25 bil bailout for American Autos

[DeusExMachina]

Should we give GM 25 billion for a bailout? Frankly after owning a BMW all GM cars are just polished turd on wheels.

[MechaGai]

I find it funny how durring the last bail-out, the auto industries promised higher MPG cars, but somehow the Japanese did that before they even gave it a serious thought about it.

Needless to say I think they should be left on their own.

[Ribos]

Originally Posted by MechaGai

I find it funny how durring the last bail-out, the auto industries promised higher MPG cars, but somehow the Japanese did that before they even gave it a serious thought about it.

Needless to say I think they should be left on their own.

The reason this wouldn't be a good idea is due to the hundred thousand+ jobs that would be lost as a result of the companies going under.

That said, they've been making some really terrible decisions in the past years (no, we don't need higher MPGs, just make more SUVs!), so I think a change of leadership would help as much as a monetary bailout. Too bad that's not likely.

[ranatalus]

the gm ceo has outright said that a change in management is out of the question

i mostly agree with ribos (holy shit it would not help the current economic issues) but it seems like GM is trying to take charge of the situation; the problem is, they really have nothing to offer or use as a form of bargaining chip

if the government doesn't step in, they will collapse by next summer, and if GM isn't willing to make some sacrifices, the government may not budge either

[MechaGai]

The problem is, why SHOULD we bail them out AGAIN if they didn't deliver on their promises from the last one? The only way the bail-out would work is if management was moved around. Seriously what the hell?

[kimcicle]

If they are going to fail, let them fail. The "free market" that everybody seems to be clamoring for should be allowed to guide the market. Why does people clamor against Obama and "socialism" and then turn around and support a bailout for companies?

This is from when they went to Congress to beg for the bailout:

Rep. Brad Sherman, D-California, asked the three CEOs to "raise their hand if they flew here commercial. Let the record show, no hands went up. Second, I'm going to ask you to raise your hand if you are planning to sell your jet in place now and fly back commercial. Let the record show, no hands went up."

GM makes shitty cars, so they suffer. UAW is a plight that's destroying these auto companies more quickly than the economic recession is. GM cars are made by fat, lazy, drunk, overpaid, crack smoking redneck union guys who can't even glue a trim strip on in such a manner that it stays that way for longer than 6 months.

Don't get me wrong, I hope that they can fix themselves up and get out of their situation, but frankly they dug themselves into this hole and shouldn't rely on others to get themselves out.

[Ribos]

Originally Posted by MechaGai

The problem is, why SHOULD we bail them out AGAIN...

Originally Posted by Ribos

The reason this wouldn't be a good idea is due to the hundred thousand+ jobs that would be lost as a result of the companies going under.

Our economy really does not need that kind of spike in unemployment. The issue, of course, is that simply throwing money at them does not solve the problem, only the symptoms. The bail-out needs to come with the guarantee that if they do not change to improve their situation, the funding will be pulled. As I stated, a change in management really is necessary. By refusing such a thing, they're just digging their own grave. The question is, how do they avoid nailing the coffin?

[DR. GREGORY HOUSE]

I think they just need to crash, burn, patch up, reorganize, and deal with it. The unemployment will suck, but union contracts helped contribute to what's going on right now.