Drive UPDATE concerning the Van Buren County Road Commission

Our 3 year battle goes on! Most of you know of our dilemma attempting to get a driveway approval for a safe and convenient access to our Motorplex from the 4 lane road in front of our property: Phoenix Street. Linda and I have attended the past 2 Van Buren County Road Commission meetings in Lawrence. I have read a written statement during the "public comment" portion of the meeting, given the board a copy and asked that it be entered into the record. The board and their engineer manager have been asked to respond to 5 specific questions concerning the process of granting driveways. The Van Buren County Road Commission has not responded by phone, fax, email, letter, or smoke signal!
I then attended a Van Buren County Board of Commissioners meeting last week. I read a written statement and then asked just who the Road Commissioners were accountable to. The answer I got should concern everyone: In essence, I was told that the Board of Commissioners only get involved with the 6 year appointments of the individual and that ends their accountability until the end of the 6 year term! We have an elected county board that appoints folks to a 6 year road commission term with no accountability for their actions for the entire term? What's wrong with THAT picture?? This situation needs to be confronted and corrected to protect everyone who resides in Van Buren County. The Road Commission seems to think that if they ignore our requests we will just fade away. NOT A CHANCE. Things are going to get very interesting..... Stay tuned. I will never give up in my fight for what is right!!

The REAL COST of Cash for Clunkers? $24,000 per incremental sale!!

The Edmund car site just released a study on the true cost of the government's Cash for Clunkers program. They used the actual sales records for the period, units that were sold under the clunker program, compared the data to "non incentive" months and came up with this stunning number: $24,000 per car sold under the program! Great job feds. I'd sure like you running our marketing at the Motorplex! The sad fact is that many auto dealers are still waiting for their money! I've been told that each transaction under the program entailed 27 pages of required documentation.
The auto news only got better this week when ONE US automaker reported a profit: Ford Motor Company which is looking more and more like the ONLY intelligent auto maker as they turned down a government bailout. Stay tuned this week when Fiat will attempt to instill public confidence in Chrysler as they reveal future product plans. Listen carefully and you'll find out just how bare the new product cupboard is at Chrysler. The situation is beyond critical with virtually no new car updates until 2012 at the EARLIEST. The only new products coming in 2010-2011 are 3/4 and one ton trucks along with a new Jeep Grand Cherokee. Now those are 3 hot sellers in this market! Ouch! Some re-badged Fiat are being "Americanized" as we speak. I really don't think that FIAT is a car that comes to mind for most Americans considering a new car!
The automakers have things coming at them from all sides. New government regulations for fuel economy are certainly justified, but limiting the amount of sunlight entering the car is just bizarre. Ford Motor has a UAW that will not accept the same contract terms as they gave to GM and Chrysler. Now we hear the the government is "guiding" GM and Chrysler in product planning! This can only be a major disaster alert! Before it's over there may just be a whole new meaning to "postal van"!