Poll: Americans Split On Big 3 Bailout

CBS News Poll: Most Believe That If Taxpayers Do Help Automakers, Government Should Have Say In Companies' Management

(CBS)  While a majority of Americans believe that bankruptcy for U.S. automakers would have a major impact on the economy, they are evenly split about the prospect of government financial assistance for the big three, a new CBS News poll finds.

Forty-five percent of those surveyed approve of government assistance for Ford, General Motors and Chrysler, while nearly as many - 44 percent - disapprove.

There is more consensus when it comes to the conditions of any bailout. More than two in three say that if taxpayers do help automakers, the government should have a say in how the companies are managed.

That could have something to do with whom Americans blame for automakers' current problems: While 28 percent say the companies' struggles are due to conditions beyond their control, a far greater percentage - 56 percent - blame management decisions.

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Read The Complete Poll

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And asked if the government should require U.S. automakers to produce more alternative-fuel cars in exchange for assistance, 66 percent said yes.

Despite the divided views on assisting automakers, fifty-five percent predict there would be a major impact on the economy if the companies go out of business. Thirty-five percent say there would be a minor impact, while eight percent say there would be little or no impact.

The automakers' economic struggles may be having a negative impact on their sales. Thirty-one percent of those surveyed say the companies' economic problems make them less likely to purchase a car from U.S. automakers.

Only 11 percent of those surveyed say the companies' economic struggles make them more likely to buy cars from the automakers. Fifty-five percent say it makes no difference.

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This poll was conducted among a random sample of 1,098 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone December 4-7, 2008. Phone numbers were dialed from RDD samples of both standard land-lines and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups is higher.

[reseny363]

I think the government should give each of citizens $150,000.00, instead of a bail out for auto companies. I like other citizens would pay off: mortgages or buy a house, credit cards (if any), get bills all paid in full, and last but least PURCHASE A BRAND NEW VEHICLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then the economy would be back in business.....I''m sure there would still be money left to go shopping or getting those repairs done that are still sitting on the back burner.

[gmf817]

First, of all let me say that if any of the big 3 fail, our economy will collapse beyond what it did during the 1930''s. Secondly, for those of you who feel this is the union''s fault let me explain a few things to you. Have you ever come home from work and had to have a family member pry your fingers apart because they hurt you too bad to do it yourself? Have you ever been laid off of work and not known where the groceries were coming from? My father was a Ford employee for 35 years and my brother currently works for Ford. I have had to pry my brothers hands open after a day at his plant. My father was laid off when I was a kid and the union bought our groceries. So before you start complaining about how much these workers earn, try living a day in their shoes. If your looking to blame someone, blame yourselves and the management of the big 3. Americans have been obsessed with gas guzzling SUV''s for the last 20 years, and the big three have taken this obsession to the bank. Simply stated there is plenty of blame to go around and it does not stop at the UAW. The UAW has done great things for the working people of this country, and if you doubt that go work a day at one of these factories.

[mchos]

Do Not Bail out the Big Three as the plan stands! I had always been 100% pro FORD for many years. My wife and I would literally purchase a new Mustang ever three years up until the price gouging started. When the body style change came out, local dealers were charging as much as 5 - 6 K over sticker! We called Ford and received a sarcastic response stating that their retailers could basically charge what they want. Great - now all of those Ford retailers are sitting there with no customers. Bottom line is that day we decided to purchase a BMW, and based on the quality, reliability & performance, you can keep your FORD!!!!This is the type of BS and greed that killed the US Auto Market. The ONLY WAY that the bailout should take place would be to have Government or Corporate controlled - mega dealers with a cut and dry pricing level with quality service and quality control eliminating the slease ball dealerships that killed the market based on personal profit!

[jsd330]

Right on dinkydog1, You hit the nail right on the head. We are the only industrialized nation that doesn''t have nationalized health care. Thats because the doctors, hospitals, insurance companies, and malpractice suit lawyers don''t want it. The government is regulating everything else, why not regulate health care costs, And put a cap on malpractice suits.
Hospitals can''t turn anyone away if they need medical help even if they have no insurance or can''t pay. So we all pay in the long run ,some more then others.

[whiskyrokr]

How come the airlines can file chapter 11? The big3 do not need the gov. have any say so in the operation of there company. The gov. will own 20%

[Michael Arnold]

Sure they''re split! The ones who own these relics are in favor and the ones who don''t, aren''t.

Here ya go, let the owners of these vehicles pay the bailout via an owners tax and give THEM a stake and real shares in these companies. Let THEM handle it.

Problem solved.

[wrath1124]

THE THING ABOUT THIS ARTICLE IS IT DOESNT MATTER WHAT AMERICANS THINK, CONGRESS IS GOING TO DO WHAT IT WANTS ANYWAY!!!!!!

[berniew4]

Unions are great for our economy. GM says 4 are drawing pensions for each worker . THIS IS GOOD ?? Unions earn more and have geater benefits ?? Do they have jobs where they work or siit on their ----.. s GM said there is one paid employee for each worker who watches them to be sure union rules are met /.. Would you have such a business?/ my opinion is workers should be paid all they can get from ANY company that has a bottom line PLUS $. You cannot support mgmt,. unions . , white collar or anyone unless a profit is made. ARE WE ALL STUPID ?? We should not support with TAXPAYERS money !!

"Wal-Mart has over 2 million employees - if they stunk at running their business and went bankrupt would we the people bail them out? No, because that''''s not what government should be spending OUR money on!"

Posted by PKelly79 at 12:51 PM : Dec 09, 2008

Oh really? Perhaps you should check out how they treat their employees and their turn over of employees, healthcare and state aid required for emplyees dur to Walmarts policies is hardly a model company to use.

And just what does WalMart manufacture?

Also using the nations largest employer that is a retail company VS a company that actually creates something other than serve the "consumer nation" is a pretty poor example.

[sepa2]

The congressional committe and their collegues who sits in judgement should share major part of the responsibility for the present state of auoto industry. President Carter way back in 1979 proposed changes to get ready for eventual oil crunch. Begining with Reagan and as recently as a year ago with Cheny saying oil economy for autos is a choice rather than a necessity they provide to give keadership while sinking in special interest money.

[ronjula-2009]

why not?
the banks that created this mess got money.
plus in 1980 i lost my job at gm , because nothing was going overseas.

[noloyalisti]

And why are we blaming our fellow workers who are in the unions? They are the ones who build things that create the wealth. Why are normal middle class people defending lazy, incompetent, filthy rich, greedy CEOs who make MILLIONS? Unbelievable!

[noloyalisti]

Lets fire the management and take over the companies for We the People. After all, we nationalized the banking industry. We can do the oil companies and then the medical insurance companies. Why should the taxpayers bail out only failed industries?

[hissteps4u]

the Oil companies do not require a Bailout they still have record Profits even with Oil dropping they still make huge amounts of profit and ought to be forced to give it back to the american public who is the primary consumer of their services and products

[wiccanpth]

My life under the Clinton administration was exceedingly better than it has been in the last eight years. My job was much more secure then as well. It is not rocket science to figure out why.

[hissteps4u]

Force the into Bankruptcy it is the best alternative to survival. It is crasy to say no one would purchase from them thats simply not true. Bankruptcy is quite common and we all know that many companies do it and survive to regain their good names and some fail thats the way of Business.

Scrap the UNions who have helped to contribute to their failure and share a huge part in this by their relentless demands and strikes they have Unionized their selves almost out of existance.

[pkelly79]

Wal-Mart has over 2 million employees - if they stunk at running their business and went bankrupt would we the people bail them out? No, because that''s not what government should be spending OUR money on!

This is crazy. Bankruptcy is an option. It is the only option for a company THAT IS BANKRUPT!

[dinkydog1]

Most of the cost disadvantage US automakers have is due to retiree health care. So let''s nationalize health care, thereby saving the auto industry, saving Americans billions and raise our level of health care to that of the rest of the industralized world. No other industralized country saddles business with employee health care.

[noloyalisti]

There is nothing wrong with the bailout as long as we fire the current fascists running the companies and We the People own the companies and their profits. Then we can tell them to build cars for the people, not for the oil companies.

[dbstevens]

I don''t want to see these car manufacturers rewarded for their awful business plans, though I don''t want to see so many people lose jobs either. I am one of those who feels that the bailout should have some BIG conditions and make some radical changes to the way these manufacturers do business, as well as to the types of cars they produce. The current low prices for gas aren''t going to remain, and we need cars that don''t guzzle our resources and damage our environment. I also don''t feel like we need so many cars to be made...people buy WAY too many cars. Buy one car and take care of it...keep it for awhile for Pete''s sake.

But mainly, there need to be some huge shifts in that automaking business, and this bailout needs to ensure that.

I''m VERY uncomfortable with the "Car Czar" overseeing all this, instead of the panel that was first suggested. That''s too much jurisdiction placed in the hands of just one person, which makes it easier for that person to serve special interests and be susceptible to bribes and manipulation. The panel of several people is a much better idea.