Comments on: White House, Dems Clash Over Auto Bailout

Administration Resists Using Money From $700B Rescue Package To Help Big 3 Carmakers

[frankinaz]

The US automakers have only themselves to blame for their problems. Their products have caused some of the problems these manufacturers are in. I''ve owned Chrysler, Ford and GM vehicles in the past, and I will never buy another American vehicle again.
These cars weren''t the dependable, tough vehicles my parents and grandparents owned anymore. The American manufacturer''s car dealers have treated many of my friends and I rather rudely, and I kept having to
make expensive returns to the auto shops for more repairs. Although I take pride in buying American
products, I won''t buy a vehicle that keeps breaking down on me, and is expensive to repair and maintain.
Little wonder that most of my freinds and family are buying Toyotas and Hondas now, and have little to
no faith in owning an American vehicle that will eat them financially out of house and home in purchasing, maintenance, repair, and depreciation costs.

[odinnasgaard]

I also wonder if they have ever worked where there was a union.

Posted by rxzyu at 06:58 AM : Nov 17, 2008

Back in the early 90s, I did temp work for 2 shops, one union, one non-union. They were across the street from each other and made the same products as each other. The non-union business was 49% owned by the union business. Both sets of employees were paid hourly, plus piece-work (beyond what was considered average output).

The union shop employees couldn''t start or stop their manufacturing equipment, they had to wait on a "Startup Engineer" to start or stop their machines before they could use. Even in the case of a jam on the equipment, they couldn''t stop it, they could only pause it and wait for the "Startup Engineer" before they could fix the jam. There was also a "Sanitation Engineer" who kept the workspace clean.

(cont)

[mikezembill]

When Toyota,Honda,BMW make any money from making cars in this country it does not stay in the USA. The workers at THE BIG 3 as they are called only build what they are told. If they fold and they may the effects will be felt far and wide just because you do not work for the big-3 does not mean you will have a job in the long run.

[irmcvet97]

Unions today are just bloated entities impairing North American Enterprise to compete on a global scale.

Posted by Kraqule at 05:56 AM : Nov 17, 2008

You sir are a LIAR! When this "free trade" trash started we were told that IF we allowed Corporations to trash and destroy our unions we''d see Jobs grow where there were none, What we saw as NON UNION jobs shipped to the Third World. We have sat by and watched the entire labor movement, the ONLY voice Workers had in their work place be taken down to the point where they represent such a small part of the Work Force today they aren''t really reliant and losers like you and the fascist want to blame THEN, even thought they NO LONGER EXIST? None of the other G-7 countries trashed their unions, why did we.

[irmcvet97]

I don''t get it! It''s okay to bail out banks but not Company''s who, if they fail, will pull down the rest of us with them. It''s NUTS people. We MUST stop this assault on American Workers! Look where it has gotten us.

[slim1h2o]

This country is teetering on a self destruct mode.
And it''s not the U.S. taxpayers fault, it''s our leaders. We are tired of seeing our money go out the window every 20 yrs or so on these bailouts that most people can predict with fair accuracy.

Our elected leaders, our Corp. leaders, and in large part, Wall Street as well. All have gone for the quick profit, and nothing for the future. We are also faced with a Health Care system that has gone from healing and curing the middle class, to system of incredible profits, and no decent care for the middle class. We have become just some huge "piggy bank" for all these entities, that''s all, nothing more.

As, invest for the future. Nope, they just went for the bottom line of the present.

Now it''s time to pay the piper.

[skyhawk761]

Yes sir, let''s get rid of the unions. The only thing those bast*ards have ever done is get people a living wage. To hell with that. Everyone should be making minimum wage with the exception of CEO''s and company Presidents, they deserve the MULTI MILLION dollar salaries for running these companies into the ground. God, America is going to hell in a hand basket!

[rbburnerjr]

The Republican opposition the the auto industry bailout is not about being a dinosaur. It is about revenge. Both Michigan and Ohio voted Democratic and not they have to pay a penalty. If the American automobile industry falls so does Pennsylvania steel. Less anyone forget Pennsylvania also voted Democratic. Soon the major employer for the states will be Walmart and incase you haven''t noticed it is already the biggest employer in several states.

[mikezembill]

I also wonder if they have ever worked where there was a union.

[mikezembill]

I wonder what is the age of these people that are making the post.

[doug5231]

HA, HA, HA...let the U.S. Auto industry die off!!!????. Our WHOLE economy is tetering on the brink and people want a large segment of our manufacturing base to fail too!!!, SICK!!!!!!! ALL of YOU defeatist mentality types bend over and kiss your backsides goodbye cause your next on the chopping block!!!

[truth_police]

If you truly want to understand the definitive reason why this government should NOT bail-out the U.S. auto makers see the recent PBS FrontLine special "Heat" online at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/heat/view/ The by-line says it all: "For years, big business -- from oil and coal companies to electric utilities to car manufacturers -- have resisted change to environmental policy and stifled the debate over climate change in America and around the globe." Now is the time to announce the end of corporate welfare. Capitalism that is NOT Darwinian in its ''free market'' operation is NOT capitalism. It''s corp welfare. This industry has thoroughly and convincingly demonstrated that it is too retarded, too profoundly dishonest and stupid to make crucial long-range business decisions. The U.S. auto industry needs to bite the dust, to make room for new minds that have long-range vision and honesty as their cornerstones.

[patriot2381]

It''s time to insist the auto industry do something to help them selves first, like kill the union. It''s the auto industry stock holders that want a bail out anyway.

[kraqule]

I think it is time in North America for us to analyse the way Unions operate and affect business. In most Unions because you have planted your butt in one spot for long enough you are guaranteed raises and advancement meanwhile the above average workers are forced to sit behind poor workers.

Toyota, Honda, BMW and so on are building non-unionized plants in North America with reassurances that they will not be forced to accept unionized labor. It should also be time for the Big 3 to be allowed to opt out of any involvement with the Unions to support a more even playing field with thier competitors.

Unions today are just bloated entities impairing North American Enterprise to compete on a global scale.

[slim1h2o]

They should die off by the way of the "Dinosaur"

[tomthespud]

I am baffled by Barney Frank''s comment, "There''s no downside to trying." ''Trying'' will certainly involve tax money, and apparently Mr. Frank feels that there is no ''downside'' to flushing other people''s money down the toilet, since people have no choice but to pay the taxes. There is a serious downside to ''trying,'' since this involves other people''s money. Without a plan that would demonstrate that there is some real possibility of the auto companies becoming viable, this will become a colossal waste of money.

[scienceman1-2009]

In this kind of economy - I think the unions will die off! Maybe they should!

[j_flood]

If there was ever a time for an industry to start with a clean sheet of paper that time is now for the auto industry - I''ll take one order of chapter 11 for each of the D3. Thank you.

As with the financial markets - there would be thin oversight in the event of a bailout. And you''d have Detroit doing the SSDD.

[bbrundj]

Hey, my bank account is low. I could use some of that bailout money myself. Just 1 billion will suffice.