Why Democrats gave Big Three a reprieve

This is insanity! Career politicians are going to judge whether or not the Big 3 have a viable business plan? What makes Dodd and Frank think they can tell a good plan from a bad one? And once the money is handed over, who is going to make sure the car companies follow that plan? If they don't follow the plan, can they ask for the money back? Look, the people who judge business plans for a living have already spoken - look at their stock price. Any money given to the car companies is money you can kiss good bye. We'll never see that money again. Extend unemployment benefits, offer retraining, whatever. That's money better spent than giving it to the car companies. Make the car companies go into Chapter 11. The creditors during the bankruptcy proceedings need to force mangement, unions, and their retirees to put something significant on the table if they want their company to survive. Otherwise, let the Japanese and Germans build all the cars. They seem to do it a lot better.

If the auto manufacturers go away then the UAW does to . This could be a blessing in disguise

Democrats want this to pay back their union bosses for the support in the 2008 elections.  If the big three choose bankruptcy under Chapter 11, the unions would have to renegotiate the existing extortionist contracts.

In all the above comments I agree with some , but once again how can we give AIG  HOW MUCH????? and not help 1 in 10 0f the the people employed in this country. WE  didn't ask AIG all these questions on national tv as to why they needed the money. It just all of a sudden was in AIG's hands. WHAT THE HELL  IS GOING ON HERE????????????????

The Big 3 caused this mess: Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, and Maxine Waters

These 3 thought everyone should own their own home, even if they couldn't afford it. When suspision was raised with lending practices at Fannie Mae, they became angry and said there was no problem with Fannie Mae and would not allow any oversight.

Result: The financial crises we are in now

By the way, Barney Frank was having a relationship with a Fannie Mae employee who was responsible for finding creative new ways to get people in home. This relationship continued for several years pre sub prime disaster.

Those who can, do, those who can't vote democrat and join a union!!!!

Unions have done a lot of good things for the American worker.  This isn't one of them.  They need to rethink the position they are in.  Technology is taking their jobs at an alarming rate.  If these companies merge or restructure, they are likely going to be history.  They need to do whatever they have to and save their jobs, companies, and future.  I know most of them wish this wasn't a global economy and that they didn't have to compete with foreign business, but it is what it is.  Adjust and compete, or get in the bread line.

Richard-305957

Sorry to correct your misinformation but you are wrong. 

It is not the Dallas City Council, it is the Board of Trustees of the Dallas Independent School District who are voting at the moment to extend their terms.  Their latest fiasco came out this week, the DISD has been assigning "faux" 9 digit numbers for payroll purposes to "foreign" (meaning non-US citizen) workers hired to teach ESL and such. 

Unfortunately these "faux" 9 digit numbers strongly resemble (like exactly match) real Social Security numbers given to residents of Pennsylvania--if you have a 200 series SSN, there is some chance the fools at DISD have assigned your number for a non US citizen they hired to work for the Distirct but who did not have a SSN at the time.

The IRS is going to love this--and all of you who are affected.

The City of Dallas did go Democratic, the surrounding suburbs did not.

So AKMIL dosentt like to support his fellow workers and likes to drive imported cars. Never drove  a domestic car did you?  had a BMW  since birth

I'm for giving the bailout as long as the unskilled UAW workers get paid unskilled wages-- say $12/hour. The semi-skilled get $18 and the skilled get the average for their knowledge. Tightening a blot is unskilled. Programming a robat is skilled. Sweeping a floor with a riding machine is unskilled.

As most plants now are out in the boondocks, the people will take the job paycut and be like their neighbors or find another job.

The unions only donated 3/4 of a billion dollars to the dems.  Like the sad sack said today, at least help us till our "messiah" takes office in January, then the UAW can go back to the troth.  First thing I heard from them was "no concessions"......  The morons in the government got us in this mess the first place, now Dudd and Frankfurter will get us out...lol  I grew up in Michigan and you could not get fired from a union shop if you tried.....Oh, unless you did not pay your union dues.....lol

I am not voting for another incumbant as long as i live....thats term limits for you.  Do you think for a minute that congress or the senate will ever vote in term limits?? No way.

And SNOOP the Big Three don't make junk you POS. I have been a technician for over 30 years and quality has never been better compared to the imports than it is now

Sure seems strange, that in BUSHS last few months of DESTROYING this country,, all of a Sudden these major Corportations need a Quick last minute Bailout, just before the Texas Corrupt Arrogrant Redneck leaves office, just like his Buddies at AIG, which their Corporate headquarters is located in Houston Texas, how fitting,, seems like these auto executives as educated as they are, knew damn well last November they were in deep trouble, and they waited till now during the last few months of BUSHS term to yell FIRE,,, just before he leaves office,,this is all a sham, a Fraud, being perputated amongst the American people and Tax Payers to sink us deeper into Debt, just like the Lies and Fraud about the IRAQ War, those supposedly Weapons of Mass Destruction,, (WMDs), which we now know was a lie, and the Massive amount of lies and Fraud and Corruption, with his buddies at ENRON, Kenneth Lay and Jeffery Skilling who Bilked Millions out of Rate payers and Tax Payers in several states, mainly California and Nevada, with their Fraudulently Utility Electrical crisis, which caused Blackouts in 2001. Its all a SCAM to Bilk the US TREASURY and the American Tax Payer out of Multi-Billions of Dollars and to Ruin our Value of the Dollar and our economy even more than what it is now thanks to these corrupt crooks who are Obviously in on this NEW WORLD ORDER  mentality way of thinking !! Even if they do get bailed out, whos going to be able to buy their cars with millions already laid off, and getting their work hours cut in other working sectors of the economy,, and with all the companies who've moved to MEXICO and or CHINA, whos going to be able to actually buy a NEW CAR or TRUCK,, often enough to keep these idiots afloat in their auto companies,, they'll be right back in 4 to 6 months wanting another BAILOUT for even more money, , so whos going to bail out the local independent auto repair shop, the SnapOn , Mac, Matco, and Cornwell tool Dealer who helps supply automotive tools to the mechanical shops,, how about the local diner or the laundermat, or grocery store, and more importantly, whos going to bail me and you out,,the US TAX PAYER ?????   All these Corporate Idiots wanting BAILOUTS,, whos gonna bail me and my neighbors out and my community,, bet you this much,, sure as hell won't be any of these Big 3 Automakers,, bet your sweet Azz on that !!!!!!!  How much did they spend on Advertising on TV- RADIO, Magazines, Newspapers, Billboards, the last 10 years,, Multi-Billions of Dollars, maybe even Trillions,, They need to quit Advertising so much,, it cost big bucks to run full color ads in magazines and on TV and Radio, and in Magazines, Big Bucks spent in advertising ,, that needs to stop,, but it won't because so and so wife works at the advertising agency which has the contract for GM, FORD or Chrysler,,, or whatever,,, these Corporate Fat Cats are totally CLUELESS and don't care about the rest of America or other sectors of the economy !!! Thry just want their pockets lined before Corrupt Fraudulent BUSH/CHENEY leave office !!!!!!!! How fitting !!! perfect timing,,, for the Corrupt to be even more Corrupt !!!!!

Harry Reid is the biggest dishrag to ever hit the Senate.

Okay folks! hang on to your hats!! Have you listened to CNN tonight??? NOW the transit authority (in DC) is asking for "bailouts" because of some 'shellgame' they played with the banks (AIG) and are now loosing big bucks!!!

OK!!I wonder who is next in line for a hand out???

Com'mon Joe tell us how physically demanding your job is, I bet the worst injury you can get is repeditive stress injury from watching all the cars go by or inserting the one bolt you have to put in.

The first 25 Billion was to re-tool.  That means more and better technology, fewer labor jobs.  The $35.00 an hour unskilled labor jobs are going away, FAST. It takes fewer and fewer people to make more and better vehicles.  The technology exists.  They need to fund their retired workers benefits and pay for the elaborate buyouts that they have given to cut the labor force.  Once they get over that hump, they should prosper.  The Union needs to help them.  It is in their best interest.  The alternative is not very pretty.

In the words of a DEM (In the wake of this disaster, it would have been political poison for the Democratic-controlled Congress to hand them a $25 billion subsidy to stay afloat.)

Political Poison???  It'sall about pretecting my A--

I do agree that the big 3 CEO's shot themselves in the foot by showing up they way they did.

On the news tonight they compared Average Oregon wage to a Auto works average the following is what they said.

Auto works average income per year $151000

Oregon average income per year      $48000

Did the Airlines get a Bail out? NO

Should the Auto Industry ? NO not so fast.

The issue is simple, Dodd and Frank are trying to find ways to bail out the UAW union. If the Big 3 automakers go into bankruptcy, they get to renegotiate the contracts that are killing them for labor and benefits. I've seen all sorts of figures lately... like every Detroit auto has $2,000 worth of benefits for employees who no longer work for the company built into it.... or GM workers get $77 an hour in pay and benefits and take 34 hours to build a car that the Toyota and Honda workers in the southeast US get $48 an hour to build in 28 hours.

Yes, CEO compensation is astronomical, even in failure. The change, however, needs to come from corporate boards and market, rather than attempted legislation from Washington. It'll take a couple successful, high-profile corporate leaders to restrain themselves and their companies to benefit thereby before things change.

But Frank and Dodd are primarily concerned with safeguarding the unions... the rest could fail and they wouldn't care. Personally, I'd like to see them allowed to renegotiate... I wonder what hourly would be acceptable to union workers with zero benefits? Market economics would be a lot clearer without the smoke and mirrors of employee benefits to cloud the issue.

if the car companies would give everyone the ability to purchase a vehicle without being

biased, they wouldn't be in this situation. Sorry!

Joe Mechanic I've been hearing about the Detroit Manufacturers
having gotten it together or were in the process of getting it together
for at least the last 20 years, and the truth of the matter is that while some models may indeed have improved, they're still less than
reliable or even acceptable quality compared to the Japanese Cars
to regain their market share they'll have to actually produce, walk the walk, sell them really cheap and offer outstanding warrantees
and it'll still take at least a decade to convince those of us that have been burned repeatedly, who was it that said Patriotism is the last refuge of the true scoundrel ?
If there is such a thing as justice all 3 of the @!$%#box Manufacturers will go under.

I live off my income comfortably in the highest priced state in the union if I can do that, I do not want to hear someone who makes more than me say they are not getting paid enough.

Change your lifestyle to match you income

All of you workers making $20 an hour and less don't be so tight with your money... pay more taxes and bail the auto industry out. Don't make those struggling auto workers and their execs have to make any concessions. Have a heart... do the "Patriotic" thing. 

The reasons American auto companies are in trouble is that they pay their executives, managers, line supervisors and line workers way too much, the benefits are way too much and the quality of the vehicle they produce is way below par. Last april I took a Chevy Malibu for a test drive and it shook, squeeked and rode worse than my '71 Challenger with a bad u-joint and broken leaf spring. What they need to do is fire everyone from the top to the bottom and remove the money hungry execs and UAW then hire new workers at reduced pay and benefits and put an emphasis on quality instead of bottom line.

I guess Joe Mechanic was just a lot of hot air .... just like the union he works for