Comments on: on the insanity of an automaker bailout

By: Tim Sullivan

Tim Sullivan — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 00:53:29 +0000

Couldn’t agree with you more, Norman.

For a cross-cultural perspective from someone who’s been working with the Japanese automakers for 20 years, check out my blog at:

http://japaninsight.wordpress.com/

Our government is wasting our tax dollars delaying the inevitable.

By: Ray

Ray — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 05:58:00 +0000

Issuing debt to feed the bubble is unwise. Save the bailout money for the unemployment insurance is better than paying money to those fat turkeys. Those turkeys are due for Thanksgiving.

By: libhomo

libhomo — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:44:29 +0000

The purpose of the corporate media’s opposition to the bailout is to push the automakers into bankruptcy, where union contracts are torn up. That will lower wages and benefits for the auto workers.

An attack on compensation for so many middle class Americans will drive down wages for tens of millions more who don’t work in the auto industry, which is precisely what the corporate owners of the media want.

They don’t care if America is pushed into a depression. In the long run, the rich get a bigger share of the money in our society if the Big Three go belly up.

By: Debbie Derenthall

Debbie Derenthall — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:25:36 +0000

The house better take a close look at the Auto makers asking to be bailed out. I work in racing and I don’t see John Force, a Ford sponsered race team in the NHRA (national hot rod assn) I don’t see any race team who is sponsered by the big 3 struggling. If they have money for racing they have money. I don’t understand the whole bailout deal anyway. I don’t see where it’s the governments problem that banks weren’t smart enought to get down payments for people to buy housed. I guess they should have looked a little closer at the credit of the people they were loaning money to. Most of the people who got low or no down loans and knew that huge payment was coming didn’t even care. They all bought more toys and new cars and the banks just let them all do it. I say your problem not mine. Mind your business and read your contract. I had too. I didn’t lose my house. I wonder who is going to bail me or my business out because money is tight and the economy is down?

By: dnorman

dnorman — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:51:16 +0000

What about the added cost to replace the large scale mass transit systems that were destroyed as a result of the activities of the auto makers and big oil?

things like http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/551/did-general-motors-destroy-the-la-mass-transit-system

By: David Esrati

David Esrati — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:35:55 +0000

I have a better idea- put the CEO’s of the Big 3 back on the their corporate jets- and tell them to go ask Big Oil for a hand. Didn’t Exxon make $40 Billion in profit last year.
http://esrati.com/?p=1375
The Big 3 are the golden goose for the oil companies.

By: dnorman

dnorman — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:24:37 +0000

I didn’t realize I was part of “the media”. Or that I was brainwashing anyone about anything.

I can say – of the vehicles I’ve owned and driven, my experience has shown that Toyota builds solid, well designed, quality vehicles. While Detroit’s output (of the vehicles I’ve driven at least) feels cheap, shoddy, ugly, poorly designed, and flimsy.

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:05:01 +0000

Arguably, it is the media for brain washing people that American made cars are shit. All we have been hearing from the media is how bad American cars are, and how bad their quality is, yet no one in the media says anything on the horrible warranty that the Tundra has had including engine, transmission and bed failures that have lead to recalls. How many people have heard of the class action taken against Toyota for premature engine failure and then failing to honor the warranty on one million vehicles for engine sledge? Would the US automakers have received nearly no media attention for the same thing?

We have all heard when the US automakers hickup (which then gets blown out of proportion), but how often do we hear about something positive about them? They have quality and reliability that exceed that of import manufactures.

Also, of the manufactures with cars for sale in the US, which brand has the most that get over 30 mpg? Hint, its not an Import brand.

By: Dave Berry

Dave Berry — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 06:44:21 +0000

First of all when this new Tahoe/Yukon Hybred first came out I was looking forwards to getting one, yet to my total Shock!! I could not beleive the way they built it,
yes it has a 300 volt Li-on battery thats good, but they went and put a 6.1 liter V8 gas engine to run the generator, I think its around 300 H.P. but wait a moment, I have a 3000 Sq ft house with a 33 H.P. standby generator that will run my 5 ton airconditioner and the rest of the house, now why does a an electric SUV with a very powerful battery need 300 H.P. to charge it?
when my whole house will run on 33 H.P.
this is the stupidity of the automaker,

By: Chris Lott

Chris Lott — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:30:51 +0000

I actually agree with you on this score! However, you have to admit
that a 3-ton hummer will be pretty cool to have in the
post-apocalyptic mad max future we are facing.