Why the Auto Bailout Would Be a Big Mistake

Dec. 5, 2008— -- Detroit's Big Three automakers returned today to Capitol Hill to take another stab at getting $34 billion dollars of your money.

Now I happily pay taxes for a good cause. But bailing out the Big Three? Give me a break.

This week, when the CEOs descended on Washington to plead for money, they came by car.

"I'm proud to say that I drove a hybrid here from Detroit," Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli told reporters.

I guess they didn't like the backlash they got last month when Brian Ross pointed out that they'd flown in on private jets.

Despite the criticism, the three CEOs left Washington as they had arrived -- on their luxurious corporate jets -- a fact not unnoticed by the committee.

Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., said, "Raise your hand if you're planning to sell your jet in place now and fly back commercial. Let the record show no hands went up."

This week the Big Three said they'd get rid of their jets, and cut other costs, because they need our money.

Also present at this week's hearings: Ron Gettelfinger, head of the United Auto Workers union, who says employees are not to blame for Detroit's problems.

"It's not our fault that the economy is in the tank," he said.

But is it just the economy that threatens the Big Three?

Toyota isn't asking for a bailout. Neither are Honda or Nissan. Yet, they all sell and build cars in America. In fact, while the Big Three were begging for your money, workers at Honda celebrated the first cars coming off their new assembly line in Indiana.

Why can Honda do it, when the Big Three can't? Well, Gettelfinger's union is one reason. The Big Three have to deal with strikes.

The UAW even got the Big Three to create places where longtime workers who are not needed are still paid 95 percent of their wages to just sit. They wouldn't allow us to videotape these so-called jobs banks, but Linda Swan saw them when she worked for Ford.

"For the most part our people just sit inside and do nothing," she said.