Lincolnite

here.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/beerorkid/3097280694/

I have mixed feelings, but I worry about people that work at places like Walker Tenneco in Seward and Goodyear here in Lincoln. Also people that work in car dealerships all over Nebraska.

I suppose everyone can get jobs where they just type stuff for a living.

The greed at the corporate level has to stop. Is the bailout going to stop that? Nope.

I do physical labor for a living by the way.

I think there’d have to be some major concessions from the Big 3 in terms of restructuring before any bailout should be given.

I am pleased about their votes. I don’t want the ‘big 3” to go away, but they have to change the way they do business. Handing them a bunch of money won’t do it. I’d like to see them enter bankruptcy and restructure. They will come out better on the other side, or they’ll just have to disappear. Go look at all the language when Chrysler did that the first time (circa 1980), it’s frighteningly similar. Too bad there doesn’t seem to be a Lee Iococa around right now to guide them through this.

Sooooo ... where are all the people that call our House delegation nothing but a rubber stamp for Bush?

Right-o, Dave. They’re all a bunch of mavericks. 😉

The greed at the corporate level has to stop.

While million-dollar bonuses don’t help failing companies, they are a drop in the bucket compared to the union ‘greed’ that has mostly contributed to the downfall of the American auto industry.

Considering that you’re a laborer, you’re probably going to defend the unions by saying that they’re just trying to get what they’re worth.  That’s the exact same argument the C-levels are going to make.

Dave K, I don’t side with unions at all.

Dave,  Are you really blaming the unions for this situation?

Management and the unions have much responsibility in this, and major changes and concessions are needed yesterday, but to let them fail and go through bankruptcy would be a catastrophe.

Would you buy a car from a company in bankruptcy court for the next 2 years or so - not knowing if they will even exist at the end?  Not many would, I suspect due to doubts about the warranty, service, etc.

So… soon the dealers are gone, and so too the companies making seats, engine blocks, wheels, gauges and dials, computers.  GM doesn’t make the whole car… they mostly just assemble it and sell it.  I used to live in St. Louis which currently has a Chrysler plant and a big GM plant just to the west.  There are hundreds of companies whose sole customer is one or the other car manufacturer and they employ thousands of people.

If GM and Chrysler go under, there will be millions unemployed and this country moves from recession to depression overnight.

I agree with Peter…a Big 3 fail wouuld cause an almost instant depression. But a bailout is not going to stop this…just put it on pause.

Is there any job you can think of that a worker could be doing up there that would justify a $73/hour salary?

How about paying them at, or even above, the going wake for very skilled technitions… how about $30/hours. Still a darn good job, but almost half the cost to the automaker.

I think this should be part of the contract for the bailout. Take on the Unions (and I am normally a big union guy) is this case and say “cut it out already!”