Senate to Middle Class: Drop Dead

Friends,

They could have given the loan on the condition that the automakers start building only cars and mass transit that reduce our dependency on oil.

They could have given the loan on the condition that the automakers build cars that reduce global warming.

They could have given the loan on the condition that the automakers withdraw their many lawsuits against state governments in their attempts to not comply with our environmental laws.

They could have given the loan on the condition that the management team which drove these once-great manufacturers into the ground resign and be replaced with a team who understands the transportation needs of the 21st century.

Yes, they could have given the loan for any of these reasons because, in the end, to lose our manufacturing infrastructure and throw 3 million people out of work would be a catastrophe.

But instead, the Senate said, we'll give you the loan only if the factory workers take a $20 an hour cut in wages, pension and health care. That's right. After giving BILLIONS to Wall Street hucksters and criminal investment bankers -- billions with no strings attached and, as we have since learned, no oversight whatsoever -- the Senate decided it is more important to break a union, more important to throw middle class wage earners into the ranks of the working poor than to prevent the total collapse of industrial America.

We have a little more than a month to go of this madness. As I sit here in Michigan today, tens of thousands of hard working, honest, decent Americans do not believe they can make it to January 20th. The malaise here is astounding. Why must they suffer because of the mistakes of every CEO from Roger Smith to Rick Wagoner? Make management and the boards of directors and the shareholders pay for this.

Of course that is heresy to the 31 Republicans who decided to blame the poor, miserable autoworkers for this mess. And our wonderful media complied with their spin on the morning news shows: "UAW Refuses to Give Concessions Killing Auto Bailout Bill." In fact the UAW has given concession after concession, reduced their benefits, agreed to get rid of the Jobs Bank and agreed to make it harder for their retirees to live from week to week. Yes! That's what we need to do! It's the Jobs Bank and the old people who have led the nation to economic ruin!

But even doing all that wasn't enough to satisfy the bastard Republicans. These Senate vampires wanted blood. Blue collar blood. You see, they weren't opposed to the bailout because they believed in the free market or capitalism. No, they were opposed to the bailout because they're opposed to workers making a decent wage. In their rage, they were driven to destroy the backbone of this country, not because the UAW hadn't given back enough, but because the UAW hadn't given up.

It appears that the sitting President has been looking for a way to end his reign by one magnanimous act, just like a warlord on his feast day. He will put his finger in the dyke, and the fragile mess of an auto industry will eke through the next few months.

That will give the Senate enough time to demand that the bankers and investment sharks who've already swiped nearly half of the $700 billion gift a chance to make the offer of cutting their pay.

Fat chance.

Yours,
Michael Moore

An Open Letter to Zia's Restaurant in St. Louis

To the Owners and Management of Zia's on The Hill in St. Louis, MO:

My experience with the manager on duty at 7:00 pm on Friday, November 28th, was so terrible that I am compelled to inform you of the mistreatment my wife, my family, and I received.

Having called Zia's at 2:00 pm to make a reservation for nine diners, we were told that none were accepted (though Zia's web site states reservations are accepted Monday through Friday for groups of 6 or more), but to call back at 6:00 to be placed on the list for seating. Accordingly, we called at 6:00 and were told to arrive at 7:00. Upon our arrival we were then told our table would be ready around 8:00. We all understood the nature of the waiting list—and the fact that it is not a reservation. Still, this additional hour wait was confusing, since we had been told to arrive at 7:00 and not 8:00.

Wanting to understand the nature of this delay for future visits, I asked if it was due to an unexpected amount of diners. The restaurant was obviously crowded, and underestimating the number of patrons would have been a forgivable mistake.

In fact, it was the treatment by the manager on duty that was inexcusable.

Instead of answering my question, the manager threatened that she was "not going to let me stand there and scream at her." I apologized and explained that if my voice was raised I was simply trying to be heard over the noise of the crowded restaurant.

The manager continued to evade my question and condescend toward me, saying it was the day after Thanksgiving (as if I wasn't already aware of that), and the waiting list was only a "heads-up." This vague explanation failed to address my question or to describe the waiting list on which we'd been placed.

She continued to flatly and unapologetically fence with us and give not a bit of friendly service or understanding. When I expressed my disappointment at her lack of customer service, and that I was a local resident who would not be returning to Zia's, she responded by saying, "Good."

The manager was glad we weren't happy and she was glad we wouldn't be returning.

If this is acceptable customer service at Zia's, we certainly won't be returning. But moreover, the manager's lack of regard for us—not to mention her failure to treat us with even the modicum of respect one should offer a fellow human being—speaks to a total disregard for Zia's patrons. Her behavior does Zia's staff, management, and ownership a great disservice.

Respectfully,