ANSWERS: 26
  • I hate to see jobs lost, but the executives are the ones to blame. They have lagged behind foriegn manufacturers for decades quality wise and they haven't developed any mass produced alternative energy vehicles. Who else should the government bail out next? Over a million people have lost their jobs this year, who will help them?
  • Either we are a capitalist country or we are a socialist country. I know it sounds harsh but I don't see the fairness in allowing them to reap the benefits of capitalism with none of the risks of failure. Besides, Detroit is repeating the same mistake they made 20-30 years ago (producing cars that were iron boats in the middle of a gas shortage), and were given a bail-out then.
  • The UAW union and the Federal Government ran the auto makers into the ground. If I want to own GM, I can buy the stock all day long on the NYSE -- but I don't want to own the company. So now the Federal Government is going to force all of us to own GM by using tax dollars. It is wrong. Let them fail. If they go under, there still will be millions of GM cars that will need parts for 50 years. GM needs to get out of the car building business. There's too much capacity and other companies can do it better and cheaper, especially when they are not encumbered by the UAW.
  • No way! They have been "a" ( not the...) backbone of America for 100 years, letting them fail now would be a real blow to the overall condition of America! Not good in any way, shape , or form, the way I see it .
  • As a matter of practicality, no. However, even as a lifelong Chrysler enthusiast, I have to admit that the corporate money grubbers have been asking for big trouble, ever since the Arab oil embargo in '73-'74. There are many valid criticisms of Detroit; some have been expressed here. Lots of blame to share; the UAW, the corporate bean counters who actually dictate design and engineering decisions, greedy execs, greedy stockholders. They're all to blame. Let's blame NASCAR too,while we're at it.
  • I wish I could get the "comments" feature to work for me! NASCAR is a minor factor, but a real one. Each manufacturer will spend about $100 million a year for it's cars/teams to be competetive.They usually take that money from their advertising budgets. Now admittedly, $100 million is a drop in the bucket compared with $25 billion. The thing that irritates me, and from what I've read, even some folks deeply involved in NASCAR, is the fact that this money is being spent on things irrelevant to the modern automotive industry, in terms of technology. You see, the NASCAR approved V8 has very little in common with what is available to the public. 358 cubic inches? Carbureted? It's a dinosaur. Back in "the day"(when big, carbureted V8's were being SOLD) the auto makers were able to glean huge amounts of technical information from NASCAR teams and then improve what you and I could buy. No more. NASCAR, being the technical dunces that they seem to insist on being, refuses to budge from what was state of the art-30 years ago! They insist that the manufacturers spend huge amounts of money to play the game their way. What SHOULD they do? They should turn their attention toward a 4.6 or 4.7 liter engine (like what you can buy in many pickups) fuel injected (maybe even take a stab at making them at least somewhat emissions compliant, just for grins), and yes, computer controlled. Doug and Robert Yates (Ford team owners and engine builders) claim that nearly 1000 hp can be gotten from such an engine, so any fears that the Daytona 500 would become a pedestrian footrace are ridiculous. The bodies should be STOCK in the nose and roofline shape, the only deviations allowed being for safety and weight equalization. What would all of that do for NASCAR? For the manufacturers? It would put both parties at the cutting edge of automotive technology, in terms of performance, fuel economy, and maybe even emissions. Now THAT would be a way that the auto makers could get some real bang for their advertising buck, and NASCAR could become relevant again.
  • Every recession they come to the government begging for more money. This isn't the first time its happened. And because they have connections and lobbyists, they usually get some and then are allowed to throw it around however they want. They've already started to outsource heavily, so the point of giving them money to help Americans is moot. Maybe with a serious mandate to produce more hybrids or electrics and higher emissions/mileage requirements, I might say it would be a good idea. But otherwise, they can burn for all I care. They need to pay better attention to Americans, their needs and wants, and the environment before we give them anything.
  • If we are truly capitalists then yes we should allow nearly all businesses that are failing to fail. OR Embrace socialisms and make sure that we can control the prices of goods.
  • yes, Let them come back as a more responisble business with a better product. Like the banks, their greed is going to be the death of them and we're left to foot the bill.
  • They should be punished, yes, but they shouldn't be allowed to totally fail. American automakers made horrible business decisions in the late 80s and mid 90s. In an era that rewarded short-term profits instead of long-term ambitions, they decided to scrap the very costly R&D department and focus more on producing en vogue gas-guzzling SUVs. Yes it is immensely stupid, but it's a byproduct of the bubble era when nothing could go wrong. Ford for one has seen the err of their ways; they have been forced to sell off their most valuable assets and they have decided to forgo nepotism and hire a competent executive staff. If the economy wasn't in such a slump, I truly believe these companies would remain solvent. If this is in fact true, I think it would be equitable to give them a short-term loan. Not a gift, but a loan, to ensure that they can weather the storm. If it is not true, and these companies are so backwards that they would fail if the economy were sound and would hemorrhage any amount of money thrown into them, then they should be allowed to fall. The problem is that this would be punishing the worker for the mistakes of the executive.
  • Failure should be recognized as a possibility in a capitalist nation like ours, regardless of the size of the business. The obvious downside is that when companies grow too large, their failure affects the economy on a global scale, but perhaps it's merely a step in economic evolution.
  • I thought they already had. At one time the US had some of the best vehicles being produced. They had all the bells and whistles that the market was hungry for. Here and abroad. Unfortunately some where along the way the desire to build quality automobiles took a back seat to profits and staying ahead of the competition overseas. I think the only salvation for the US manufacturers is through high mileage vehicles that blow the foreign companies away. There may be a brief lull in the price of gas right now. But I suspect this only a temporary situation. Now is when GM, Ford, Chrysler, and others need to hit the ground running. Failure isn't a economic option at this point.
  • Yes, we are not a socialist country nor do I want it to be.
  • Hundreds of thousands of jobs in the US will be lost if the Big 3 Auto makers fail. We need to offer low interest/no interest loans in order to save the economy of 3 states and the cottage industries that surround the auto industry. No one in the government is looking to offer free money to the auto makers, so we don't need to worry about the government nationalizing the industry. The "socialism" tag doesn't work with low interest loans. The government offers government backed, low interest loans to small business all the time. http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/1081793
  • Yes, let them fail. Someone else will come along and do it better, faster, cheaper and greener. --- If you want to save the automakers in the US, start by getting rid of all the unions. Turning a bolt, welding a piece or installing a dash assembly is not a $25/hr job.
  • If they want to avoid failure, perhaps they should suck less. I mean, if they do fail, it won't be because someone cheated them, or any other kind of unfairness, you know?
  • Hell yes! I fail to see any reason to keep throwing good money after bad. And I'm not just saying the auto industry, or the banking firms - everyone. If your company makes bad business decisions, I, you, and the rest of the taxpayers should not be responsible. I think it's just as vital for businesses to fail as it is for them to succeed. Failures show what doesn't work!! This leads to new businesses, with better business plans. Propping up the housing, auto or banking markets is a total mistake in my opinion. If Ford and GM fail, it won't be the end of the auto industry - new plants will pop up, producing better cars (that people actually want) at more affordable prices. These companies SHOULD fail. They need to in order for the market to correct itself. Propping them up will only make things worse. (in my humble opinion)
  • On the news tonight, they discussed this, and it was pointed out that if even one of the Big Three fails, it could put 2.5 million workers out of work. With all the other failures going on, I don't think we can afford to allow them to fail.
  • I only support a bailout if all union contracts are voided and the auto companies get to re-negotiate fair and equitable contracts, and all government regulation regarding emssions and fuel standars are cancelled. The UAW and the U.S. government are the culprits here. The entire 50 billion additional they are asking for is not to keep factories open, or to make cars, or to save jobs. It's all just to support payment for legacy union benefits. The UAW has choked the life out of the geese that lay the golden eggs.
  • In the short run it will be disasterous for some people and have a domino effect. However, their failure will ultimately make America stronger as it will force companies to do a better job and shift into more profitable industries. The USA is a capitalist country, capitalism is cruel. I think the auto industry has to pay for their bad decisions. Look at Toyota and Honda, they are not having the same problems because they saw the future and planned well.
  • Where is all this going to stop? What is the difference between this and the whole Freddie & Fannie Mac? I'm tempted to write to the government and tell them I've screwed up my finances and need bailing out. What about every small business that ends up folding, do they need bailing out? Just because the BIG companies fail... wait isn't that called "risk", isn't risk what you take when you go in to business?
  • Yes as well as the banks and any other company that defrauded the US people the money si still there and we killed innovation as well as people who would have had better no fraud ridden products. We are now Communist Yeah Team. . And lets see what Obama's National Defense proram bring us. .
  • Yes. They don't get it. The rest of the world has been making small fuel-efficient cars for decades. When they chose to make hybrids, did they choose a hybrid mini-van? No a gigantic SUV. When will they learn? They won't. Let them die and be replaced by corporations that a leaner, smarter and can take a hint without a brick in the head. We are a capitalist society. Let the sick perish and the strong survive.
  • nobody is bailing my ass out!
  • They made their decisions why should the rest of us that are already struggling have to pay to keep them in their cushy homes and vehicles.
  • I think that the bankruptcy laws changed for individuals,bush wanted everyone to be more responsible for their own hardships, most which i believe he is responsible for!So if as individuals we are found to be responsible for our own affairs be they good or be they bad, then i firmly believe that the jet setting auto makers can figure out their own way! and the housing thing is just a bunch of poo too, just as many houses are being foreclosed on as before the housing corps got their hands on the peoples money thru the government, all of a sudden new companies are poppin up to snatch the foreclosed homes up...lordy lordy...

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