Is There Too Much Bailout Coverage on TTAC?

Robert Farago
by Robert Farago

Several of our Best and Brightest are not happy with the Nancy Pelosi-mobile post. Wolfx14 and y2dkcar protested that it highlights the inadvisability TTAC’s bailout– I mean, “federal bridge loans to Detroit”– coverage, both in terms of stance and quantity. I’m fully aware that there’s been a surfeit of bridge loan-related posts in the last 12 hours. And there’s no question that Eddy, myself and most of our writers believe that these are bridge loans to nowhere. In TTAC’s defense, the loans are a huge mistake. And there hasn’t been this much bridge playing since The Big 2.8’s execs flew into DC on their big ass jets to beg for billions. Still, we’ve been alternating money and car coverage pretty well since the last time the B&B upbraided us for out mondo-beration of the pols and execs feasting at Uncle Sugar’s bailout buffet. See? There I go again. Well, this IS the biggest story in American automotive history. And we HAVE been monitoring the situation before most people thought there WAS a situation. But I want to give you, our not-so-gentle readers, a chance to vent again on TTAC’s editorial choices. So let rip without [much] fear of deletion or amendment. Meanwhile, if anyone wants to write a[nother] pro-bailout diatribe, let me know (robert.farago@thetruthaboutcars.com). Thanks.

Robert Farago
Robert Farago

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  • Cardeveloper Cardeveloper on Jan 12, 2009

    I have sent several links and/or articles, on both sides, and it's sad, only the slanted ones from one side get published. Want to guess which side that is?

  • JamesB JamesB on Jan 12, 2009

    As I have said before, when good people give up, bad things keep happening. It is true, the bailout ship has sailed. Reason and morality lost. However that does not mean truth should not be reported and facts should be ignored. Please continue with the site as-is.

  • Martin Schwoerer Martin Schwoerer on Jan 13, 2009

    TTAC's bailout coverage seems pretty unbalanced to me. One basic premise is weak: that the U.S. was somehow a red-blooded capitalist society until Pelosi and Frank took over. Bush greatly increased the already massive subsidies to the farming industry. The U.S. housing sector has benefited from indirect subdidies for decades. The southern-state auto makers have enjoyed considerable subsidies; why has TTAC never published an article about this? Ask Schreiber to write about this and I imagine he will. Aerospace relies on the public teat. Car transportation as such is subsidized; Tom Vanderbilt's excellent book (reviewed by S Wilkinson at TTAC) describes how car drivers get a free ride. I could go on and on. So, describing the bailout as un-American is totally unconvincing to me, especially when expressed in such strident tones.

  • Matt Matt on Jan 13, 2009

    I'd like to see the daily (or at least more frequent) podcasts return.

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