GDZHHR

I don't disagree. But that doesn't mean I have to like it.

GDZHHR

So where is the incentive for corporations/industries to act in a financially responsible way?

tooter1

Yes, I would!

One of the main reasons they don't want to give back some of their pay is they live off all they make from GM.

It's all about making the most they can while doing as little as they can for the company!

Old Lar

Public bailout of the auto industry should only be given if those companies getting the bailout remove those who got the companies in trouble. Rewarding poor corporated performers with additional fund is a big mistake. It has been obvious to me that GM, Chryler and Ford have not kept up with what the customers want.

The dealers selling the products are not consumer friendly and will screw over a car buyer at the drop of a hat.

I have never had what I felt was a good deal when I bought a car. It was either take it or leave it from the sales staff. Although I do like the HHR, the dealer was a sleazball and went bankrupt less than a year later, closing his two delerships.

They aren't selling new HHRs for $25K, and are unwilling to drop the price significantely. The book trade in value for my 06HHR LT is betwwen $7000-9000, more than half the sticker price. I calculate replacing it with an 09 HHR and the price comes out to $23,300 for a similiar car including the $1000 discount offer. Then adding on sales taxes, title and plates, the $1000 doesn't cover those costs.

Those sticker prices must be a dream of GM.

TomsHHR

Our Health costs are increasing next year and we will have a pay freeze and overtime cut off also, is this not a involuntary pay cut?
If so I have my pay cut.. And then when they raise taxes next year, more pay cut..

The Curly 1

GM and in fact all of America is inbetween a rock and a hards spot here. Yes, the unions absolutly have priced themselves out of competition.
But right now I know for a fact that Boeing aircraft that was getting built for about $50,000 a year per employee has went to China for $80 a month! per employee. Now the quality is very bad but the price is the sole reason it went to China. They will try to give you these lies about how it will help us sell more airplanes to China but the fact is they can hire over 100 Chinese people for the SAME money that it costs to do it here. And there is NO EPA, OSHA and other outrageous requirements there further increasing the gap. We spent several hundred million dollars on our paintbooths to meet OSHA and EPA requirements, China has no such restrictions so they save a lot of money there to. The HHR is not built in Mexico because we sell Mexico 20 million cars a year it is built there because they can build it much cheaper. There is no other reason. If it was built here costing twice as much they would sell ZERO! Mexico does pay more than the $80 a month China does but considerably less than any American manufacturor.
So yes the unions absolutly have priced themselves out of competition but who can work for .46 cents per hour? And that is EXACTLY what we have to compete with.
I do not think the union people should be making $65,000 a year but they are worth much more than $960 a year and that would not even pay for the gas to go to work for most people. I also have a union job and I realize I am getting paid way more than the job is actually worth. Still I have cashed every check they have gave me. I also realize that we can never compete head to head with people making .46 cents per hour. So GM and everyone else is forced to buy from China or who ever is the cheapest so they can compete.
Basically I think the global economy is killing America and will continue to do so unless we are all on the same money system. Think about it in China a family of four can live quite well on $80 per month and here in America and what would $80 a month buy for an American family of four?
Bill Clinton gave Free trade status to China and then forced Congress to give China Most Favored Trade status forcing us to compete head to head with them for jobs. In my opinion that is treason against the United States and he should have been put in front of a firing squad.
Mc Cain and Obama both agree America is losing 5 million jobs per year yet nobody wants to say where those jobs are going. Look around you, everything we buy now from dog food to cameras, to airplanes comes from China. That is where the jobs are going and that is not Bush's fault.
GM and everyone else has become part of the problem just to stay in business. They have to buy parts from China or other countries with lower pay in order to compete or even stay in business.
The 800 lbs Gorrilla in the room that nobody wants to talk about is our economy is suffering because of China. You can blame Bush for it or the overpriced union workers but the fact is China is killing us and Clinton is the one who put it in us.
I support GM but I do not know what the answer or long term solution is as the bigger problem is how can ALL of America compete?
I believe with the current trade agreement with China and other countries a depression as bad or worse than the Great depression is coming to America.
Bruce Dodson

TomsHHR

Layoffs should start with the overpaid CEO's first and upper management does not get pay cuts.. maybe a freeze .

Right now it takes 2 college grads on each job as in 6 new people to replace my 3 jobs I have been doing for the last 7 years..

My .02 and I am done..

wxman

Let them sort it out themselves. The only thing that will save GM is bankruptcy and reorganization. That's the American way.

hyperv6

The problem for the Auto industry is Bankruptcy is not a good option as how many people will be willing to plop down $30,000 on a car from a company that may not be there in a year without any outside help. Also how many parts uppliers will be willing to credit them on parts if there is a good chance they will not get paid without goverment backing.

Also tossing out the present managment is not logical as most of them were not in charge when the trouble began and have done all they can to bail them out of a near impossible problem. The head of Ford for example has only been there about a year and a half and is doing a great job with what he was given. Wagoner at GM has made a few mistakes but for the most he has turned GM around but the problems he is fixing were started 30+ years ago and he was limited on what he could do. If you can find someone better to run the company them post his name as few people out there are equipt to deal with a coimpany and problem of this nature.

The goverment for the most parts want to bring in a car czar to oversee the problems. They want to bring in a Gerogetown law prof who has no working experience in the auto industry.

I think they should tap someone like Lee Iacoca to come in and over see this. He has bailed out one company and paid the goverment back and knows Washiungton like he does Detroit. He would do a much better job than a Washington insider who can't even check his own oil.

The biggest problem is most in the public do not have a working knowledge of how complex this issue is. It is not a simple company short on money issue. THere is so much more into this. These companies are so large there problems will touch almost every area and everyone in this country right down to even people like the Amish who don't even drive.

No one has to like this but it is in the greater interest of our countrys future that this problems gets ome help and is resolved.

As for the greed We have seen it on Wall Street and the CEO level. But greed even goes much deeper and right down to just about all of us here.

We all want to get ahead and not do without. Most of us have never had to do without and have been lucky to have done so. If you want to learn how good we have had it we all should turn off MTV Cribes and talk to someone whol lived through the depression or WWII. What we have now in a ressision and War in the gulf is nothing compared to times past where sacrifice was made on all levels.

FYI: I don't discount of want what the families and soldiers are doing for us they are giving their all. It is those of us at home that for the most part go on with our lives and unless we see the news know little of what is going on over their. We have had to not change one thing in our lives compared to what those in WWII at home had to do.

The problems we have there is enough blaime for all of use.

It is becoming more clear to me that WWIII has started only instead of bombs it is being fought with money. WIth what China and Russia have been doing they are going for power with money to gain control and power. If we let our country be marginalized we will no longer be effective to control our future. What others do will control it for us.

To many today have know idea what is really going on in the world outside a small CNN snippet. How sad what will take out many they will never see it coming because they are too busey on the cell phone or texting.

ChevyMgr

As long as the Government assistance is a LOAN with specific stipulations for repayment, then I don't see how anyone can argue against it.

GM, Ford and Chyrsler going out of business would be worse then anyone could imagine for the US and world economy.