General Motors Corp. is confirming it will use an idled assembly plant in Orion Township, Mich., and a parts stamping facility in Pontiac, Mich., to build small and compact cars, a move expected save 1,400 jobs.

GM confirmed the plant selection in a statement Friday, but said the decision is dependent on the outcome of negotiations between the company and the state on incentives.

Ya’ know what? No, GM. No, you do not get to base your decision on whether or not Michigan gives you “incentives” to use the plant that is sitting there right now, unused. You should not be in a position to bargain. Because here’s what happened: you spent the 80s and 90s moving jobs to Mexico because the incentives outweighed those that you were getting from Michigan. This left Michigan with a lot fewer jobs. Then you went bankrupt, and the U.S. government saved you. And now you’re going to go into a state with 15% unemployment, a state that has nothing, and you’re going to strong arm them into giving you fat tax breaks to replace the jobs that you took away in the first place?

Doesn’t the federal government have a stake in this now? Shouldn’t they be able to look at GM’s proposal and tell them exactly what they’re going to do? Because when I hear that GM is basing its decision on “incentives,” that sounds to me like they’re just continuing the pattern that got them here in the first place. And ten years down the line, when the incentives aren’t looking quite so good anymore, it’s back to Mexico. I mean, GM will get whatever it wants, because if there’s one thing no politician in Michigan wants, it’s to have to say that he voted against bringing new jobs to the state. I sure wish another industry would pop up there so Michigan could tell GM to take a hike. Meth-dealers, are you listening?