Commentary: Two political dilemmas: Cars, health care

Two of the most serious and complex challenges facing the Obama administration are the auto industry bailout and his expensive national health care plan.

According to the Washington Post, General Motors - also known as Government Motors after a $50 billion taxpayer bailout - hopes that the electricity-powered Chevrolet Volt will be its salvation. Well, maybe, but the Post reports that GM itself is ambivalent about the Volt. While GM executives hail the Volt as the company's savior, a much different GM vehicle was front and center at a recent Detroit new car show: The 400-horsepower 2010 Chevy Camaro SS, which gets 25 miles per gallon on the highway.

GM customers are ambivalent, too. While many Americans tell pollsters how much they love energy efficient "green" vehicles, that isn't what they buy. Just look around Northern Nevada and notice how many trucks and SUVs are out there. Let's face it: Americans prefer bigger, safer vehicles.

I've been a Volvo driver for many years, even when I couldn't afford to be encased in Swedish steel. Safety is my main concern and Volvo is a safe car. I make several long road trips each year to the Bay Area, Seattle and Southern California, and don't want to joust with those huge 18-wheelers on I-5 in an ecologically correct "smart car." Those glorified motor scooters simply aren't designed for freeway driving, and they aren't safe.

So call me politically incorrect. Enjoy your new Volt, but if and when I buy another American car, I'll be the Guy in the Camaro SS.

Health Care

And now, let's examine President Obama's trillion-dollar health care headache. Although a recent CBS/New York Times poll found that 72 percent of Americans favor government-sponsored health care reform, "that support drops when dollar amounts are mentioned." And that's exactly what happened when the Congressional Budget Office put a $1.6 trillion price tag on the president's health care plan for 46 million uninsured U.S. residents.

I say "U.S. residents" rather than "Americans" because Obama's plan would cover 10 to 12 million illegal immigrants. So be sure to sign-on to Obama-care if you want to provide free health care for millions of illegals and their families. And let's be sure to ask Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid about that hidden factor when he makes his annual summer visit to Nevada.

Obama, Reid & Co. promise that I'll be able to keep my secondary health plan if I like it, which I do. But I object to paying for people who contribute nothing to the system. Sorry about that.

• Guy W. Farmer, a semi-retired journalist and former U.S. diplomat, resides in Carson City.