*sigh*  More bailouts?  Isn't this pouring money over everything going to result in some horrible inflation or something?

~Zoo

I can see both sides of the debate on this one and can't honestly say I know which is better.

On the one hand I think government bailouts of private businesses are inherently wrong and artificially propping up failing businesses without major changes in the way those businesses are managed is just prolonging the agony.

On the other hand there are a LOT of jobs at stake. Not just the people employed by those companies, but the thousands upon thousands of other people who work for other companies that support those companies as well as the thousands of truckers who transport parts, materials, and finished products for theose companies and those that support those companies. That's a huge number of people out of work and a serious impact on our overall economy.

I tend to look at the middle for a real solution. Help them out, but on condition of major changes that will make them viable again.

I say get rid of the union for they helped alot to drive up costs of making the autos to the point that for the car is costed to much

Unions have actually caused jobs to be lost in this area. A nearby plant was having trouble, and made an offer to the workers: if you guys take a cut, we'll take a cut, and we can muddle on through the downturn together. The union outright refused, and as a result the company started shipping the equipment to Mexico while the workers were still picketing, so that they could afford to stay in business.

The Democrats are more concerned with bailing out their beloved UAW thugs than saving the auto industry. Let the auto makers file Ch11, reorganize and boot the bloodsucking UAW. It doesn't seem like throwing money at the problem would do much anyway when they roll out new lines of Hummers and Escalades.

I say they should let them close. Americans make terrible cars. Only Ford has halfway decent models, and even then that's mostly from their European outfits.

Let them go and then everyone can enjoy the benefits of good, reliable Asian and Euro cars.

See i have been on both union and non union jobs and even gone though a strike myself. it took time for our union leaders and alot of the workers to get it though thier heads that the company was not going to back down...almost a year in fact.

Most times union does not care about the company and the health of it. If there is one I like to know who it is. Most want better health care with little cost to the worker.... that would be fine except that health care cost the company a ton per employee.... the worker only pays such a small % of the cost anyways. Then they always want more money for workers....

the last company i worked for that was union, pretty much said okay... we will pay you but there is a pay freeze once you hit a certain amount. and you know what its been in place for 6 years now.

The problem is not that the auto makers CANT make good cars.... Look at the SUVs. They lived off those cars for god knows how long. So it IS possible for them to make cars that people want. The issue is that the overhead to make those cars with the same bells and whistles are so high compaired to the Japs cars that it just didnt or dont make sense . Overhead on such forgien cars adds only a few hunderd to the sticker price.... where a GM or ford car has to have thousands added to the sticker to cover cost. So when you look at the same budget car from both of course your going to go with the cheaper one.

Seriously cacto, why the need to insult something American when most here are agreeing with you and happen to be Americans? Your comment could have gone without the need to say we suck at making cars. Then you wonder why some here come down hard on you when in a debate.

I think US cars are good. I have a chevy mali and happy with it... the problem is that parts cost alot. I also own a Priz and even with the toyota engine she is made in the US too... so americans CAN build good cars.... the problem is the price

My opinion on this issue is that the automakers should declare chapter 11 and start restructuring their business plans.  One area that definitely needs to be restructured in the union contract, the current one needs to be scapped so that the business can survive.  Once the automakers have restructured (including pay cuts for their execs as well as workers) then we can talk about the government giving them a loan to allow the automakers to survive the bankruptcy and hopefully come out on the other end a successful business.  Throwing money at the current business plans is only going to delay the inevitable not fix the problem.

someone posted this on another fourm and ill share its really eye opening:

Labor cost per hour, wages and benefits for hourly workers, 2006.

Ford: $70.51 ($141,020 per year)

GM: $73.26 ($146,520 per year)

Chrysler: $75.86 ($151,720 per year)

Toyota, Honda, Nissan (in U.S.): $48.00 ($96,000 per year)

According to AAUP and IES, the average annual compensation for a college professor in 2006 was $92,973 (average salary nationally of $73,207 + 27% benefits).

geeeee i wonder where the problem is

Agreed, I just saw it the other day on the news. GM has to add $1500 average to the cost of each it's cars, for pensions in the US. Toyota adds $100 dollars to the price of the car for pensions in the US. Now I like most Americans think pensions are a good thing, but without actually seeing for myself what they offered, are they too generous? I'm not qualified to answer. I do feel that first thing that needs to be fixed is the huge corporate salaries and perks, many of whom get life long benefits for just a few years of "work". I think smart folks should be paid for their work, but it should be fair. Too many suits, getting too much cash, at the expense of the company. They and the unions need to take a good hard look at the greed factor that both are capable of.

Now imagine a pension that pays just 50 percent of your pay.....sweet. Most people wouldn't earn that at a full time job.

So, it's screw the 2 million plus spinoff jobs just to kill UAW, eh? Most of us wouldn't know what the middle class was without the dedication of unions.