I have friends who work at GM.

I’ve had some great speakers from GM at the Canadian Sponsorship Forum.

I know people whose parents rely on GM pensions.

So as I write this I’m not trying to insult them. But it’s time for another GM rant.

My blood is boiling over this $ 9.5 billion government bailout. It is utterly ridiculous. As a small business owner I am outraged.

Why am I paying for their ineptitude?

Why do I have to tell my employees to work harder because we have to pay taxes to fund a company who made inferior products for thirty years, and convinced the government a nine-month-old recession caused the problem?

Why do I have to create new marketing approaches for my company, in order to pay for a company whose bright idea was “employee pricing”?

I’m happy to help the pensioners maintain their standard of living. I am willing to help laid off employees get their feet under them. I feel badly for the local businesses that are impacted by this.

But you know what? There is no way $ 9.5 billion in GM is EVER going to generate a return. We will be pouring more money into this mess again in a year. And next year. And the year after that. Can’t our politicians see they are being had! This isn’t a solution. It’s a flimsy band-aid that is going to fall off again very soon.

Think about it. Each and every April you will pay your taxes and in June you’ll pay your GM subsidy.

There are too many car companies. Too many brands. Too many dealers. Too many execs making much too much money. Too many union issues.

Let some of them die, and maybe the rest will learn how to survive.

Or perhaps they should give you guys the $ 9.5 billion. That would equate to almost 700% growth in the Canadian sponsorship industry. If our industry had the money, what would we do?

We would sponsor entrepreneur conferences, science fairs, and innovation competitions that would help us produce more companies like RIM. We would sponsor events that draw tourists, attract foreign investment, and encourage the worlds’ brightest doctors to move to our northern frontiers. We would bring F1 back to Montreal, basketball back to Vancouver, and NHL hockey back to Quebec City. We would buy every Canadian a bicycle, which would reduce our health care costs. We would sponsor runs, walks, and rides that will help fund a cure for breast cancer.

We could do tons of things with $ 9.5 billion a year …couldn’t we?