Comments on: The Real Price Of The Auto Bailout

Some Estimates As High As $75 Billion-$125 Billion To Save Industry, Reports CBS' Sharyl Attkisson

I''ll never forget telling a Ford employee years ago (probably 5 or so years ago) that they (as well as GM, etc.) were destroying the community by producing these 6,000 pound plus vehicles (aka, SUV''s) and sure enough my forecast was correct. They have destroyed not only the community but themselves. And, now they want me and you to fix their problem and undo the damage. And, at any rate, who needs these pollution mobiles?...ever heard of a bicycle and maybe if people get some exercise they get over their morbid obesity which is the next national catastrophe in terms of health care costs. The best thing really is to get rid of the USA and start from scratch with intelligent and morally high minded individuals.

[thecatsmeow5]

Probably in reality, this so-called bail-out is supposed to be the CEO''s Christmas bonuses.

[andylance1]

"We made mistakes, which we''re learning from," Wagoner said. In the last decade, GM, Ford and Chrysler spent a total of $228.4 million -- nearly a quarter of a billion dollars -- lobbying Washington.

We learned that no matter how bad car sales are we can go to Washington and hit up our friends for billions and billions.

We learned that we don''t need to make good mileage cars or good quality cars.

We learned to tell the politicians, if you don''t give us billions and billions - millions of people will lose their jobs.

[dinkydog1]

dinkydog1 brutha...the quality of our health care is UNMATCHED anywhere. It is indeed the most expensive but the reason is f''''in lawyers (who coincidentally make the laws). Implement dramatic tort reform and the cost of health care in America could be cut in half. But of course the lawyers (remember...the one''''s that make the laws) will never allow that.


Posted by fahr451 at 08:31 AM : Dec 05, 2008

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Again, your subserviant nature has blinded you to facts. The Congressional Budget Study brought about by Bushes insistance on tort reform found that medical malpratice settlements made up only .2% of all medical cost in the US. Didn''t you wonder why Bush dropped tort reform?

[omnibus66]

If you are driving a GM product, consider it now worthless. It has already lost half of the value it had two months ago, and two months from now you won''t even be able to use it for a trade.

Learn to love it, because you''re stuck with it.

[ioweign]

Truth is we pay the most for the worst medical care in the industrialized world

Posted by dinkydog1


True

[biomegaly]

I think it would be okay as long as off-shoring is put to a hault. All the Big 3 want is cheap labor for cheap parts. Bring the jobs back to the USA...but one more thing...those employees need to take a pay cut. $70/hr is outrageous. $30/hr should be plenty for people without a college degree. I''m sure their union won''t like it, but it''s better than being out a job. Somethings got to give here, and it shouldn''t just be the government. The employees can give back too. That is, if they''d really like a job in the future.

[fiberglass3]

The biggest mistake that the US auto industry made was in not building what we wanted - Electric Vehicles !
The GM EV-1 had a range of 160 miles.
Everyting I own is powered by electric.

[rudy6543]

If you think people are going to school for ten years to be a doctor in a socialized health care system, AND MAKE NOTHING, you must be on crack! Go ask your doctor or go to Canada and see it for yourself! Its free alright, but try to get ANY MEDICAL ATTENTION! Socialism is a wonderful, feel-good political and economic system. The only problem with it is IT DOESN''''T WORK!


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Posted by BRdeckard at 04:33 AM

If you think that socialized medicine means people go to school to earn nothing, you''re wrong. In Europe all have access to health care and the providers are well paid. Get your head out of those old propaganda books. Btw, you might find it interesting to know that we have a doctor shortage and most of our doctors are having to come from other countries.

[dinkydog1]

If you think people are going to school for ten years to be a doctor in a socialized health care system, AND MAKE NOTHING, you must be on crack! Go ask your doctor or go to Canada and see it for yourself! Its free alright, but try to get ANY MEDICAL ATTENTION! Socialism is a wonderful, feel-good political and economic system. The only problem with it is IT DOESN''''T WORK!


Posted by BRdeckard at 04:33 AM : Dec 05, 2008

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Some people are so frightened of change they will believe the most foolish propaganda to stall it. Truth is we pay the most for the worst medical care in the industralized world and lackies like this are fighting to preserve the medical/insurance industries right to continue robbing us.

[craigh9]

Providing a loan based upon promises from management and labor to work together and learn from their mistakes is akin to giving the wolf a hen and rooster to repopulate the chicken coop after he ate the entire flock.

NO BRIDGE LOAN!!! Chapter 11 is the answer, it protects the business from creditors, it unbinds the business from contracts it can''t afford and are dragging the companies down, and it puts oversight in effect so that the CEO''s CANNOT make the same pitiful decisions they have made in the past - basically PROTECTING them from themselves.

[johnsasia]

Ok, how about this?

Saving the Big 3 for You and Me ...a message from Michael Moore
MichaelMoore.com

[rank_n_file]

Smelly US Citizen D.C. Visitors? As a long-time Democrat let me tell you what ''stinks.'' The fact that you Democrat politicians never saw a corporate welfare handout-bailout that you didn''t like. Now my Democrat vote unwittingly translates as support for politician willness to squander taxpayer dollars on auto industry and banking industry and insurance industry thugs who have raped, pillaged and plundered this country for decades. Suddenly, due to Democrat politican Corporate Welfare policies, I''m finding myself supporting the Republican position that NO MORE BAILOUTS should be granted. If it''s not a Darwinian ''survival of the fittest'' competitive scenario then it''s NOT Capitalism, it is "Corporate Welfare." We largely obliterated human welfare. Now Dems *** well better obliterate "Corporate Welfare" or we''ll just put you Dem morons back to the Minority status that I now wish you would have for the next 2 years.

[truth_police]

From a Lifelong Democrat - 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. 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." These thugs have acted against their own best long-term interests and against the nation''s long-term interests - FOR DECADES. 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. Minds with insight, wisdom and foresight who will NOT act against their own best interests or this country''s best interests MERELY FOR SHORT-TERM SHORT-SIGHTED PROFITS (as the current Auto Industry Imbeciles [and thugs] have done for decades).

[clancy49]

I read the Ford bailout plan. The jobs they claim they are trying to save is a lie. They intend to cut 50% employment in America. So, you may be the one hacked off anyway. Ford intends to continue producing trucks and SUV but with added glamor. Hybrids aren''t a reality until 2030. No bonus for the big guys for just one year. They plan on their bonus in 2008, but forget 2009 then get it again in 2010. Reality check, the 2008 bonus and the CEO''s are gone in 2009. The workers still lose their jobs. America still can''t afford American Cars. We still flush millions down the toilet instead of investing it in new technology. If India can produce a $2,000 car that can drive on US roads, why can''t America? Let the new come in, don''t give these guys their big money and let them laugh all the way to the bank. American workers, your jobs are already gone and sold out.

[prelgovisk]

They are doing it all wrong.

To help the Auto Industry, the government should give individuals coupons toward the purchase of a car. To help the Banks, they should use the billions to actually buy the houses. It would be cheaper and the money would benifit everyone instead of just those at the top.

[mildlyinsane]

PS-"endofbones": good comment. Totally agree.

[mildlyinsane]

Okay sleepy-heads, I''m outta hea...

[mildlyinsane]

Okay sleepy-heads, I''m outta hea...

[mildlyinsane]

Are there any Republicans out there I can argue with?