Here's one from the "Are you kidding me?" department

I am not normally a big proponent of the slippery slope argument, so it's disconcerting to see such a slide in action. Here in my hometown, it’s the regional car dealers association that has an interesting proposal. Apparently our dealer friends, troubled by increasingly depressed car sales, would like to collectively close their doors on Sundays, ostensively to enable their overworked employees to have a day to "spend with their families." (Don't ask why the employees are so overworked if business is so slow). In any event, nice concept, right? So what's the issue? Evidently, to achieve this business reality, the dealers feel they have to rely on the State legislature to enact "blue laws" that would legally prevent car dealerships from doing business on Sundays. That's right, they want a law passed to compel them to close. The reasoning is that despite their concertive agreement that not much business is actually done on Sundays currently, they fear that if some of them decided to shutter their doors, others may not and, thereby, gain a competitive advantage. Holy Moley… is this what it's come to?

I hate to sink to sarcasm (well, not exactly), but c'mon, seriously? Really?

I recognize that the Portland area car dealer association isn't exactly the senior management of the Big Three automakers, but it makes me wonder if this isn't endemic of the kind of thinking pervasive throughout this industry. Where is the focus on developing a robust business plan and working the plan? Earth to Car Dealers: close your dang doors on Sundays - or Tuesdays - or whatever works for you. Do we really need to have our State legislature spend even one hour on this so-called dilemma? Ever try to run a restaurant in today's challenging economy? Guess what? A huge number of our town's eateries are closed on Mondays; some on Tuesdays, too. They figure, I guess, that with so few customers on these typically slow evenings, it's not worth it to open. Bravo for them. Likely the ones that opt to serve on the "slow nights" pick up some extra business. Good for them, too. Its what we call competition in our free-market society.

The current bail-out mentality is scary. To cop the same plea as WSJ columnist David Brooks, I don't consider myself wise enough or educated enough on economic theory to trust my opinion on whether the bailouts - I mean "rescue" plans - are good policy. But, I'm pretty sure they won't be over soon -- even after the Democrats capitulate by allowing some the $25B already earmarked for developing more environmentally friendly automobiles be used to bolster the Big Three. Maybe that's a good plan, but I can't get beyond the smell factor. What's next? Propping up The Gap and J.Jill?

In the meantime, whether new cars are available to purchase seven days a week or six, I'll be driving my 5-yr-old Jetta ("Joan") for the next several years to come. Therein, may lie the real problem.