assembled mean demonstrations and enlisted the help of other affiliated unions that are not involved in the layoffs or give backs. SEIU is the prime example of a union throwing its weight around in an effectively immoral way.

The unions are behaving like a criminal enterprise and should be prosecuted under RICO statutes. Imagine Lockhheed getting help from Ford to get a contract away from Boeing. Also if one works for the government, the strike right should not be available. Otherwise it's like a super citizenship. I.E. not only does the union worker administer policy but it can demand pay and benefits not available to the citizenship it supposedly serves. Rule by decree is not tolerated by tyrants or loud mouth union bosses and their friends in government.

P.S. President Obama has just released a statement that the Wisconsin people and their legislature are "assaulting unions". He's implying that he's not concerned with unions outrageous demands.

John Wilkes Booth dealt with another radical.

Chrysler Should Have Been Allowed To Fail

The shameless auto executives are back begging for more money. They remind of the young man pleading his case before his sceptical parents. "Please just give me one more chance. I will be home on time and I promise to fill up the gas tank this time."

The parents retort," But son you are a mature man now. Some of your classmates have started their own families and they own a home and own their own cars. When will you grow up? We have other obligations."

Former Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca made a sucessful plea for a government bailout some 30 years ago. And now Chrysler is back but this time with GM and Ford at the same table. Maybe if Chrysler was allowed to fail years ago, GM and Ford would have worked harder and the UAW would have learned a lesson that would have avoided todays mess?

Bye Bye General Motors And Ford ?

Today General Motors and Ford were both downgraded by Wall Street analysts to sell. Now they tell us ! The future looks like either bankruptcy or a government- assisted bailout which in either case would leave the existing shares worthless.

The Volkswagen Bug showed up on our shores in the 1950's and the Japanese invasion of cheap, economical- to- run cars joined VW. But GM, Ford and Chrysler didn't take the hint. They continued to build expensive gas guzzlers with high profit margins . They bribed Congress to keep miles-per-gallon requirements at a low threshold and even got the lawmakers to give tax incentives to buyers of trucks and SUVs.

My take on this tactic by Detroit was that the obligations to pay the inflated demands of the United Auto Workers necessitated the high-priced autos. Now this is not the way to meet the public's changing trends toward affordability in transportation choices. Detroit went down the wrong way on a one-way street.