Auto bailout debate extends to whole economy

Our elected leaders are the stupidest bunch of numbnuts in the world! We allow unlimited imports of foreign goods and cars and then bail out Detroit because they cannot sell enough vehicles to make a profit. Bill Clinton and the democrats shoved NAFTA down our thoats while he was working on Monica's. So a lot of our jobs went to Mexico. Millions of Amercans have lost their jobs because of this. We import tons of cheap krapp loaded with poison from China. All this so can please the rest of the world and not take care of the USA first. WE pay billions of our hard earned dollars to worthless countries to buy their friendship. Pizzs on all of them! Keep our jobs and money here!

Howabout we get some rich Hollywood celebs to do a benefit show to help out the poor car makers?

Better yet, the goverment could confiscate all the gold in Beverlyhills and let the car makers sell the gold in Europe.

Hey, I'm in!!!  Give me a new corvette.  Man, I've always wanted a new corvette.  How the ladies would loveeeeee me in a new corvette--especially if I was slick enough to have uncle sam pay for it, ha, ha, ha. 

Go to the dirt and start over Big 3!!!  I am not liking the idea of giving you my hard earned taxes to bail you out when you wouldn't even honor my warranty a month after I bought my new Saturn.  Jerks. 

Let's see...!st they needed 25 billion...then, ooop's can we make it 50? The reply being no, the next course was, for the democrats, who luv to bail out the pocket-holders, to push it into the 700 bailout for finacial inst. What is wrong with this picture?

 Maybe they outta go belly-up. Let some japaneese company take it over, show them how to

'better manage" money, salaries, and kick out the Union.....Thosr guys are ld news. Employer's keep, and pay well to keep hard working people. 1/2 that money dished out to the Union, can be in your pocket. Fire the upper mgmt, who obviosly screwed the whole thing up in the 1st place.

Like all things that have occured in the last 8 years - we are asked again to bail out big industry under the guise of it being "devestating for the average person"

This is another major scam on the taxpayers - why? .. because until there is a limit on the executive compensation and waste in industry  - until industy is forced to make products that are competitive and what we all want (ie: gas friendly - safety - size?)  - all we are doing is throwing good money after bad. Until the unions give some concessions as to retirement (full) benefits and costs that make these companies non-competitive or non-profitable  - they are not going to be forced to become competitve.. and MOSTLY - if we are supposed to be a capitalist society - sometimes we have to suffer to advance.

I am a small business owner - my neigbors (some of whom are out of work now), like me are feeling the pinch of the excess of the last 8 plus years ... to fix a problem - you must address the problem.. when we start to fix these problems then I would be more ameniable to actions like this .. until then .. I learned at any early age to "not throw good money after bad" ... and the current administration has leaped from one bad decision to another... including passing a almost 1 trillion bill to help people like us - homeowners struggling to stay afloat ... and this bill has done anything but do this!

1) The author of a Newsweek article was on CNN does not realize that the auto makers will have to come back for more money because people are not buying cars and we still don't know what alternative fuel will end up being used as a substitute for gas. Also, once that decision is made, we then have to re-configure 18000 gas stations to offer the new fuel. And then the automakers need 2-3 year lead time to re-design their engine. It is foolish for any automaker to spend 20-30 billion in re-designing their engine until the fuel issue is solved. So the Big 3 will be back in 3-6 months to ask for another 50 billion and on and on.

2) This issue is really being pushed by greedy auto exec and corrupt UAW officials who, like all core interest groups want to feed at the trough of a corrupt party system called the Democrats and Republicans.

2) Chapter 11 gives the judge great leeway in how things are handled. By allowing the automakers to enter chapter 11, they can continue to function and the judged can set strict rules on exec pay and UAW activity. At this point, then the government could come in with some money and appoint an overseer to make sure the money is well-spent. In chapter 11, the Automakers would have protection and the government would have greater control over what happens.

Finally, just look at Boeing and the problems we have with the unions who will now benefit, Boeing has had to delay delivery of 80 planes worth around 160 billion because of a union n strike. They are now in danger of losing those contracts and they will be next in line at the feeding trough. Don’t expect the Democrats or Obama to go against the unions just as one wouldn’t expect the Republicans to go against Wall Street.

Finally, if one crosses the threshold of what is referred to as "moral hazard" then all sorts of businesses will line up for money and where do you say enough.

For example app. 60% of the jobs are created by small business so wouldn't they deserve a bail-out since they are going under.

As far as the UAW, until I see them beating down the doors of the Japanese automakers that abuse workers and pay god-awful wages and little benefits, they hold no water with me. They have not taken any action or said anything to offend the Japanese as the Japanese have built up their auto manufacturing base in this country at roughly half of what the Big 3 has to pay its employees.

So expect the Big 3 to get their money when Obama comes in and expect them to come back for more and expect other industries to come to the feeding trough. Also, expect a deficit of 1.5-2.0 trillion by the end of next year, double-digit inflation, and double-digit unemployment.

America has become and will further slide into being a 3rd rate country. With the corrupt politicians, unions and execs all doing well and the rest of us gets the shaft.

Finally, no matter what your race, sex, religion, or sexual orientation is, Revolution is coming to America. This revolution can be peaceful and non-violent and we hope it is peaceful but the longer the government, whether Republican or democrat, remains as corrupt as they are, the greater the chance for a violent revolution. We hope not but that is history when the political process becomes divorced from the everyday person. At the end of the day, all of you hold the power and if you choose not to wield it in a peaceful manner then those who hate and only want power will take over our country. Time is running out for America and the American people need to wake-up and smell the corruption coming from both parties. If not then the country will be torn apart and the idealism of America will be lost.

One final point to illustrate the complete corruption of our political process-

One clear thing clearly shows the total and complete corruption of both parties- We believe that both Bush and Cheney committed impeachable offenses but the Democrats and that includes Obama and Clinton didn’t want to do that so they could use them as lightening rods to gain power. Just think of all the ads run by the Democrats trying to tie McCain to Bush. That is the purest definition of putting your party’s interest ahead of the country. While the names may change but the corruption will continue as the Democrats pay back their supporters.

dan - most foreign nameplates are made here now - mercedes, bmw, honda, toyota, nissan...with kia, hyundai coming online in the next 18 months. 

bob in nc - exec comp is less than 1/4 of 1% of the price of a $25k car; wages and benefits are over 50%-more than they pay for the materials in the vehicle.  (derived from an analysis of gm's 10-k on file with the SEC)  neither can you 'force' a company to make something; the marketplace does that. that's why honda and toyota's US operations are succeeding, and the big 3 are failing.

I agree with the trade thing, it is disgusting here in Michigan.  There are no jobs and no hope of finding one in certain areas now since half of those have been taken by unemployed GM workers.  I'm not in favor of a total bailout but I certainly dont want to see things get worse here than they are.  I have never seen such a thing in my life as it is here.  I am here because of my family and want to stay.  But if GM goes bankrupt I am sure I will have to leave the state.  I've already lost my job with Bank after THEY got bailed out and had to move out of my home to an apartment, and struggling to find a job.  Please someone thing this thru before we make a decision that has rash repercussions....Thank you

If the American auto industry is allowed to collapse the depression that happened in 1929 will no longer be known as the great depression. America will never before have seen so many people out of work at one time.

there is another old saying also...

A quick death is better than a long drawn out slow PAINFUL death ...

This is not a fix.. it is a bandaid on a bazooka hole!

2.1  You seem to assume that we have the money to spend.

As Rachel Maddow says "Talk me down".  I am quickly going over to the side of getting the Democrats out of Congress in two years although I've been a Democrat all my voting life.  All they know is to throw money at a problem without considering SMART or SENSIBLE alternatives or putting such restrictions on the money that the auto industry is forced to transform...get out of bed with unions and the auto industry and do what is right in the long run for the country...I remember 20 some odd years ago they were telling Detroit to change but the arrogance or incompetence and now here we are again bailing them out for HORRIBLE business models and FOOLISH labor agreements on healthcare...PEOPLE we all must sacrifice now if it is going to get better...DEMS please think of the future of the country and understand that what may sound like "the right thing to do" may not be at this time.  Let the auto industry file bankruptcy, and then go in with forward thinkers and innovators (after all the current executive and managers are fired), and then let's get the U.S. auto industry back on track and employ Americans...please, please, please or else us Obama voters will come together in two years and vote the DEMS out.

I think a fry cook could do better than big 3 management. As for 'right thing to do', I don't know how anyone could ever think that. What's right about bailing out these morons who don't know how to run a company? I hope the big 3 fry for their incompetence but I can already see how this will play out. They will get the money, they will continue to crank out miles of crap and the little guy will get the shaft while the Union maintains its position that it really is helping anyone when everyone outside a hole in China knows they're sucking these companies dry.

If the Dems keep up this 'spend then watch what happens' mentality I'm switching sides or just moving out of the country altogether.

How much longer are we going to keep bailing out Big Business? What happens to the money, anyway?  The Big Guys pay themselves a retirement pension and cry for more.  What we need to do, if the government insists on continuing to bail these guys out, is to allocate where the monies go.  Let's start with the little guy on the bottom end of the job chain and work our way up.  Fair is fair. I work for a small GM dealership, and if it weren't for those mechanics in the back room, we would have folded long ago. 

There will be a huge problem when they fall...but heck... the American people are strong enough and will adapt.  By the way...with all the other companies that have filed bankruptcy...and if you total them all up... we are still surviving.

If we help the auto industry...then we need to help those other that are getting ready to fail, too!  Why not?  There failing?  Auto Manufacturers are failing...same thing isn't it?  Heck... lets just make a bunch of new money and pass it along to everyone...lets say $1M to every family?  How about every family member.  Afterall... it is only  money and the government apparently can work in the red and print up more... so why not?

I know, I know...I am being sarcastic!  I just get mad at how the government runs it's own business and if I was to run mine that way...they would force me into bankruptcy... go figure!!!!!!!

Wooden arrows in Oregon got a bailout relief of 2 million..Think I could start a paper airplane co. file bankruptcy and get millions for going under? I doubt it..

What happened to the last 25 billion we gave them in 2002? I know, it went to Mexico and So. America to the plants there..This bailout will not do anything but line someones pockets..

Eric, I tend to agree...I do know for a fact that I would not be able to get a bail out on my measly small business, so why would we need to bail out the big guys...when they afforded the best of the best to run the business.  I guess they were not that smart!

Heck most of us are hard pressed to get a small business loan to have a start up business much less a loan to carry us through this economy..Why give the auto industry money to send to Mexico..It will take a lot more than 25 billion to re-tool all of the plants to compete with Toyota and Honda anyway..

LET THEM FALL

Agreed... we could take the existing plants...get rid of the people currently running it and maybe the union as well (too expensive).  I can't even begin to tell you everything the employees get to work in the auto factories...but I bet it is unbelieveable compared to what we currently get.

...anyhow, what I was to say is lets figure a way to own the auto industry with the people that want to work and have the common folks run the plant like we do in small businesses..... think?

It scares me to death our auto industry could literally go belly up, but a bailout? I dunno. The UAW, assuming it wants to continue to have members, HAS to give up something. The big 3 have to dump the high priced, bonus earning upper management, no ridiculous salaries (like they did with taking away all the bonuses of the companies on Wall Street), and then look at the numbers again. I've worked for a large union, they are brutal, and that was needed in the 1900s with the steel mills; Carnegie, Frick, all of them worked those people to death for no wages. They needed a union. That same union also put the steel industry out of business eventually and right over to Japan.

Start with the union concessions, dump management big bonuses, etc., then see.... if we let the big 3, or even big 1, go under, that's millions of unemployed, taxing the system even more and who will not be able to pay social security taxes each paycheck, which in turn kills the projections for earnings into social security... it's all tied together and makes me want to smack someone.... They dug this hole, Wall Street and the auto industry... if we have to bail them out, then WE have demands to make first.. This is my hard earned money they are tossing around like Monopoly cash....

what "if" their cars don't sell? They won't sell. Who needs a new Ford F150 gas guzzler every two years? Who needs a new Corvette every two years? Who needs a Hummer every two years? I say two years because the big three need that kind of turnover to stay afloat and because they design their cars to last five years, tops. They come out with new models to induce this kind of turnover. Keep in mind how much inventory they're sitting on, how gas prices have scared away buyers from most of their guzzlers, how they would have to re-tool to make efficient cars and even then how many kinks those cars would come off the line with whenever they did finally come out, how much competition they're under, how lending is growing tighter every day, how consumer spending is also down, etc. etc.

They WILL get a bailout and they will all sink like lead while we hold the bill for 25billion. After filing for bankruptcy they'll cut staff, close factories, retool, renegotiate their union contracts (since bankruptcy will actually allow them to do so), yammer on about how they've learned from their mistakes and then return to doing things exactly the same way. Eventually I see them being owned by Chinese or Indian consortiums.

maybe you should have faught and joined a union if not for unions you would have company housing ,company store, and company money that you could not spend noplace but at the company store. look into labor history

Take heed here America, It was Barney and his lover at Fanny that got us in the mess we are now in.. Do you really want Barney and who knows else screwing up again?  Call your Senator and Congressman and tell them NO and NO and NO we are not bailing out the Big 3..

One thing for sure, if the automakers go bankrupt, we cover their pensions. If we give them a package, we still pay for their pension without ever buying a car. Lose/lose anyway you slice it.

If my credit was better, I would buy a Cadillac car, but alas, I don't have a 800+ fico score to qualify and I spent the down payment on a lot of high priced gas and food. If I could buy a car, at least I would have something to show for it.

My point is this; If you want to bail out the auto industry, let the government supply the cash to loan or guarantee low interest loans to those of us who wish to purchase a vehicle.

I don't care how much money you throw at it, If no one can get financed to buy cars, the industry is doomed to failure anyway. Make the money available to the consumer to make a purchase and everyone wins.

I'm afraid the employees of these outfits and the union officials are going to have to make some compensation concessions or they're done. Remember the Air Traffic Controllers union???...GONE!!! We're still arguably flying safely today despite the grave warnings from the ATC union that we were all going to go down in flames. The employees are still gripping, but no more than their predecessors did.

Give the bailout money to those who deserve it, the consumers. We'll buy your cars, just allow us the opportunity.

This is not going to stop.  This is a August 2008 list that I got from an Encyclopedia.  Delaware, Economy, Business.   I tried to warn people and was told, "tin foil hat", "Full of feces", "nuts", etc..  Ok, now I can say I told you so.

Now two lawyers will represent their clients (campaign contributors, payback):

Delaware: Freddie Mac, Fanny Mae, Bank of America, Wilmington Trust, First USA / Bank One / JPMorgan Chase, AIG, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Barclays plc, GM, Chrysler, Wachovia, ExxonMobil, Chevron, ISDA, and those States with Corporations Incorporated at Delaware.
 
Especially, ISDA. The People that brought you:  the 60 to 100 Trillion USD (it is not 700 Billion USD US Economic Crisis) Global Economic Crisis.  These people will be back for more just like GM, Ford, Chysler, September 2008, 25 Billion, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, to milk the cash cow.  updated add: AIG, Billions USD.  The 60 to 100 Trillion USD does not include the usary interest protected by the Delaware Court of Chancery.
 
Over 50% of US publicly-traded corporations and 60% of the Fortune 500 companies are incorporated in Delaware;[30] the state's attractiveness as a corporate haven is largely due to its business-friendly corporation law. Franchise taxes on Delaware corporations supply about one-fifth of its state revenue.[31]

Richard.. it's not Obama's fault the auto industry is in the shape it is... this has been coming for a while.. ummm... for the last 8 years maybe? He had this dumped in his lap, he didn't create it, and now he's stuck with the Bush fiascos....

Agreed on the Obama part, but, of course you will have to agree that Clinton inheirited (sp) his economy from Bush 1.  The problem has certaintly been around for more than eight years.  Try blaming it on the Unions-a key Democratic supporter.

Welcome to the Union of Socialist America. USA.

Funny, as a Veteran I thought that I fought against the Union of (Soviet) Socialist Republics. USSR.

And WWII Veterans fought against the National (German) Socialist Party, NAZIs.  So what next after we Nationalize Businesses.  A National Public Works Program like Hitler used to build the Autobahns and Railroads to get out of the Great Depression?

I can appreciate your sentiment but Roosevelt had a public works program (the New Deal) to get the US out of the great depression.

It's always obnoxious to hear someone cry out 'socialism', as if forms of socialism don't already exist. The military is a fine example. We take money from our populace to house and support another.

My point is that there will ALWAYS be taxes. We need taxes to pay for things we have trouble affording at the local scale (military, highways, etc). Taxes always come from someone's pockets and line another's. Thus, the problem isn't taxes so much as how they're spent. I agree that giving the money away like candy at a schoolyard is sickening and wrong- but I wouldn't go so far as to cry socialism or link it to socialism.

What I would like to see, and I'm sure you'd agree, is tax dollars going toward projects that actually return value to the US. Another Hoover Dam or TVA (both which still generate much needed power and revenue) would be much better than anything the bailouts are hoping to accomplish. I just find it amazing our government thinks throwing money at corporate black holes can do anything other than wreck the value of the dollar. Was every elected official asleep during economics 101?

Maybe the industry should at least try and build a good reliable vehicle that can compete with Toyota and Honda, Then I would definitely buy American..Also bring the jobs back to the US instead of making inferior machines that are assembled here and fall apart here..

I now own a 1996 Crown Victoria and a 1966 Buick Skylark conv..

Buy American what can I buy thats made in the US the auto industry has 100% of the parts made everywere else but not in the US Top ones comes to mind is Mexico, china on and on. All the auto companies assemble in the US they do not make one thing here for the 10 years.  I buy American cars its called a Toyota it was assembled in the US just like your cad was. So when you find a 100% made in the USA car let me know and I will go buy one.  

buying american cars would be great if they would sell the same cars they are selling overseas.. why is Ford building cars the get 60 MPG in Europe but not offering it in the US.. these kind of mistakes of not fulfilling the American need is what is Killing them. And our big attraction to BIG cars hasn't helped the matter either..

Amercian cars are inferior to foreign cars.  I am 30 now and got my first car on my 16th birthday, a Honda.  I have never bought an American car and never will.  I have seen my parents buy these expensive American cars and have more problems with them and have had to hassle to get them straightened out.  A few years ago, I finally got them to try foreign cars and they love them.........they haven't had  problems with them like they did the American cars.  Why continue to buy an inferior product when there is something that is superior.  We want to spend our money on products that will hold up, not break now after a year or so.  Things are too expensive to have to spend a lot of money in repair work.   

Forget the American cars........no BAILOUT.........buy FOREIGN and get your money's worth.

The cars are crap.. When they make a good car maybe Americans will buy them.. Until them let them go under.

Show me an American Car.  Not made from parts from Oshawa, Ontario and Toluca, Mexico.

So a Mexican in Mexico waving an American Flag is American.  Ok, how about a Canadian in Canada waving an American Flag.  Chinaman in China waving an American Flag?  So my guess is that we now have the 51st, 52nd, 53rd States?

Surprise who is American?

Most of the older Asians, out of gratitude, for being saved by the MacArthur Plan, after WWII, invested and continue to reinvest profits in the US.
 
The younger Asians do not believe in this: Because they do not believe in US Workers craftmanship and have written position papers stating this.  They owe nothing to the US.  They believe that the anti Asian "Nationalistic" attitude of the current US dishonors them personally and the Corporate Name (important because Asian Corporations believe #1 Customer, #2 Worker, #3 Corporation, wherein the Corporation is responsible for the worker from start to retirement, an important asset (US Corporations, workers are expendable, like toilet paper)).  They are starting to also become "Nationalistic", Japan first.  They have also stated in position papers the facts that it would be "better" to move all manufacturing back to Japan (Nationalistic Reasons) and cheaper to move some of the manufacturing to China with better quality as a result.
 
This would unemploy the US Workers at "Foreign" Factories at California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennesse, Kentucky, Alabama, Texas, Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, Arizona, Virginia, Georgia, Nevada, etc..  This does not include all the support manufacturing in the US, transportation, dealerships, plastics suppliers, metal suppliers, glass suppliers, etc.. nor the US Corporate Offices.  The unemployment of GM, Ford, Chrysler including all support would look like a flea compared to an elephant, even with GM, Ford, Chrysler counting the Canadian and Mexicans as part of the 3 million "employees" and "support".

I would buy an American car if was affordable.  The auto industry needs to look at their overhead (union for one) and cut out some fat.  If I could get Camaro for under $10,000 I would be there tomorrow, but that is not going to happen is it.  The next industry to asked to bailed is the media.   I bet Pelosi and Reed are getting ready to count the money that we as tax payers will have to ante up.  By the way didn't the unions back BO?  Is this their pay back?  As always just my opinion.

Here's what makes sense: the US Government takes a $25 billion equity stake in American Honda or Toyota, on the condition that THEY buy and take over management of Ford and GM. They fix these broken companies, make good cars, and everyone is happy again.

NO WAY should this money be given to the current management of GM or Ford. They are the ones who drove their companies into the ground.

NAFTA forever!!! I've owned 1 Buick, 1 Chevy car, 4 Chevy trucks (1 Suburban & 1 Trail Blazer & 2 pickups), 1 AMC Jeep, 2Chrysler Jeeps (1 Cherokee & 1 Wrangler), 2 GMC trucks, 1 Volkswagen (New Beetle), 1 Ford truck, 1 Ford car, and a Ford chassis motor home.

Only 1 truck (77) the Buick (61), the AMC Jeep (78) and one Chevy car (68) was manufactured and assembled in the U.S.

The rest were assembled in Canada or Mexico. Even the New Beetle was assembled in Mexico. That means 9 out of 14 were assembled outside the U.S. Any vehicle I had after 78 was made somewhere else. Makes you wonder if the unions are the real problem.

I agree. None of this would be a problem if we would just step up and buy american cars. What I would like to see is for Americans to exchange their house keys for American cars. I'd also like to see the big three want even greater profits and start making aluminum cans, calling them cars, and trading those for houses. Even better, they can just start putting dirt in a bag and trading that for our dollars and equity.

Perhaps when American car companies stop making crap Americans will start buying American cars. Perhaps when they stop making cars that break down in five years but are dated in two years American swill start buying American cars. Perhaps when they get their heads out of their asses they might recognize the relationship between providing value and recieving profits. Until then, I'm buying what gives me the most for my money and it isn't American.

Americans are not making any cars or Airplanes anymore if they don't lower the production cost drasticly all these companies are dead meat if they don't. Right now most of the parts and components are already made overseas instead of here in the states,this alone has cost us millions of jobs and very soon we will lose the assembly lines also because of the high labor cost. The workers in the manufactory businesses have jacket up the wages for the last 30 years to the point that we can not compete  with the rest of the world anymore and to top it of the CEO's and higher management have stolen these companies blind and are walking out the door with millions when they belly up. This is the first thing they have to stop,and second they have to set the clock back like 20 or 30 years and every one works for much less wages and salaries. so they can bring a product in the market they can sell for competitive prices like we did in the old days.People have to understand that we have to lower our way of living,and I mean all of us whith means less income,but keep more work here at home,also everything else has to go down in prices like building smaller homes that are affordable,the rents, the food, medical insurance,the dayly things we need like it used to be, also the import tax for those countries were labor cost is cheap should be made much higher than it is right now.This is the only way we can fight our way back.Right now everything is stopped in it's track and we can only blame ourself. We are out of the competition folks.Nothing the new President can do otherwise we have to make these sacrifices like it or not it's strange that nobody has brought that up during the election time,but I am tell you right now just an bailout to the auto makers won't work next year they are back for more money.

y

The American consumer is tired of bailing out the American automaker-got it.

I buy American cars...........every flippin part on them are made elsewhere!  So much for buying American!

Some people get irrate about all the 'bail-out' stuff and talk as though it is tantamount to 'socialism'. Now, those who argue that Americans are 'expected' to buy Americanwould then be advocates of 'National Socialism', I believe!?

Actually I believe it is a great idea to keep companies going that ACTUALLY produce something tangible, as opposed to propping up companies who created a mess by being allowed to sell capitalist garbage 'products' like derivatives and created false wealth with fueling a false need for a real estate feeding frenzy.

There once were fuel standards designed to bring US auto production progressively in line with the world concerning efficiency. Rather than deal with the competition they designed a new market niche and created a false need for truck-based (inefficient)transportation mostly for air-haulers!

In essence they became the oversized dinosaurs that would run out of food first when disaster strikes. That came first with the real estate market collapse, then the speculator-induced pilfering of the American public and finally the credit crunch that has stalled the auto industry, worldwide. But the US big three ARE the weakest links, to varying degrees.

And few people appreciate the troubles of pre-mature depreciation and build-in pre-mature obsolescence. I do drive a DODGE, my fourth American vehicle in a row. But after recent experiences in dealing with CHRYSLER and hassles with extended warranties, I'm certain to not be a repeat customer. Dinosaur companies make dinosaur products with dinosaur issues... hope that evolution leaves at least the fittest to survive!

So what Walmart is an American Branded Company.

So if I buy a bicycle at Walmart, an American Branded Company, and all the bicycle was made in China.  When I assemble the bicycle is the bicycle "Made in America"?

Almost all of the "American" Branded cars are preassembled from parts from Oshawa, Ontario and Toluca, Mexico.  The preassembled cars and trucks are shipped by rail or truck to Michigan to have a couple of nuts or bolts attached with a label being added "Made in the USA".  While many US Auto workers are paid not to work or you will see them in the bars, on the golf course, shopping, etc. while "on the clock".

Look at what happened recently with the recall of "Made in the USA" chocolates, using powdered milk from China contaminated with melamine.  A deadly joke.  There is your "American Branded".

You hit the nail right on the head.

Great idea--You paying my repair bills that my worthless warranty won't cover?

I think your idea of greedy folks on top holds water.  But remember, it's not the Republicans that put us here, it's the Democrats.  Educate yourself before you make statements like that man.  I forgive you. 

Go to Barry Meyers colum above and see why our manufactury in America is dead if we don't wake up real fast,and why the bailout won't work.

Actually, if you look back on history, Alexander Hamilton didn't found or create the Republican party.

You missed China GM open a plant, Dodge gets parts from china, Ford is more in mexico.  No your toyoat was assembled in the USA just like GM, Ford and Dodge.

UAW LU230 

Guarenteed your engine and transmission weren't assembled in U.S.A.

you got that right!  This is the biggest fraud ever committed.  Where is the handouts for small business and their employees?  What a joke.  These guys in an effort to save the economy are put a stake through its heart with huge financial distortions, massive debts that will be owned by foreign nations and a yax burden that will be crushing on current and future generations.

Just one question, JoeSmythe, what is a yax?

They do but they are not allowed in the US.  Because once upon a time ago they bought the Politicians to pressure the DOT (Department Of Transportation) to make the Standards difficult for "Foreign" Cars that meet the stricter TUV Safety Standards (based on fatalities by category) from entering the US Market.  So now it backfired, now the GM Opel, and Ford AG (65 mpg) cannot enter the US, along with the E100 and Flex Fuel vehicles built in Brazil.

 i agree with u what the . Of course Barney and the rest of the democrats would alter it and buy everyone in goverment a new car . Maybe we shouldnt give them any ideas.