Editor, The Times:
In an age where ‘free market’ capitalism had to be bailed out to the tune of billion ‘nay’ trillions of taxpayers dollars to prop up banks in the U.S. and indeed around the world, it shouldn’t be a problem to give a company like Bombardier, a company that actually makes something, a little government money.
After the near banking meltdown of 2007-08, in which, to prevent absolute anarchy the banksters and money manglers were handed a lot of taxpayers’ largesse. After all, when the fuel and food dry up, there would be rioting and blood on the streets! No waiting for the free market tooth fairy to repair things.
Hereby lies the rub. What company would be gross enough to ask for federal money one day then the next announce layoffs of a couple thousand workers here in Canada the next? (Especially a Quebec company).
What horse-blinders corporate culture would make company execs think they can get away with it?
Well, when one thinks about it, quite a few. When Caterpillar, Sterling Trucks and others, after having received a lot of government largesse in the form of grants and tax breaks, simply folded their tents and departed for more favourable climes nothing much was said.
It was a ‘business decision’ said Stephen Harper, implying some form of sacredness to the whole thing.
But Harper’s everything-for-the-corporation regime is long gone. There is, hopefully, a new regime, a new act more in tune of the needs of the rest of Canada – maybe?
Actually, when one thinks about it, it’s not a bad scene.
Air Canada buying 10 of Bombardier’s new jets – keep it in Canada – might ‘cheese off’ the globalizers and TPP pushers, but for the rest of us, if those Bombardier jets are as good as they say (we don’t want another Ross Rifle), then what’s the problem with federal support for Bombardier?
The problem here is, like the tinman, these Bombardier execs need to get a brain. These Bombardier ‘high flyers’ think they have one.
That’s the problem!
Dennis Peacock
Clearwater, B.C.
