So they don’t want to give $25 billion to an actually industry that builds things and employs millions, yet they had no problem giving hundreds of billions of dollars to financial institutions that basically just move electronic money around?

Whatever fault the auto industry has in its own problems, it is one of the last remaining REAL industries in a rapidly de-industrialized America, and does need saving.

I suspect that many who want to let it die are the same people who have been behind this de-ndustrialization for the past 30 years.

This issue is a quandary for many liberals who a) despise the corporate greed that contributed to the problem, but b) feel the need to support UAW and worker’s rights despite its contribution to the problem.

The right solution is to let nature take its course by letting the auto companies fail.  They’ll go into bankruptcy and will be bought by companies that knows how to stay in business.  We’ll all get better cars, the overpaid union workers will have to accept wages that reflect reality (like the rest of us), tax payers won’t be on the hook for billions and the government for once again interfering with the private markets.

Hemi, I think you have a logical, practical solution.  That’s why they’ll never do it.

How much do we spend on Iraq each month?

What should we do to the wall street boys who rip us all off for trillions of dollars?

Naturally, we give then trillions more with no strings attached.

What should we do to the big auto big wigs who fight every safety, efficiency and pollution regulation tooth and nail in the courts? What should we do with an industry that destroys electric trolley lines and sells off the rights of ways? What should we do with a company that builds a great electric vehicle only because the State of California forces them to and then as quickly as possibly crushes the the vehicles (the evidence) that good EVs are actually easy to make?

Well, we need give them gobs of tax dollars so they can keep up the good work.

Thanks Nancy - off the table -

Very simple solution to this nonsense.

First, anyone buying a car or truck manufactured within the United States receives a $5,000 tax write off. $1,500 for a motorcycle. All loan payments on these vehicles become tax deductable. Second, impose a tariff of $2,500 on any imported car or truck. $750 on a motorcycle.

This would give incentive to buy from US based companies as well as for foreign companies to continue building manufacturing facilities here. In this the taxpayers are getting something back from their dollars. More jobs, better competition, increased short-term sales and no need for a bailout. If you don’t survive after that you don’t deserve to. Paulson is robbing us blind. We can’t let this continue.

We would be better backing an upstart with $25 billion rather than simply sticking a finger in the dyke that is the big three. An upstart can hire non-union. What’s wrong with the auto workers being closer to the pack as far as salaries and benefits? We’re not talking slave wages here. Imagine them having to contribute something toward healthcare and perhaps… shudder… save for their retirement. I don’t know about you folks but I have no union, I contribute heavily to my medical plan and have no company contribution toward retirement. And who the f*** says anyone’s guaranteed a “retirement”? An upstart can also be tied to transparent earnings and management. By the way, Daimler/Chrysler is not a US manufacturer. Ford and GM are no better with many of their facilities in Mexico and Canada. F them all.

First Paulson with his 2 1/2 page Death Threat and now the Big 3.
here’s a Better idea….Freeze & seize all assets from the Top brass of these Corps and their ‘Dealers’ the Oil Industry. Both have been making killings since they have kept US addicted to their Bosses M.E. Oil.
Provide a net under the Workers, but Prosecute the top brass for TREASON. Not only did they ignore Our demands for more fuel efficient or alternative fuels…They increased the flow of Oil products directly into Our veins ( SUV’s, More Plastic parts). It’s not as though they did Know that such dependence could realign the Global power structure, rendering US subsevient to the ME Oil Royals. It’s not like there were NO other countries building innovative cars. It’s not like they couldn’t figure out if American Workers can’t afford the cars they build that means our economy is on a Downward Spiral.
This has been a 30 yr Conspiracy to not only make US obliged to the M.E. royals, but also to lower the standard living of the american worker thus make us a more affordable Commodity for their ‘bankers’. Bringing the Standard of living Up for the other global Markets has NEVER been the Goal…it has been to bring down the ameircan Labor market to match the Third World labor costs.Where did you think the idea to recreate a Feudalistic Caste system ‘Trickle Down’ came from…The Multinational corps attempting to starve out the American Worker.
So we’ll hand over a life line, but we want the Conspirators in return…Hand Over the ‘leaders’ so we can arrest, Prosecute and Punish them PERSONALLY!They have committed Economic TREASON!

Exxon Mobil and the other oil companies posted tens of billions of dollars profit last year due in part to the gas guzzling GM, Ford and Chrysler products.  Did anyone see the documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car?”  Check out these: http://www.ev1.org/ and http://www.whokilledtheelectriccar.com.  The oil companies and the big three have collaborated for years to hinder meaningful progress on the development of anything other than a gas operated internal combustion engine.  Let the bastards now bail each other out of the quagmire they themselves created.  Failing that, I totally agree with HoosierLiberal’s assessment.

Conservative leaders have a penchant for making exactly the wrong decision at each critical moment.

They do this while falsely claiming to be protecting the free market. It’s a little like a pimp claiming to be a virgin.

It’s quite likely that Conservatives want GM to fail, as a parting shot to the new administration.  They would rather destroy GM than let it fall into enemy hands.

GM’s situation should not be an opportunity to wage political warfare. But instead a test, of how much bi-partisanship the Republican party can muster, now that they have wrecked the economy.

How much unemployment can this country endure? Instead of unemployement for the workers, how about unemployment for management instead?

This isn’t the first time Detroit itself has been responsible for its impending demise.  Way back when, the Big Three kept turning out chrome-laden, gas guzzling behemoths in spite of the fact that Americans wanted smaller, lighter, cheaper, longer-lasting cars.  The Japanese and Germans obliged then - and are still obliging.

Later it was revealed that Detroit had been loathe to give up its behemoth productions because the profit margin on them was huge compared to that on smaller, lighter, cheaper cars.  Greed yet again taking precedence over sanity?

(Of course, Washington has consistently been willing to support Detroit’s foolishness like more recently passing a tax law which allowed some companies, a minimum number of employees determined their eligibility, to write $75,000 per purchased Hummer, bought for company use, off its taxable income.)

Basically, the Detroit 3 belatedly has quit pandering to the big truck, SUV crowd. Too late of course, which is the story of the D3 and the UAW, of which I’m a retired member. The union, which always should have served as a counterpoint to the companies, became a partner with the companies in pushing “the bigger is better” mantra. I was in a production meeting in early 2005 when there was a lot of talk about raising CAFE standards for the industry, and especially trucks. Management sent their usual company buffoon in to tell us to write our congressman in opposition to these new higher standards. Instead of the UAW having someone in the meeting explaining how this could have long-term negative effects, the union committeeman in attendance used the occasion to whip up a frenzy in support of what the management toadie had said. A few days later at our local union meeting, our local’s VP also used the platform he had to again whip up the same sort of response from the membership in attendance. My opinion: (1) Clean out the upper levels of GM and D3 management. (2) Gettelfinger and his cronies must all resign and all appointed positions within the UAW and GM/Chrysler/FordUAW Joint Activities should be abolished (3) a totally new board of directors should be put in place (4) a government oversight committee for the American auto companies and unions should be put in place to regulate how the companies are run and how the unions interact with said companies. That said, I think the D3 should receive government aid tied to all of the conditions mentioned above and several environmental conditions not mentioned. Just my opinion.

What is it going to take to get our 3 major car companies to quit pandering to the idiots that want to drive bigger, faster, stupider, gas guzzling monsters?  If it weren’t for the millions of people employed by these morons; I say let the bastards fail.  Let them eat the fruits of their blatant greed and incomprehensible stupidity.  This ignorant government and citizenry couldn’t even read the bold letters on the wall back in the 70’s!  Too dumb to live!!!  Screw em all!  But really; regulate the shit out of these stupid bastards and save their sorry asses.  Fire the decision makers and get some responsible “LEADERSHIP”, not greedy sycophants!  God help us, we certainly can’t help ourselves.