Or any other manufacturer of the internal combustion engine driven, finite material using auto industry.

Any think person knows that we can not continue to us fossil fuels (they damage the planet and will run out anyway).

Yet we are pouring money into an institution that is still building more of them darn cars then the population can afford to purchase. (just look at a car lot)...

Time to put that money to a viable industry so we can have real jobs not jobs this country needs to bail out every few years.

no

we already have a program in place to restructure and revive failing business

it's called chapter 11. and it's painful but not as painful as borrowing money to keep a failed business model afloat

Or as some brit dude said.

'you cant borrow your way out of debt'

Wonder why it took so long for someone to actually voice that...

My parents taught me that when I was no more than knee high.

NO WAY! GM went the wrong direction since the 1990s building Hummers and other huge gas guzzlers instead of building more efficient economy cars. They made them bigger and more expensive TRYING to cater to the market rather than looking at the world trend. The auto industry promoted our dependance on fossil fuels and between them and the oil companies they have set back alternative energy for years. They deserve to die like dinosaurs so new blood can take over like ANY other business!

and THAT is why the President of Brazil blames the American people for this financial crisis

we are borrowing like crazy to finance a lavish (compared to the rest of the world) lifestyle

back in the 80's GM hired Ross Perot to come in and streamline their production to maintain competivness with the Japanese

the first thing he did was streamline the upper management. That wasn't what they had in mind so GM bought him out to get rid of him. for $6 billion dollars

I'm totally anti bailouts.

However, in the hypothetical, I would say I'd bail out the Auto makers long before I'd ever consider bailing out a bank.

Ok here is my two cents!

I feel and have posted before that the auto industry and the auto unions have dug themselves into a great big whole. However, consider that if the auto industry collapses, the whole state of Michigan's economy collapses. This is not an over exaggration. State of Michigan is hovering around 12% unemployment. In the city of Detroit unemployment is around 23%. (Those percentages are only those that are collecting unemployment benefits!)

So I would suggests a little sympathy for Michigan residents, unless you want us flooding into your states looking for work!

hahaha I love in the oilfield

we get flooded very boom year with Michiganders looking for work

and people from Washington and California and New York

and then they are stuck and can't get home during the bust years

Things are really bad in Michigan and have been long before the recession reached the other states.

And by all means, I am not excusing the auto industry. But it's the human capital loss and social consequences of the auto industry collapsing.

HA! Michigan lost its steel foundries to the EPA and tree huggers! This is the reality of it, Michigan like any state that becomes dependent on one industry to prop it up is living in a day dream. California's unemployment figures are close to that of your state. We are highly Ag these days and even the Migrant farm workers are eating it. unions, High Taxes and other factors drove Aerospace and other industries from here like we had a plague.

Bailing out the Auto Industry to save one state does not solve the problem. First and fore most the Unions need to step back or go away! They forced the labor rate to ridiculous highs. The Auto industry needs to get with the times and produce more economical cars for the bulk of us Average consumers! Like any other business they need to solve their problems for themselves!

Bailouts are not the answer, responsibility is. Accountability is! Firing their leadership and going in a proper direction with alternative energies, economy, and durability and longevity in their vehicles. the trends the auto industry have been leading off to is what did them in and not us! I do not want a DIME of taxpayer money helping them. They need to reach into their own personal assets to save their own asses. I am sick of living in a crappy little rental while those as*holes live the life of luxury not worrying who is paying their bills, putting food on their tables, and keeping a roof over their heads, listening to them complain about not being able to go to Europe for vacation this year! I have not been on a vacation in almost ten years! Two words for the auto manufacturers and the corresponding unions, F*** Them. They are part of the reason America is in the hole it is in!

Sorry but I cannot be sympathetic to any industry even if it means a State getting hurt in the process. American Taxpayers are not responsible for the failures of top executives with no vision and narrow minds.

I agree taxpayers should NOT be responsible for corporations. However, when you have social consequences such as children straving, people becoming homeless, etc... Where do you draw the line?

When you start propping up failed business models with taxpayer money, where do you draw the line?

I may seem Draconian by this but people either adapt or die. As it sits California is the largest share of money made in the United states. Why? Year round Ag and a host of "small businesses." Now small businesses here are gradually dying and being swallowed by large corporations. People in the other states act like California owes them something because we make more money as a state.

I am sick and tired of the whole "starving children" line. People need to get this in their heads! Stop having kids if you can't afford them! An economics teacher of mine flatly told us, "Poor people have children without a plan, rich people had kids but planned it."

You are aware that GM has farmed out a lot of manufacturing to other countries like Mexico. What you are doing in essence is praying for their continued prosperity when a small business would be told "tough luck, no help." It is time for the auto makers to adapt or die. Likewise Michigan had better start planning ahead in case the auto makers do collapse utterly and the way they are going I see the big three dying utterly in two years.

My business almost died completely. I had to adapt. I find myself doing work I would not have done a year ago. I am having to scramble for any work I can get to keep the bills paid and that is all I am able to do right now is JUST pay my bills. I drive a 95 Saturn wagon, I live in a not so great neighborhood but at least I am not living in 'the hood.' My landlord sure in the hell will not accept me not paying my rent because of tough economic times. I am not receiving any state help at all. If I got hurt on the job what then for me? Heath Insurance I don't have and cannot afford at all?

Allow me to counter with these question:
Where are MY Entitlements? Where is MY state assistance?

Why is it I have to be responsible while others do not have to be and get to live the high life on our backs? Why should I even be concerned about someone else's starving kids when I am going hungry myself?

when an auto maker refuses an order for a vehicle because they do not want to put two standard options (color scheme not something mechanically intrusive to each other) together they deserve to suffer the consequences of their actions

what surprises me is it seems everyone is letting the oil companies w/their record profits skate on their responsibility for their share of this economic disaster

Yeah, another thought on that is, Oil Companies didn't help put our president in the seat of power, neither did the Car makers, but the Bankers...

Here, Lariat did a boom over the last 2 years. They've done all the drilling they are going to and lariat is selling off all they have in this area.
Keeps going like it is, I'll have to foreclose on some properties. One I have is between 3 buyers and 2 have lost their jobs.

We're talking about children that are already here.

ff

children straving, people becoming homeless, etc...

Like Obama said, don't worry, hunker down and in a few years everything will be just fine.
I know nature is cruel. Only the strong will survive. Look forward to more homeless and starving people.