BAILOUT: Chrysler drove slick deal

After watching the Clint Eastwood/Chrysler spot on the Super Bowl, it brought to mind whether the bailout was a good thing or not. Bankruptcies happen in the U.S., even large companies go bankrupt, i.e. Kodak and Lehman Brothers.

In 2009, Chrysler had at least four things going for it: Ram trucks, the Jeep brand, the Dodge Caravan and a national network of dealers. In a world of takeovers, I would imagine the following:

1. Cummins Diesel (or a consortium with them) would have kept the Ram trucks going.

2. An astute investor would have gobbled up Jeep to keep that valuable nameplate on the road.

3. The Caravan and other Dodge vehicles might have been hard to keep afloat, but the truck and Jeep jobs would be saved through real negotiation with the UAW (unlike the government negotiations).

4. Dealers would have adjusted to the new supply streams.

Too big to fail is an unrealistic concept. Bankruptcy is a normal part of the free enterprise system. The vacuum that would have been created by the demise of Chrysler would have been filled with new, private investment. Chrysler is a long way from paying back the taxpayers and government locked out the Chrysler investors who lost almost everything. The government should have no role in corporate success or failure.

JOHN MACKEY

Hayden