newsobserver.com projects - Wes Clymer - Comments

Re: Dole getting calls about auto bailout

domewatcher — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:36:40 -0500

The first figure I heard about automaker job loss was one million jobs. Then it went to a million and a half. Then it went to two million. Then to two and a half. Last night I heard 3.6 million jobs would be lost. This morning it hit 4,100,000 jobs to be lost if the automakers go under.

It looks like we are adding about 2.5 million jobs lost each week or so. At this rate the jobs lost in the automaker collapse will probably hit around 50,000,000 million by the end of the year.

But the answer is simple. Keep paying these bozo's $74.00 hour to make gas guzzlers to sell to those making $7.50 an hour.

My high school "General Business" teacher taught us that if you did not have a competitive edge then you should not compete. That was in the early 1950's.......before the invention of government bailouts.

Re: Dole getting calls about auto bailout

Prototype — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 07:27:11 -0500

The unions gave Obama a reported $80,000,000 in campaign contributions and an additional $200,000,000 or so spread around to other Dems.

I do not believe that the Obama administration will let them down. They will get a tremendous ROI on their $280,000,000 in campaign contributions.

We are in one big mess. The news is either about a 25-50 billion dollar bailout of the Big Three Automakers or about gays getting married. No wonder depression medication sales are soaring.

Re: Dole getting calls about auto bailout

FFC1304 — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:53:53 -0500

$75+ per hour 'union' jobs has brought the American auto makers to their knees.

As usual, 'unions' ultimately FAIL. My reluctant 'union' dad always told me to get an education so that I would NOT have to 'depend' on a 'union'.
Great Advice, unless you're a clueless democrackkk...

Re: Dole getting calls about auto bailout

YankeeGirl05 — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:36:12 -0500

Skeptical is a good word. The Big 3 American auto companies have had over 30 years to get it right & develop smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Did they do this? No - they chose to go with the gas-guzzling honkers. The Japanese did it the better way, so now they are outselling US cars. The American automakers had their chance. Don't look to me NOW for a bailout. I also don't buy their wimperings about all the benefits they have to pay out, compared to the foreign car companies. Does that include their own highly-bloated executive salaries & bennies? If they were to lay off thousands of workers & ask the balance of their workforce to take pay cuts, just to maintain a job, how many executives would cut their own pay & bennies to, say, $1 a year, for as long as it took to turn their companies around to profit status? I'll bet NONE.

My father was a union man in the newspaper business, so I was raised with the idea of unions. In retrospect now, I see unions as having BEEN a good thing at their beginning. But for decades now, they've gotten too big for their britches. Their executive salaries & bennies are as bloated as the companies they represent. They are a part of the problem today, instead of the solution.

PS I had already emailed my thoughts on the auto industry bailout to Dole earlier today, before I even read this blog subject. Have you called or emailed her yet? Do your civic duty beyond voting once every 4 years.