Should They? Will They?

I don't see myself buying any cars from any big 3 company anytime soon. They already got enough of my money from Bush today.

Cheryl, I go with C-nothing. Let them go bankrupt and reorganize.When others complain about the subsidies given to the transplants which range around $1 billion, look again. That $ 1 billion converted into $7 billion in economic benefits. Alabama has stayed within the 4.4% unemployment rate for the past few years when MB and Hyundai moved there. West Virginia which used to be a poster child for high unemployment, now has a lower unemployment rate with 4.7% This is below states like Delaware(5.4%) and Maryland(5.0%). Bob H

They should receive nothing - government should not play favorites.

The congress will not let the auto makers fail because of the unions. So we, as tax payers will have to "foot the bill" for the congresses simpathy and backing by the unions. Of course, no congressperson will admit this so they will play their silly game of will they or won't they.....The inaction on the congressional part is just a "ploy".

Cheryl, I think you mean (4th sentence) he (Mullaly) was sitting by Rick Wagoner from GM. I am a true fiscal conservative, however I believe the government created the unfavorable business climate the Big 3 (or at least Chrysler and GM) are in, therefore I believe the government needs to do something to assist their recovery. Cash and Tax assistance to transplants aided the competition to the detriment of Detroit. Unequal trade policies, particularly with Japan, did not allow for a level playing field. The credit crush just was icing oon the cake. The structured bankruptcy, by any other name, seems to be a viable option. Throwing money at them, or ignoring them completely, does not seem to be the prudent position to take.

The answer is C. The auto companies need to work this out on their own, not with tax dollars. If they receive any tax dollars, I will never buy another auto from any of them and currently we own four. C Edgar

Just like in the movie Caddyshack... "You will get nothing and like it!" If I make bad decisions I have to live with the consequences. It is time that others have to be held to the standard that I am held to. Let's show some real equality. If I have to be responsible you will have to be responsible too. You need to take care of YOUR business, because I take care of mine!

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!! Zero, zip, nada!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let them go into chapter 11 so they can restructure and get their costs in line to be competitive. Otherwise, it's good money after bad AND the fed gov't will have a hand in a business they know NOTHING about.

Give the loan to the American Auto Companies from the TARP Program Over the past several weeks, it has become clear that the Republican right hates the UAW so much that it would prefer to plunge the nation into a depression rather than craft a bridge loan that doesn't single out the auto industry's unionized workers for punishment. Republicans complain that labor costs at the Big Three are out of line with those at the non-union transplant factories in the South, factories that Southern governors have subsidized with billions of taxpayer dollars. But the UAW has already agreed to concessions bringing its members' wages to near-Southern levels, and labor costs already comprise less than 10 percent of the cost of a new car. On Wall Street, employee compensation at the seven largest financial firms in 2007 constituted 60 percent of the firms' expenses, yet reducing overall employee compensation wasn't an issue in the financial bailout. What the Republicans are proposing would gut the benefits of roughly a million retirees. They want to destroy the institution that did more than any other to raise American living standards, and they want to do it by using the power of government to lower American living standards -- in the middle of the most severe recession since the 1930s. The auto workers deserve better, and so does th

Let's use any aid only to guide them into a chapter 11 or similar major restructuring that has a prayer of success. I didn't expect or receive a hand out when my job was eliminated. If I want to contribute to self- absorbed greed on a continuous basis I'll buy one of their cars. FP

Shouldn't this be decided by Congress? Congress passed TARP and Congress decided against an auto bailout, at least for now. Congress had the opportunity to clarify that TARP should be used for the auto bailout, but they declined. If you have a problem with it, write your Senator. But no, I don't think the taxpayers should be held hostage by these auto companies. Didn't we learn in the 50's, 60's and 70's with the communism experiment that the government does a poor job of deciding which industries to prop up?

C) They should not recive any money let them go for Chapter 11.

C) Receive nothing! Then auction off the entire plant and everything they own; private jets, yachts, sail boats, resorts, hotels, car museums storage garages, exotic sports cars, Tiffany & Co. jewelry, everything! And, yes even their season football tickets.

Automakers should go bankrupt and dump the UAW...they should received nothing, nada, zilch...change your business and compete with the rest of the world instead of looking for a handout that is not available to everyone, especially the small business man who is driving this economy.

“Let them fail; let everybody fail. I made my fortune when I had nothing to start with, by myself and my own ideas. Let other people do the same thing. If I lose everything in the collapse of our financial structure, I will start in at the beginning and build it up again.” –Henry Ford, 1934

How about 'C' with feds being DEP for chapter 11?

I believe you have to give before you can recieve. Where are the concessions from these companies? from the UAW up to the CEOs they are making way to much incomes for the times. Look at Honda giving management a 10% haircut. We are going to take tax dollars to support these guys? I say the answer is a big C. Give them nothing until they show some serious sacrifice.

Should the automakers: A) Receive funding from the TARP Program? B) Receive funding from the Department of Energy? C) Receive nothing! Either A or B or some other source.

The automakers should receive $0 from the government. The dopes in Congress made a huge mistake with TARP. Money handed to the Big 3 would be another mistake because the $$ would not be paid back despite all their assurances. How do I know? People are losing their jobs and can not afford to buy cars, at least not new ones. I suggest we make the bailout be voluntary. If this is such a great idea they soon will be swimming in $$. Ask all Americans to send their checks to the car czar. The czar will collect all contributions and then hand out the money as needed.

give them the money.wall banks weren't scrutinized like auto exects.

Sorry, I didn't answer your question. It doesn't matter where Washington decides to get the money from. Let's face it, they're ignoring what few requirements were placed on TARP funds to begin with, and if you actually believe that Washington isn't going to give Detroit billions, you're living in a dream world. Does Detroit deserve to be bailed out? Of course not. But that's not even a relevent question in Washington. Congress and the Treasury, Federal Reserve, FDIC, they're not even going to discuss whether these bailouts are reasonable, and more importantly, effective. As far as they're concerned, if there's still a problem, it just means they haven't thrown enough money at the problem, yet.

There should be a couple more options here. 4) Condition any "bail out loan" on the terms that the UAW is disbanded and the big three agree to "Open shops" or NO unions. 5) Any bailouts require a serious restructuring of management with "new blood"; the same people will bring the same problems and attempt to resolve with the same old failed solutions. No management bonuses and their salaries are cut to a maximum of $200,000 per year until they show a profit. No overtime for anyone in hourly pay. Employees pay real deductables on their insurance and real co-pays of more than $10. Yes they have a great health plan; but at what cost to us? Do they want to have jobs? 6) Where is there any "private investment money" and why are the investors not running to help save them; is it that investors want some return on their money? 7) Any bailout money should be conditioned with "bench marks" with an actual plan! Not simply say; "Show us the money"; simply because "we exist". 8)GM has a lot of R&D and has other skill sets other than simply build cars. How about offering "retro fitting upgrades" to current cars already produced to get better mileage by some form of multi-fuel options; makes them look good; keeps the workers working; takes us off dependence for oil overall. Time to apply all that additional knowledge.

I'm fundamentally against any bailouts for any company, whether Wall Street, or Detroit. Bailouts allow failing companies to, first socialize their debt, and second, to completely ignore reality. They haven't miraculously changed into successful businesses. They're just failing businesses with better looking financial statements. Bad balance sheet? Take a few (or a lot) of billions of taxpayer dollars and "dress" that balance sheet up. Lend money? Two problems there. First, Americans aren't willing to add to our already high debt, and second, the banks aren't going to lend money, and take the chance of perhaps NOT getting a second, third or fourth bailout. They'll be the first to tell you, the economy sucks. They'll hoard the cash and keep themselves solvent. Billions spent or committed, nothing solved. Although lending money to Detroit, with Debtor in Possession financing, AFTER they have gone into bankruptcy, and after the Judge handling it has thrown out the UAW contract and everything else that's completely unreasonable, reduced the capacity to something that's reasonable in the current economic climate, I might be able to get behind that. I don't think it's a great idea, but it's certainly better than writing a check to Ron Gettelfinger and the UAW, via Detroit automakers. But for heaven's sake, take first liens on absolutely everything, so at least we can hope to get some of our money back. We can't support Detroit's status quo. It won't work anymore.

C. Receive nothing Hopefully, the Big 3 have learned some valuable lessons in Running a Business 101 by making decisions such as closing plants and reducing manufacturing in an attempt to cut expenses. Once the BIG 3 realized that the taxpayers would not and could not financially support their companies, the executives are finally beginnning to make the tough decisions that affect all businesses operating in this poor economy. The BIG 3 don't deserve to be bailed out anymore than any other industry need a bailout. The auto workers should work with the companies and volunteer concessions so that all employees in the industry can keep jobs. If the workers can't agree to a cut in pay/benefits, then let the workers find another employer. The auto industry is feeding on bailout mania and has not been "minding the store" for quite a while. This mania has created a lot of bad publicity for the BIG 3 and the UAW by demanding that taxpayers fund the businesses. Don't know if they will ever recover from this bad publicity as it has left a real stench among the majority of American taxpayers (former customere.)