Wish list.

The first thing I would like to wish for this season is a win-win solution to the Goodyear strike, but I think that train has already left the station. This has the earmarks of a devastating lose-lose outcome.

Happy holidays? It won't be for the many associated with Goodyear. The ripple effect of that strike is now at the suppliers, as Performance Fibers announced layoffs in its tire fiber and yarn business. I'm sorry to say that there doesn't appear to be any end soon to the strike. There are no negotiations, unless you consider op-ed pieces in various newspapers and web sites.

I don't know how related my next wish is, but it could be substantial. My wish is for a regime change in Detroit. The people running the domestic auto companies are clueless and inept. Their actions and inactions are bringing down the supply base as well. After 30 years, you would think there would be a domestic equivalent of the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. When was the last time you saw more than one U.S. company's vehicle line on a best anything list?

While I'm on pie-in-the-sky wishful thinking, I wish we would be a lot smarter in this industry. We just went through a period when prices for the basic raw materials went to historical highs. They have fallen back recently. Are there any plans to help control future spikes or future supplies?

I wish we marketed our products a little better. The tire industry is a prime example of producing an under marketed product. Remember snow tires? Recent testing out of Europe and by Car and Driver magazine shows the remarkable braking distance improvement of snow tires compared to all season varieties. Why aren't the tire companies telling us this? This would have to increase tire sales.

Another wish that would increase tire sales is for everyone to own an Ellica vehicle. The Ellica (electric lithium-ion battery car) is in the prototype stage. Not only does this car accelerate from 0-60 mph in four seconds, it has reached a speed of 230 mph. The best part of this four-passenger vehicle is that it comes with eight tires. Each wheel has an 80 hp electric motor, creating a 640 hp eight wheel drive vehicle. It's electric, it's green, it has eight tires, what else could you wish for? Maybe a lower price. Estimated cost of development: $320,000. Happy holidays.