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H.R. 7297, The Emergency Automobile Industry American Jobs Protection Act of 2008 (17 comments ↓)
- This item is from the 110th Congress (2007-2008) and is no longer current. Comments, voting, and wiki editing have been disabled, and the cost/savings estimate has been frozen.
Emergency Automobile Industry American Jobs Protection Act of 2008.
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Visitor Comments 
The Nudnik
December 1, 2008, 10:47am (report abuse)The BIG 3 automakers got themselves into this mess by offering HUGE SALARY PACKAGES and benefits to everyone...
Their TOP DOGS are given unbeliveable christmas bonuses etc...
I'm making under 10.00 an hour so why should my money go to bail out people making WELL OVER 25.00 an hour...
Where is the justic here???
Car Nut
December 1, 2008, 12:11pm (report abuse)The Ford Motor Co. announced they are closing one of their Mexico plants for six weeks. The 3100 emplpyees will get 75% of their salary and a Christmas bonus of two weeks pay. Does your employer do that for you if you get layed off. Let the car companys fix their own problems. A tax paying retiree.
Bobnaz
December 1, 2008, 12:30pm (report abuse)They want to spread the wealth. They want equality. The UAW should be made to accept salaries and benefits not to exceed those of Honda and Toyota. If they don;t like it tell them to take a hike. They are'nt going anywhere. Labor unions have out lived their usefullness. If they walk out, Oh Well.. Nobody is buying cars anyway and then the Big 3 can file for chapter 112 and reorganize in a more intelligent manner.
James Swidergal
December 1, 2008, 3:39pm (report abuse)Maybe ..just maybe Instead of the taxpayer bailing out the Big Three. The UAW and those that are employed by the Big Three not just bail-out the Big3 but buyout these so called floundering corporations.
Then elect their own hierarchy,and operate the BIG three as one,and compete against the rice burners,instead of just relying on us taxpayers and forcing congress and the president into uncomprimising positions.
It's just a thought!
shawn
December 1, 2008, 3:50pm (report abuse)Without manufacturing capacity I hope that another world war doesn't kick off.
Steven Burden
December 1, 2008, 5:27pm (report abuse)This is not a bailout of the 'Big Three.' This is a bailout of the UAW, plain and simple. All the car companies have been telling the UAW for years that they cannot compete with non-union companies due to the pay, benefit and retirement demands of the unions.
I say let them go into bankruptcy so that their union contracts can be re-negotiated to a competitive level.
But then, we are talking about our Congress, which the UAW owns. How can they let the UAW go under?
Just as we did on the McCain-Kenney Immigration Bill, we need to shut down the switchboards and servers to get the message across to Congress: NO MORE BAILOUTS or LOANS of any kind for dysfunctional businesses or organizations. Period.
Bob
December 1, 2008, 6:20pm (report abuse)A perfect example of greed from the top exec's of the companies and the top exec's of the unions as well. Let them go under and start out fresh
with all new management and new union contracts with all new union leaders. 52% of this country voted for change, here is a good place to start.
jeff
December 1, 2008, 8:16pm (report abuse)alot of people are pointing at the u.a.w. when the exec's at the top make millions in salary,bonus's and stock options,while wasting how much on private jets,trips,lunchens,ect... in short,an exuberant life style,but they wont take pay cuts. so why should the people who actually do the work? they negotiate a fair pay package in comparison to the top exect's,more than fair. if the people that dont make a fair wage dont like what others make,maybe they should organize themselves and stop being controled by greedy c.e.o.'s who have no concern for the workers and are accountable only to the stock holders and profit margines.they drive co.'s in the dirt and walk away with a golden parachute.wre's that justice!
DCM
December 1, 2008, 10:51pm (report abuse)According to political persuasion, everyone has been tossing blame at the feet of either A. Management or B. the UAW.
But possibly the biggest problem for the "Big Three" is commitment to dealership and supplier contracts that are very costly to break. Car dealerships are incredibly heavily regulated and protected on the state level; many unprofitable brands *have* to stay in production unless the companies want to pay huge sums to the dealerships.
GM has ~7,000 dealers vs. ~1,500 for Toyota and ~1,000 for Honda. They are spreading their resources far too thinly over eight brands. This is one of the worst bailout proposals I've seen, as it not doesn't address one of the biggest hurdles to making the Big 3 viable but affirmatively throws up roadblocks AGAINST doing so.
I'm generally opposed to a bailout on the basis that, although an economically reasonable one COULD be crafted, Congress will never do so. This is the perfect proof of that argument.
LIsa
December 2, 2008, 11:20am (report abuse)Screw 'em...they messed up, let them struggle for a while. Making the car more affordable might help....just a thought though.
Yvonne Crumpler
December 2, 2008, 11:24am (report abuse)No bailout for auto industry unless strings are attached to force them to cut salaries for executives first then cut the benefits package for all.
Entrench
December 2, 2008, 11:37am (report abuse)Oh how far we have fallen from the true purpose of our government. Thomas Jefferson must be rolling over in his grave. The government's purpose is to provide security from enemies outside and inside of our borders and provide infrastructure such as roads and utility grids, period. Now to locate this nation's biggest enemy they simply need a mirror. We have all been demoted from being citizen rulers of the greatest nation in history to a piggy bank for career politicians and anyone capable of buying their influence. Disgusting.
Mary-MI
December 2, 2008, 12:30pm (report abuse)So, all you wonderful people want to see the domestic auto companies fail, and along with it their suppliers, vendors, and surrounding businesses in the various States, townships and communities that depend on the workers for their business. Let's see -- that's about 2.5 million jobs throughout the U.S.
Never mind the fact that Congress has passed legislation over the years that have more than helped to create the difficulty.
Never mind the fact that the foreign auto companies have a much younger work force that do not have near the retiree's because they have only built plants here over the last few years. Therefore, they do not have near the overhead that the domestic companies have.
Hungry? Eat your import! Thank Congress for GATT, NAFTA and all the other agreements that have had dire consequences for ALL manufacturing in the U.S.
Congress has taxed, regulated and destroyed the spine of American manufacturing.
Louie
December 3, 2008, 3:23pm (report abuse)I just don’t know why we only call the big three the US automakers, there are many more companies making cars here in the US. If one or more goes under so what, just google “failed US automakers”, you will find a list of over a hundred that have came and gone. Where is the value of bailing out industries paying the average wage of over $70.00 USD an hour? Giant old dinosaurs that will need further bailouts next year. Let then sink or swim, if they go bankrupted, it will create opportunity for some one new to start out.
UH2L
December 4, 2008, 4:52pm (report abuse)I summarized why the government should provide loans to the Detroit 3 here...
http://uh2l.blogs.com/things_ive_noticed/2008/11/weve-heard-a-lot-of-ne...
Martin K.
December 5, 2008, 4:53pm (report abuse)If their restructuring plans were so great then why couldn't they get the money from someone besides the government? Answer: their plans suck.
CG
December 7, 2008, 7:59pm (report abuse)It was more than frustrating to watch the outlines of the auto companies as they made their dire predictions to the government. Without comprehensive changes to auto import and export treaties as well as to the poorly managed operations of the manufacturers this is just going to be a stopgap measure which will ultimately prove futile.
The real question I have is how the heck did everyone keep a straight face while the fatcats tried to present a case for being loyal Americans trying to prevent a catastrophic imapact on the citixens of this nation? By obtaining more taxpayer dollars.
Maybe it would not be so bad if buying a car was not an experience typical of the whole american auto industry. Yeah, you know what I mean ....slimy and exhausting with an aftertaste of being screwed.
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From the Blog
Buddy, Can Ya’ Spare a Benjamin?
That’s the amount per person in the United States U.S. automakers asked for in a bailout hearing today on Capitol Hill. Actually, the $34 billion proposed automaker bailout works out to about $110 per person in the United States, just shy of $35...