Auto Bailout.......

[redoak]

Loan them money to retool their factories for electric/hybrid/super gas mpg cars. At least that would be money well spent. Build up an infrastructure to make "future" needs vehicles. If they fail another company could buy the factories (from the tax payers) and try again.

 

[HennysMom]

Troll & Purple

If healthcare was such an easy fix - then tell me - why is the Medicare system such a blessed mess? I look around at not only that but our Social Security system, which mind you, is also "gov't ran" - and I dont know about you, but if our elected officials cant get those 2 programs under control - how do you imagine the "easy fix" of our national health care reform is going to go?

Its not just insurance industry that is the issue - DOCTORS and PHARMACUTICAL companies are right up there right along side those insurance companies holding thier hands out just as well.

I'm sorry, but a 5 minute drs. visit does not cost $500.00 - $1,000.00 with a specialist! And my GP? HA - that 5 minutes cost me on average $200.00.

I am on 6 medications a month (I have 9 medical conditions at the tender age of 38) - and those meds costs me $250.00 per month and that is WITH my co-payments! That doesnt include my kids medications or my husbands - nor does it include my $150.00 per year ded. for medications. If I didnt have insurance, just one med alone would cost me $285.00 for 30 pills

Big Pharm....Insurance...Doctors - they all go hand in hand. One hand feeds the other. Kickbacks are great arent they?

But you're right Purple - we got off course

 

[1acrefarm]

Quote:
I agree with most of that. What I see as the failure of the three American
car companies problem is their failure to diversify their product lines.
We are creating the American equivalent of Airbus by bailing them out.
Heck, why not just make them government run?

I'm all for drilling and developing alternate energies to stabilize prices
and increase our energy independence. Even with that fuel prices and
populations will still continue to rise. A child can see Ford Expeditions
driven by soccer moms is not a sustainable, or intellegent concept.

I drive a Dodge Sprinter for work, made by Mercedes. It gets 22 mpg
and completely outperforms any Ford van I've had. Even the Europeans
have figured it out. Ford sells an almost identicle van but it's not
available in the U.S. Hmmmm...

I agree to a point. People driving suvs for status symbols is one thing. Suvs can be very useful and needed. Imagine hauling 6 people and their sports equipment in a Camry. Imagine pulling that trailer loaded with 2 chords of green firewood with a Prius. I definitely would have a hard time without my pickup. I drive it less than 20 miles a month but the camry won't get that firewood from the woodlot across the street to my yard or haul a load of materials. When junk was paying my truck usually grossed 10,000 or better and got alot more use. My truck is a heck of alot cheaper to repair than the foreign vehicles as well.

 

[Their Other Mother]

I think we should look to Lee Ioacoca for some insight.
Quote:

At first, being hired to head up Chrysler seemed like going from the frying pan into the fire. This venerable company was on the verge of bankruptcy, and I had some tough decisions to make. To save the company, I had to lay off some workers, sell off our European division and close several plants. And of course, I had to secure the now famous loan we received from Congress-which I paid back early with interest.


As for the Seven hundred billion dollar bail out, I'm not real bright with math so if I'm way off on this calculation it's just my bonehead understanding:

$700,000,000,000. (seven hundred billion - using the American formula) divided by 242,677,893 people in the U.S. over the age of 15 = $28,844.919 per person.

Facts:

A traditional English billion is one million million which would look like this:
1,000,000,000,000
(twelve zeros)

This has been largely overtaken by the American-origin:
1,000,000,000
(nine zeros)

The second answer is also known as One Thousand Million.



United States
Population: 303,824,640 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 20.1% (male 31,257,108/female 29,889,645)
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 101,825,901/female 102,161,823)
65 years and over: 12.7% (male 16,263,255/female 22,426,914) (2008 est.)
Median age: total: 36.7 years
male: 35.4 years
female: 38.1 years (2008 est.)


My Question: Why didn't the Fed's just buy out AIG for $100,000,000,000. and sell it for $200,000,000,000. to other investors and make a profit for the Govt. ?

 

[Trollkiller]

Quote:
We need to start a new topic.

You merged what I said. The $500 was for a diagnostic procedure, like x-ray, blood test, EKG, EEG etc.

Start a new topic on insurance and I will explain why you are mistaken on the "cost" of your meds.

 

[Ladyhawke1]

Quote:
I will put this in terms that you can understand…..especially about privatization. …….. Take a fox, and stick him outside of the hen house, and tell him to take good care of the chickens.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Quote:
Yes, mam. with benefits, healthcare costs and pension plans these guys are making this. The hourly wage may be 30 bucks and hour for your DH take home, BUT with health care, pension and other benefits the line workers are taking over 70 dollars an hours to sustain their interest in the auto industry. The other auto makers are making half this WITH benifits. This was negotiated by the unions that represent these particular workers at GM, FORD and CHYSLER. Filling for a chapter 11 bankruptcy may be the only option. This is why there are bankruptcy courts in this country. If a corparation is unviable, then they need to sustian a lower presence and work force and the work force needs to do the same. Oh, if is were in this postion YOU BET I would push the Loan and bailout. But, most Americans are just not that lucky.

 

[PurpleChicken]

Hennysmom & Trollkiller, I think you both make valid points and would
really enjoy hearing them in another thread.


1acrefarm, I also agree with you completely and do the same. I have
a Nissan pickup that I use as my fuel efficient daily driver, a GMC 3500
I use 20 miles a month. My Dodge Sprinter is my company vehicle
that I take home with me. It weighs 8000 pounds and I can carry
a ton of tools and parts in it, tow 7000(I think), and still get 22 mpg
(when not towing).

Ford or GM could easily make a full size pickup with a small diesel engine
that could perform as well as their 14 mpg guzzlers. I'd buy one in a
heartbeat. I hate having 2 trucks plus a work van.

 

[horsejody]

My son saw a news report that showed that the average auto worker's compensation, including wages, health insurance and retirement funding, is about $71 per hour. If the taxpayers are going to bail the industry out, those contracts need to be renegotiated. Most of the population does not make that kind of money or get those kind of benefits. It's not right to take taxes from people making less so that the auto industries and the unions can maintain their status quo. And while they are at it, no bonuses, especially for CEO's and top management.

 

[HennysMom]

Quote:
and that's the point I was making earlier....or at least trying to.