The only condition under which I could come to terms with a government bailout of the N. American automotive sector is if the taxpayers footing the bill buy the cars they are financing, and the government makes it is worth our while to do so.

It is more than ridiculous to approve a taxpayer investment into a failing business and not see the taxpayer benefit from the cars they are funding. There is no sanity in a public decision to keep people employed regardless of the product.

I can hold my head up on this one. I have always believed that for major consumer purchases you go out for the home team. I have only bought GM or pre-Daimler Chrysler and I have had a good history of satisfaction with my purchases. That being the case, I should be the first to support a bailout. But it doesn't make sense to protect the auto industry from the supply side and not from the demand side.

If there is to be a bailout we, the taxpayers have to be willing to put our mouth where our money is going, and use the cars we are funding. And the government has to provide the right incentive for our supporting the domestic economy.

The US economy is in tatters because its population has exercised the freedom to spend most of its money elsewhere: in locations where labor costs are lower, where there is greater variety, or a stronger cultural affinity. There are economic consequences to this consumer behavior and we are feeling them across the board.

Typically my blog will deal with customer-centrism from the supply side of marketing. I am now talking about the customer obligation to exercise the power of its loyalty to maintain equilibrium on both a macro- and micro-economic scale. Marketers persistently underestimate the value of the customer.

If I am to put my government-sanctioned tax dollars into Automotive sector I WANT MY DIVIDEND in the form of lower cost, better performance, more reliable products. And I want the security of knowing that my investment is not going to get blown out of the water because my neighbor worships Honda V-Tech engines or German Autobahn Luxe. If N. American governments choose to take protectionism to the next level, do it to the degree that makes the investment economically sustainable. Give me the tax-break on my US car purchase and let's move on.