The Big Three Meet With Pelosi

Do the taxpayers have to bail out everybody??? This is ridiculous!

please bail my 20K in credit cards out and my 600k mortgage too! enough, of bailing, put the money towards building new economies! not old ones…..

Insanity.

GM, Ford, Chrysler and the Unions have overall made usch horrible product both in design and quality for such a long time. GM’s only real product are SUV’s, same as Ford, Chrysler has its Minivans.
I say let them buy each other, or let them go out of business…….no one wants their products.
Why would I provide them a loan when they are going down the tubes anyway?

The Big Three: I know there are people that would have a problem bailing out the Auto industry and count me with them, unless the Government finely said, I will help but only if you give the consumer a car that gets 250 miles to a gallon with a 20 gallon tank.
That is what is needed to recapitalized the middle class. [see APTIRA] This model would make the price at the pump irrelevant. The way forward is silicon valley with battery technology or the air car [TATA motors India].
Talk with Google’s Dan Reicher and its Recharge IT and bio-reactor initiatives.
Thanks
Rick

If Big Government is going to be the place we go to when we can’t pay our bills, we need a division to help the regular folks because energy rates are going up, food costs are going up, the cost of sending kids to college is going up, the cost of going to the doctor is going up and nobody is offering any solutions for us to cope! We’ve had to make sacrifices to live within our means – big companies should be forced to do the same.

There’s the novel Idea? Buy another Japan car?? You are part of the problem with American Car industry. Chevy and Ford build great cars, Chevy works close with Toyota and Ford with 5 EU companies, so the problem is not build a better car, the problem is the other markets taping into our markets and and the economic crisis, and final the high oil costs. Our gov. needs to force the industry to make higher millage car with the least emissions which is where Japan and China are beating the US.

These are the same three that have been getting rid of American workers, and getting rid of American Jobs in record numbers. And now they want what?
Return the American jobs you took away. Create more American Jobs. And hire in record numbers American citizen workers. And if any American Citizen is unemployed, you have to hire him/her first before even thinking of hiring anyone else or going anywhere else.
Time to do what other countries do to protect their work force.

Save them for America. Let the Wall Street Bankers die instead. Blue-collar Americans out time is now. Lets put big taxes on overpriced foreign cars to pay for it…

PATHETIC! FOR DECADES all they did was manufacture GAS Guzzling SUVs and 8 cylinder monster trucks… Now they want to bailed out too? Where does it end??? I say Let them Fail…

No bailout for the Big 3 auto makers. Only make them bridge loans that they have to pay back to the feds with interest. As a condition of the loans all of the UAW labor contracts have to be re-negotiated with new wage and benefit levels that are comparable to what the Japancese and European auto makers with plants in the US are paying their workers. As a taxpayer, I am not interested in subsidizing a bunch of overpaid UAW workers.

Do NOT bail these wasteful fools out along w/ the banks. My old ’77 F-150 is still running strong and I expect it to last me another 30 years since I take good care of it. It may not get the best mileage, but it is a testament to how well they used to build them compared to todays’ vehicles. If the big 3 can build a vehicle that is both fuel efficient and long-lasting, then I’ll buy another one. Until then, if my truck lets me down, I’m looking to Toyota or maybe Honda for my next purchase. Build a better truck, and we will buy them. However, you cannot have OUR tax dollars to save your overblown butts from the fire!

the US auto industry does not deserve any bail out money….
A bloated arrogant management system, building vehicles plagued with recalls
Give me a break.
I’m behind with my house payments.
I think I will ask for an audience with Pelosi.

I am not surprised that the car manufacturers are close to bankruptcy. The standard of English in most of the comments here is shocking.

ME TOO! I need cash now and I cannot wait till next year.. BAIL ME OUT Ms Pelosi!!!!!

They can just move jobs overseas and get cheaper labor.

Maybe the government should just buy the auto companies and make the cars themselves. Then all tax payers can be given a standard government-issued car every few years.

I went into debt this year with over 100k in medical expenses, After the heart attack came the stroke of lawsuits for payment. Too tell you the truth it would have been cheaper for my family to just die, Where the hell is my bailout, any help at all? Let the Big three burn and go down in flames , They all practice fraud tactics with selling vehicles from past insurance claims, FORD is the worst with this scam.

We shouldn’t be bailing out ANYBODY. You make poor decisions, you lose. That’s capitalism and the free market economy. Our government is prolonging the pain of this economic downturn by providing these shady executives with the means to keep receiving their obscenely lucrative paychecks for running their companies into the ground. When you were a kid did you yank your bandages off very quickly and wince a little from the smarting, or did you slowly peel them off, agonizing over the pain of each little hair that got yanked along the way?

I want to point out to all of you that say this does nothing for the American people, what about all the AMERICANS that work for the big three auto makers? Many dealerships are going out of business losing jobs making our economy worse! These companies need help to sustain their business and keep jobs here in America. So those who gloat about buying foreign cars are part of this problem. So much for patriotism.

Taxes will rise for all, just wait.

The three American auto corporate elites will not recive any type of billion dollar bail-out because America is almost bankrupt, and can’t afford to continue to make money which is woprthless. America is looking more and more like Nazi Germany, which was run by the National Socialist Democratic Party. The leader of Nazi Germany was a “white God,” name Adolph Hitler, and now the name of our American Colored God, is Barrack Hussein Obama. Will America suffer the same fate as WWII Nazi Germany?—High Inflation, worthless currency—leading to World War III?

CEO’s and Upper Management… are the problem, in most major companies, NOT The workers. The Workers are actually doing the work of 3 people while These Corrupt Fat Bloated SOBs Run the company into the ground while giving themselves Bonuses and pay raises.
Disgusting!

Well, this is what all of these big companies and corporations want, an easy way for them to get more money and profit. Is any one of them caring about if consumer (the general public) can afford their product or not?? Definitely not; so i think until they start working with the consumer (us) with honesty and financial concern, then they will deserve some help.

American car companies have been devoid of soul since the early seventies and have been run into the ground. American automobiles used to be pieces of art, the products of amazing creativity. They have turned into bland, disposable pieces of crap AND they want us to bail that out?!! I would say they had better come up with an extremely dynamic business plan with severe penalties for the heads if things fall through!

Everybody’s got their hand out. I tell you folks, we are witnessing the downfall. We can’t keep printing money forever.

Why should we bail the 3 auto giants? They were forewarned years ago to start developing fuel efficient cars. Instead, they continued to manufacture trucks and gas-guzzlers. And they reasoned out: THE CONSUMERS WANT THESE BIG TRUCKS!…They dont deserved to be bailed out.

Detroit does have a quality problem, but not as bad as 10 years ago. Well, except Chrysler. Part of the problem is the UAW – the American automakers are drowning in commitments to heathcare and pensions… it’s a problem worse than Social Security because SS will bankrupt the US in 40 years, while the automakers are going bankrupt now. The fact that the UAW is going with the big 3 to congress indicates to me that any bailout package would partly support the continuation of the UAW’s failed socialist programs. I’m against my taxes and my children’s taxes being raised so that the UAW can survive for a few more years.

I really think that the Obama movement should spend money helping fuel stations all over the U.S. convert part of their property into a hydrogen of other fuel source and overhaul the car companies by having them remove the engines or reconfigure the ones ones already made for the alternative fuel. It’s expensive, but if we are going to bail out the car companies it should be done with a purpose that keeps them trying to say it will take several more years before we are there. If citizens can’t afford the cars available now, especially due to fuel, then we need to make a deal with these car companies in order to make this a win/win situation.

Let them fail. The UAW is half to blame, and their turtle like reaction speed to market changes is the other. Why prop up companies that are run based on ancient business practices. Someone else will swoop in, pick up the pieces, clean house, and bring them back…but it shouldn’t be the US citizens. If it is I want one free car of my choice down the road. Seems only fair.

PALOSI IS JUST A MORON – SHE IS THE BIGGEST LOSER SINCE JIMMY CARTER HAS HARD AS IS TO BEAT THE OLD FOOL.
WHAT A WASTE AS A HOUSE SPEAKER – SHE COULD HAVE DONE SO MUCH – AND SHE DID SO LITTLE.

Gabriel Haze – the energy dept. actually does have a grant program in place to help gas station owners convert some of their tanks to alternative fuels, especially E85 ethanol. It’s one of the few good programs started by Bush. Hopefully Obama will give the program some added ooomph.

Please tell Danny that my 1983 Ford LTDII Stationwagon still runs fine and probably will not take a rest until a Hydrogen powered Cobra conventable is available.

these idiots need to FAIL! why should we bail them out when their GREED caused them to end up in this situation?? this is an INSULT TO THE COMMON FOLK! LET. THEM. FAIL.

Tuff luck. If they had spent years building better quality they may have been ok. Let them get their needed money from the big profit Oil Companies. They both need eachother to make money and stay in business.Just a note: I voted Obama but it wouldnt break my heart to see worthless Nancy Pelosi go away. She has been worthless and a big reason the economy is in such a mess.

Ford messed up when they stopped upgrading and stopped producing the Escort and Taurus cars/station wagons to focus on gas guzzling SUVs and Pickups. I had a 1993 Ford Escort for 9 years till someone hit me…it was a great car.
I still have a 1998 Ford Mustang convertable…no problems with it.
I looked at new Ford, Chevy, Chrysler cars in 2003 and also recently. All are crap or too expensive.

Linda/Michigan-
No, the UAW is not responsible for the automaker’s leadership decisions. The automakers – all of them – owe more in healthcare and pension benefits than the company’s net worth (shares outstanding x cost per share). These companies cannot continue to be run at a deficit- just like the US govt runs at a deficit- because it is not good for the economy. I am all for reducing executive pay, but even that will be a drop in the bucket compared to the overall commitment the automakers face. Eventually, common sense says that they will need a bailout (the Chinese have been bailing out the US govt for years by buying US bonds). In my opinion, the US auto industry is confronted by 3 issues: quality, executive compensation, and union demands. The are not balanced.

Let me vent just a second about Nancy Pelosi. I voted for Obama. Glad I did. But this worthless Pelosi and gang made Americans suffer just so we would blame the Republicans and Bush. She made all these great promises 2 yrs ago and did absolutly nothing. Remember when they were going to vote on the energy bill and found it a good time to take off instead of voting. I hope the Dem congress gets their act together. They toyed with our well being and finances and energy, just so we would blame someone else and fill their own agenda. If I am wrong correct me.

The true republican party will come out of it. We need ideas not “Joe Da Plumber”
We need republican ideas for 21st Century..
Pelosi is a partner of Bush

CW: Not wrong in my opinion. I’d say you are spot on. There’s a muddy bi-partisan paw print on this mess – I get the impression everyone just stood around watching it happen – or oblivious to it. Remember the French President when the Bail Out first arose in our consciousness? He was angry and was quoted in the media as having concerns that countries across the world keep in touch with each other on a daily basis about financial matters – yet all he ever got told from America was that everything was fine … and then BOOM. The economy tanks! Point being … This didn’t sneak up on us — some many people should have seen this coming and they just let if fall. I would like to see Obama reshuffling were he can. I think he will. The guy has a hell of a lot on his plate and has to hit the floor running. Also, a lot of this isn’t going to wait till next January. I don’t envy his job, frankly. He’s got his work cut out for him.

so let me get this straight: we bail out banks, car companies, insurance companies, and every one of these industries have management that walks with bonuses, parachutes, perks, and out of control salaries, options and executive health care plans but the minute I am late with a credit payment, or my mortgage seems to be an overwhelming overhead, I am on my own. I want these people accountable.

I can’t wait to see how this shakes out. Be prepared for another stock-market dive on Friday (unless it was already priced in today’s 500 pt drop?). What would be interesting is if some 3rd party- like Toyota, Kia, or VW- would ante up billions to buy part of a US automaker (maybe this has already happened to a small extent?). Or maybe one of those conglomerates from the Middle East will infuse a bunch of cash, just like they did for our ports, real estate, and financial system. This could become real interesting…

Question, as I just do not know. Is Pelosi’s position a voted-in type position or is it an appointment by the President and could Obama remove or replace her? Sorry but just curious.

My job takes me inside all three automakers as well as their competitors (Japanese & Koreans). I make a living on all of their success, but I got to be honest, the Americans automakers have and never will be worthy of a handout, until they show the same level of management, work ethic and quality of their competitors. Let’s face it folks, they dug their own hole and everyone is pointing fingers at one another, THEY (management & UAW) have only themselves to blame. Don’t blame the consumer for not wanting their products and certainly don’t ASK US to flip the bill!!!

The Big 3 US automakers have got to totally rethink how they operate. That includes decertifying the UAW and paying their low skilled workers with their 9th grade educations what their skill levels would fetch in a non-union business. Also, get rid of the ridiculous union work rules that only hamper production and reduce efficiency. Times are changing, we’re in a world economy now and the UAW had better realize it or pretty soon none of their members will have jobs. Instead, they will all be working at very low paying service sector jobs making (if they’re lucky) $8/hour.

brian i will tell you exactly why the big 3 are now crying for taxpayer $$ its because they havent spend profits on much of anything other than the ceos salaries over the last 30 years ,thats why.
this problem had got nothing to do with anything liberal or democrat ,youre just still crying because obama won.wah.
brian why are all these companies going under/about to go under left and right? surely NOT because of any democratic anything. the republicans have been bailing out these 3 useful corporate goons since ww2 because they used to be a vital war industry .
the fact is ,as alluded to in the article above, too much of these kinds of sweetheart taxpayer low interest “loans” actually hurt auto (or any) industry competition and the bloated fat that is all over these 3 cream puffs is disgusting evidence for my argument.
i say its time to stop now,let them fold.
some rich capitalist will retool and reopen the plants , if theres a profit to be made…if not then so be it.
the question most taxpayers are asking is:
why should uncle sam aka the us taxpayers support some companies and not all companies? why not just let them fire everyone and use the 50 billion they want for a loan as unemployment checks?
hmm?
starting down the slippery slope of corporate socialism took its root solidly on the republican watch ,history will remember that.
the real problem is that these automakers products suck ,just read the posts.
ford bought volvo and suddenly ,overnight , volvo sucked.
same with chyrsler and mercedes.
these 3 companies are the epitome of whats wrong with much of older corporate america …outdated ideas ,outdated factories ,extravagant ceo pay and benefits ,union corruption and blackmail, inferior product etc etc, to the point of the company having to be subsidized by the taxpayer because they are losing money and threatening to shut down and fire everyone ,thus throwing the economy (including the taxpayers who wouldnt float them the sweetheart loan ) in the toilet and flushing twice.
insulting isnt it?

Both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid need to resign their leadership posts because they are dividing forces and not unifying forces. US Senate majority leader Reid wants Independent McCain ally, Sen. Joe Lieberman, punished. Reid said no official decisions have been made. An aide to the Nevada Democrat, however, said Reid was leaning toward removing Lieberman as chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. President-elect Obama needs to removed these two, Reid and Pelosi, from their positions since they are wrong for America to move forward.

The Unions gave a bunch of money to Obamas campaign. Now they want a little something for their support and the Dems will give it to them.
I wonder if Obama will show up for the vote?

Hey everyone…Big 3 Auto’s manufactures will give anyone a loan…no matter if you don’t have a job, are homeless and not a penny in a bank….Don’t even have to have a car to trade in…..Sounds like a good financial program to me that

Let them go under and maybe other car companies will step in to their facilities and fill some of the void. The companies that step in will not hamstrung by the union wages and pensions.

“over it”….
if gov’t leads the people and the lobbyists are leading the gov’t, then who really leads the county? 8b
Rhetorical…

There were signs of fuel shortages as well as environmental concerns back in the 70′s. With lacks mileage and emission standards unchecked by our own government. That is when the Japaneese automakers invaded, with a good product. The big three continued to have the “American” attitude, that no one can touch us. Vehicles grew became bigger, govenment regulations unchanged, the American public KEPT BUYING THEM. They did not have to buy them but they did in record numbers. So who’s to blame? Is it the government with no real regulations or the big three with their build it a they will come attitude. Maybe it’s the public who is willing to keep buying them.
I agree that the big three should have been looking at the bigger picture and developing something for when an energy crsis such as this occured. Remember it was not a matter of “IF” it was a matter of “WHEN” it would happen. So here we are unprepared again.
Now Greg B is right if all those people lose their jobs as well as the other businesses effected what do you think that will do to our economy then? I’m from Michigan. I have a home there but I am working out of state because I can’t find a job there, I miss my family. What do you think will happen to the value of my home or any possible work for me there in the future? By the way “How well does a Prius handle in a foot of snow?
So who do you want to point the finger at now? If you want someone to blame take a look in the mirror. We all have sat by and let it happen. We didn’t stay on top of our congressmen and women pushing for more stringent regulations. We also kept buying those gas guzzeling cars and trucks.
I am not a fan of bailing anyone out the big three, wall street or otherwise. Bailing them out may be necessary but instead of blogging why don’t you e mail your congressmen and women and let them know that this bailout should come with some SERIOUS conditions.

UAW members make between $140,000 and $150,000 for salary and benefits. This used to be really hard work but I am not so sure now but regardless this is a hell of a lot of money. If they bail out auto, airlines are next, shipping,farmers back on the dole,etc. Money that we do not have unless a large increase across the board is to occur.

Well said Tim…What a joke huh.

Right on mere!!

I have had better luck with my fords than GM products. In Texas it is very easy to steal the Chevy pickup truck and with Mexico several hours away, you just said bye, bye to your truck…Three years ago I purchase a Tahoe and it will be my last GM car. I hope that I can drive it another 3 years before I purchase a foreign manufacture car.
Toyota did build a plant outside of San Antonio…..

Lets connect the dots…Housing Industry makes loans to people that can’t afford that expensive of a house. Homeowner has zero money to put down and has debit up to their ears..Bank doesn’t do its job, varifying applicatants income, credit check because the upper management has put a quota on how many home loans that the banks HAS to do this month, inorder to get their bonus. Same thing on the Auto side…if you owe money on your current car….no problem we will roll that amount into your new loan on your new car…do we see the same thing going on in other industries…YES…furniture stores, Circut City, Best Buy, etc… Get ready for the hand outs and the people that live with in their means are going to get screwed……

I say decertify the UAW and pay the Detroit auto workers wages and benefits more in line with what the foreign automakers in this country pay their non-union workers. Get rid of the asinine union work rules. This will go a long way to making the Big 3 competitive. US automakers will not survive as long as the UAW has a stranglehold over them. As a taxpayer, I am not interested in bailing out the Big 3 so that UAW workers can continue to be paid ridiculously high wages and benefits. Screw ‘em — let them go work at WalMart after they bankrupt the US automakers.

There was a massive outcry over the bank bailout. We wrote our Congressmen in unprecedented numbers, and the will of the people was made known; Congress gave us the finger and passed the bill anyway. Then, to show them who’s boss, we threatened to vote them out. Most were re-elected for another term. They’re going to do whatever they want, and we are powerless to stop them. Pelosi, Frank and their ilk are accountable to no one. Just bend over and take it.

Need to restrain unemployment. Letting a bunch of companies go under will have a spiraling effect on the economy, affecting revenue streams of most other companies. Letting the Big 3 fail would be counterproductive to any economic stimulus. I realize that our higher taxes will support any bailout- but it’s a necessary evil because I’m concerned about economic shockwaves affecting my employer (a university), potentially affecting my ability to provide for my 3 young children (1 mo, 2 years, 5 years). Failure of large corporations has the potential to affect all of us in much larger ways than higher taxes. Say to any unemployed person who has little mouths to feed, “at least you’re not paying higher taxes.”

Unions do not make business dicisions for the the automobile industry. To blame the unions is simply crazy. Senior managers make business decisions, and not union leaders. If the automobile industry7 goes belly up, millions of people will be out of work. Do we really wantr a depression? I do not think so.

Let’s give the auto makers a bail out–with strings. Sell all existing gas guzzlers at garage sale prices. For every worker who they give a two year contract to and or every worker they help find an alternative job, they get so much $ that has to be used to develop energy efficient automobiles.

DonLB, while I agree that the unions do not run the Big 3, they have a huge influence on the bottom line due to the pension and health benefit obligations that have made the US auto industry business model mired in debt. So, the UAW does in fact need to take some responsibility for the finiancial positions of all 3 major US automakers. If GM, Ford, and Chrysler do not restructure their business models to include cutting UAW-pushed benefits, there will be NO benefits (to retired or current employees) because there will be NO jobs. If I misunderstood your statement then I apologize- want to keep it friendly but make a point that I think may have been missed! 8)

Man these guys have some brass. We’re supposed to bail them out because they have fleets of huge gas guzzling SUV’s that nobody wants anymore. These auto companies are part of the problem. Let them go under.

Big gas guzzlers are no longer an essential part of the US landscape. For hundred years the automakers have reigned supreme as a leading employer and vehicle manufacturer now there are more cars than the demand for them and so it would be against the capitalistic principles of supply and demand to pay to produce what we don’t need anymore. In addition they have already received 25 billion for making fuel efficient hybrid cars which are in demand. To give them 25 billion more so that they can pay lucrative severance packages and healthcare packages to their senior executives at the tax payers cost would be another travesty of justice. I had said no to bailout and I have to say no to any more hand outs to the auto makers. The tax payers need a relief from the massive losses in retirement savings. We need more biomedical research and support for innovation that will contribute to new treatments for cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and cardiovascular diseases and universal healthcare before we need any more gas guzzling cars. The automakers have to be creative. All 3 automakers can merge and form one giant company call it American Motor Company to compete with the Toyotas, Tatas and Mercedes. They can then consolidate their assets and sell off plants and tools and property that is not required and maybe reduce their payroll by giving out incentives to retire, take pay cuts or be laid off and take up the new green jobs that are on the horizon. USA cannot become a socialist country, especially not for the very symbols of capitalism who had a a good drive so far and like the rest of the tax payers angry with the losses in their savings, we have to say enough is enough. Don’t squander the tax dollars, the party is over. The executives from the 3 car companies can buy shares to cover the 25 billion in new investment. I cannot understand what these managers are being taught by the school and colleges of management. How can so many businesses be so irresponsibly mismanaged that they have to take the begging bowl to Washington DC. NO MORE bail out to the automakers.

I feel bad for the hourly laborers if the American auto companies collapse. It is not their fault that management was so inept for so long. But I just can’t see another bailout. Where does it end? Should the debt I’m incurring helping my kids through college be bailed out? Of course not. We need to reinstill personal and corporate responsibility.

Gotta love that free market capitalism.
Rise and fall on your own merits, welfare is for slackers, blah, blah, blah. In case anyone hasn’t noticed,
the entire concept of our ‘system’ has imploded just like the old communism.
Looks like those European social democracies have it right. Duhhhhhh !!!

Here’s change we can believe in! Big government bailing out the big three. Only now it’s the Democrats! Praise the New Boss, same as the Old Boss.

I’m sorry but the writing was on the wall 10 years ago. Japan saw it and adjusted and we kept building big log wagons, assembled poorly and made of crap. Now they want money?? Does anyone realize that the Japanese cars we buy here have more American parts in them than the AMERICAN cars do??

The goverment could also help by not buying Toyota vehicles for their federal fleet. While vacationing in New York City the federal building was surounded by a large fleet of white Toyotas. Maybe if our goverment supported US manufacturers they wouldn’t be in as bad a shape as they are.

American buisnessmen have no honor. If a Japanese ceo’s company loses millions and billions of dollars he jumps out of
a window and such to preserve their countries and family honor. Our CEO’s and bosses take multi million dollar bonuses and head to the golf course while laying off thousands of workers.

Feeding the auto-industry is like feeding a drug-addict. Once they get the money, the next day they’ll waste it in smoke.
Invest the money in the next generation electric car manufacturers like Aptera, Telsa. These people are true entreprenuers who will take risks and innovation to succeed, not waiting for bailout. Switch all auto workers to work for these new competitive companies. The world don’t need GM, Ford or Chrysler anymore.

whoever says we are not a communist nation is wrong, especially regarding the republicans. Here is my proof: the outsourcing of 80% of american manufacturing to COMMUNIST CHINA, run by thugs and the COMMUNIST MILITARY, in exchange for the brutal enforcement by that regime of guaranteed low wages, no health benefits, no unions, no environmental regulations, no insurance, is the marriage between PURE CAPITALISM and COMMUNISM. And the result is the abortion of the AMERICAN DREAM. Whatever this frankenstein baby made by the republicans in love with the communists, it is resulting in a murderous monstrosity. It has weakened the heartland of america to the point where all they have left in middle america is their faith, minus reason. for if christians should try and vote in the very people who are destroying their jobs, then it would seem insane. but htey are being given meager table scraps of no abortion. these republican communists are selling our country to communist china. are they becomming more democratic as the strategic theory went? it is an open question. the double digit annual growth they have thanks to us has given them a confidence that they can do anything. except maybe make safe food, give people freedoms, protect the environment, or plan for the future. to be continued

Abolish all the unions. Trim the wothless workers, adjust the remaining employees pay so its based on performance and skill (inicluding the exec’s), make quality fuel efficient cars that last, offer better warranty’s.
Costs will plummet, sales will sky rocket, profits will soar.
There’s your bailout. Some consulting agency would probably charge millions for this advice. You just got it for free. (Can you say DUH!!??)

Cuts prices on their cars this will only keep them artificially high, there would be a huge going out of business sale Hummers half price LMFAO.

It is pretty twisted I have a friend who worked for Chrysler in NY and he retired at 55 with a full pension and health benefits. That’s great but I can understand how that drains a business multiplied bUnions aren’t bad but times are changing so concessions have to be met on both sides. Executives should also not be getting bonuses and tons of money.

We need to let ALL of the american auto makers collapse. The unions have dug their own grave with their greediness. They have driven these companies into bankrupcy and deserve to suffer the consequesnces…

The Big 3 don’t deserve all of the blame. The consumers have to bear some of the responsibility as they generated the market demand and the Big 3 responded accordingly, turning out SUVs, trucks and other gas guzzlers. The consumers simply kept their eyes on their short term and immedeiate needs. The gas crisis of the ’70s should have woken them up and compelled them to demand more fuel efficient vehicles, but when gas supplies once again became plentiful, they took their eyes off the long term and went back to their old gas guzzling habits, and the Big 3 obliged.

Buy American! – Yes, dealerships are going out of business, but the automakers have had centuries to adapt their product line to make a successful product. The airline industry is suffering – they are surviving by forming alliances with each other and international airlines. US automakers received a bailout in the 1970s – they should have learned their lesson then. They did not. It’s not the consumer’s fault that foreign auto makers market a better product – you can’t guilt car buyers into buying an inferior product. Where’s the logic in that??
Not only will I not take the blame for buying Toyotas and Hondas (all made in the USA) but it seems no one here is ready to take the blame for buying Hummers and Suburbans and Explorers. The writing has been on the wall. Everytime I questioned someone about why anyone would have such a gas-guzzling vehicle when we have men dying in the Middle East, I got derided as some kind of fool.
Let these companies fail and have Toyota and Honda take them over. They will make the changes that are necessary.

Congress and President will bail out the auto industry. There is no other way around that. Loss of millions of jobs and decreased revenue for the government is not an option.
I don’t like it anymore than most people here, but I say, fine. Give the big three our money, with a significant interest and make sure that the money is not spent building and selling the same types of car in the market today.
With a loan of this nature, they should be forced to put only fuel efficient vehicles and significant portion of those vehicles must be hybrids. NO choice should be given in how our money is used. But if it will be given, so be it, just make sure it helps Americans in the long run, as well as the short.

Pensions are ruining the economy? Lets see, where I live the UAW folks pension is 53 dollars for every year they worked. That’s 530 bucks a month for 10 years service. A while back one of the executives from wamu I believe got about 20 million bucks for a severance pay after his company went belly up.
Another guy got 10 million for 3 weeks of service after our tax dollars had to bail them out. They cut our pay 10% then the VP got a 2 1/2 million dollar bonus. That’s just one guy. Some execs got more some got less. Somehow people believe if you cut workers pay then the money somehow comes back to them.
That’s a fantasy if I ever heard of one. It just goes from one hand to the other, and then it all gets lost in the stock market. Except for what was spent at the country club and on foreign cars. I think a porshe is what our VP prefers. How much did a union guy make back in the 80’s compared to now? How much was an executive’s total package then compared to now? You took money from one guy, gave it to the rich guy and he just lost most of it in the stock market instead of it going back to the local economy.

so
1)in theory I played by the rules paid my bills and got my pension with healtth benifits. But since something went wrong you don’t want to pay me anymore.
Or 2 I didn’t “play by the rules” I was cut throat and sought the lowerst bidder(most likely overseas) and sold for a large profit and made a fortune you want to tax me out of existance.
How bout reality for a change
1) for many many years we have regulated a standard of living which is unsustanable as a large segment of our population ages into retirement and is artificialy kept alive by “advances” in medicine.
2)education is NOT a cure for hard work nor is printing more money
3)If the number of potential payors in a system decline and the overal cost of any system increases (for whatever reason) the per payor cost must increase.
4) If the cost of being a payor outways the payment for being productive ALL ProDUCTIVE ACTIVITIES cease to exist or will obviously need “bailing out”
5)what if all the whiners are right what will you do to EAT when money as we know it is worthless
6) next time you go to “work” ask yourself this. What that I did today would be needed if no-one was required by law, or contract to pay me to do it.

When is my mortgage being bailed out anyone know ?

Folks: This ain’t about Wall Street greed or the CEO’s high pay; that’s all chump change compared to the billions in obligations for UAW retirees (and current workers) health care plans. Bankruptcy by the big three throws that in the trash, and is the only way US automakers can compete. Those who have come to expect the health care and pensions promised to them are in the same boat with those who took easy home loans they couldn’t repay. All the “good old American” tradition of living above one’s means. The UAW was abetted by the big three, as were the borrowers by the banks. There are only two ways out: “socialism”, which is now called “democratizing wealth” (and which didn’t work), and learning to live frugally. If the feds would exempt from taxes anything you saved, you alone could work your way out. Let them exempt what you pay for health care and education, too; those help you become productive to build greater income and greater tax base. Then add a generous ($12K per year per person) exemption for necessary living expenses, and tax the rest darn high, maybe 33%.We’d learn to live within our means, to stay healthy and get education, and be able to support the government we need, not the that one the campaign contributions and under-the-table payments to congress bought.

I may feel a bit sorry for the workers but not enough to bail these 3 egotistical companies out. The corporate executives and the unions are both to blame and need to be held accountable. These companies have been given plenty of time and warning to start producing fuel efficient autos at a reasonable price but neither has happened. When you know that $2,000 or more of your American car’s price is going to pay benefits for retired workers then there is definitely a problem. Let the workers rely on their own 401k, medicare, medicaid and social security like most of us have to do after retiring. Get rid of the unions and the overpriced executives for a start!
Let them find a way to bail themselves out, this is getting absurd.