Why should we bail out bad managers?

This morning as I watched the morning news reporters were talking about Illinois, a state that can't pay $400 million in bills, which means the state hasn't paid its subsidized day care, police cars are sitting unused and food suppliers are threatening to stop delivery to state facilities.

Many states are facing these same problems, but we're not hearing about any bailout for these struggling states.

Sure the problems may come from bad management of money. But how can anyone use that argument when most of the problems facing the financial institutes and automakers are due to bad management?

Democrats are suggesting using money from the financial institute bailout package for automakers, while Republicans say it's a problem the automakers created and it's a problem they should figure out on their own.

As I type this, my fingers are trembling and I've used the backspace at least 20 times since I'm going to write something you'll seldom see in this column -- I have to agree with the Republicans.

The CEO of GM is making $2.2 million a year, and the company is facing bankruptcy if the government doesn't jump in and bail them out -- in any other business if a manager failed as badly as this guy they'd have been escorted out the door. Instead this guy has been getting $2.2 million a year -- more than most of us will see in a lifetime -- and all the perks and bonuses that go with it for the past eight years.

When does the government plan to start bailing out the small business owners who are being faced with the tough decision of laying off their employees, or shutting their doors?

Nebraska is also facing its fair share of controversy over the "Safe Haven" law.

Lawmakers are discussing the age limit in which a parent can legally drop off their children without being charged with child abandonment. Their latest discussion has moved from a child three days old to children who are 30 days old.

While I can never imagine dropping off a child of any age and walking away from them, I believe they are moving in the right direction. Finding a child at the entrance of a hospital is far more palatable than finding them in a trash can.

But after they look at the "Safe Haven" Law, they really need to consider what should happen with the older children. It is unfortunate, but in today's society, 30-day infants are not the only children at risk.

After listening to some of the horror stories of some of the parents who have dropped their older children off under "Safe Haven," lawmakers must understand that there is a problem, and if there is no outlet for the parents, these children could end up on the street, or worse.

Nebraska's lawmakers have a tough decision to make. I hope they will listen to the parents and their conscience to make the best decision possible for this very difficult situation.