General Motors stock fell below $3 per share at the close of trading yesterday on the New York Stock Exchange. The price was the lowest the stock had sold for in 65 years, pushed down by the economic crisis, record low consumer confidence and the inability to access credit for auto loans amongst those rare few who do want to buy a car.

The flailing American auto industry is in such dire shape it has prompted calls from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to hold a special lame duck session of Congress in order to address the needs of the troubled sector and provide it with emergency aid, as the Big 3 Automakers join the seemingly neverending line of American companies jockeying for a Government bailout.

Letting the Auto Manufacturers fail would unquestionably cause tremendous harm to the future economic prospects of the United States. However a “cash and carry”, “take the money and run” corporate gimme is not an option either. If the American taxpayer is going to fund the failing of the Big Three auto manufacturers, an ownership interest as well as major concessions by the companies will have to be part of the deal. Chief amongst these concessions should be a contract, signed by all companies to drastically improve their fuel efficiency standards and focus on alternative energy vehicles, chiefly electric cars. This is a historic opportunity to change the way Detroit operates that we cannot miss.

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The US Senate approved a $13 Billion funding package for Amtrak earlier this month, nearly doubling the previous funding for the National Railway. The move comes amidst an amazing confluence of factors, in a world rapidly changing before our very eyes, chief amongst them the record price of gasoline over the past year and the subsequent increase to record train ridership and decrease in the power of the major automobile manufacturers.

With the House of Representatives having past a similar measure last week, the bill now moves to the Oval Office to await the President’s signature in order to be enacted. Not suprisingly, the Bush Administration had threatened to veto Amtrak funding earlier this year, but with the recent passage of the legislation with near veto-proof majorities in both chambers of Congress it is unlikely, though still possible, that Bush would risk the unnecessary embarrassment of having a veto turned over this late in his term.

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As the election nears to a boiling point there’s much to be done to make sure that every single eligible person who can vote does so. Unfortunately, many people, including veterans, are not being given the opportunity to register to vote. Yes, this is crazy as these people have already proudly served our country and given more sacrifice for it than most of us. So, why is the Veterans Administration not allowing veterans at nursing homes and hospitals allowing people to be registered to vote? The US House of Representatives knew this policy was nonsense and passed legislation to undo the VA policy. However, the US Senate needs to do the same.

takepart Please take a minute to tell your senators to support veterans right to vote today-timing is running out before people can register to vote.

(Photo: billaday’s flickr photostream)

The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Check out some of our most popular stories of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites!

TakePart Gang:

Everything I Know About Climate Change, I Learned in the Fifth Grade by Martin Musatov

When Torture Is Condoned, Is FISA That Shocking? by Wendy Cohen

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Nicole Hughes:

Baltimore Woman Turns Tragedy Into Art

Why Don’t We Do More to Stop Global Warming?

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Andy Kondrat:

Foods You Should and Shouldn’t Buy Organic

Paper or Plastic? The Environmental Impact

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Jon Popham:

The Energy Independence Bill: A Filibuster Odyssey

“Bruno” Fools Mossad Agent

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Gina Telaroli:

While Iran Tests Missiles, Test These 5 Iranian Films

Mao’s Out, Time to Capitalize On the Olympics

Imagine a country suffering from the highest energy costs in its 232 year history. A country that imports 70% of its needs for an expensive, environmentally hazardous fuel that enriches some of the most unstable, oppressive governments on Earth to power its gargantuan transportation sector. Then imagine a burgeoning alternative energy industry, ready to take shape in the country, waiting to boom, hoping for the necessary government cooperation to get itself off the ground. The leadership of the country craft legislation to allow for investment tax credits for alternative energy, a boon to investors desperate to find a good place for capital in a risky economic market. A bill which would practically guarantee a groundswell of investment to fund the new industry. The bill passes with ease through the lower chamber of the country’s bicameral legislature. But when the bill enters the legislature’s upper house, the minority party stops the bill cold, by refusing to even allow debate on the legislation vis-a-vis a procedural trick.

Well guess what? You don’t have to imagine anymore, because the scenario presented above is taking place right now in Congress. The bill is The Energy Independence and Tax Relief Act (H.R. 6049). The upper house of the legislature is the United States Senate. The minority party blocking the measure are the Republicans and the parliamentary tactic they’re using to stop desperately needed investment and progress in the alternative energy sector is the filibuster.

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The US Government has placed a moratorium on all new solar projects on public lands citing (get this) environmental concerns. The Federal Bureau of Land Management says a two year study of the potential environmental impact solar plants could have on public lands is needed before any new work on production facilities can proceed.

The decision by the Bureau which came down in late May has caused much consternation in the fledgling solar power industry, where fears are growing that the government is hobbling the industry and its access to empty, sunny public lands of the West and Southwest, just when the appetite for clean, renewable alternative energy sources such as solar is taking off.

“It doesn’t make any sense,” Holly Gordon, vice president for legislative and regulatory affairs for solar thermal energy company Ausra, told the New York Times, “The Bureau of Land Management land has some of the best solar resources in the world. This could completely stunt the growth of the industry.”

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