“Beyond the massive job loss, Congress and the Bush administration need to provide immediate assistance to the auto industry, because America’s energy independence is dependent upon it. The U.S. auto industry is the sector that will lead the way to energy independence.
How? The car you drive will soon be the storage unit for all your energy needs. Your home, your car, your appliances can all be powered through the advanced battery that will sit inside your plug-in electric vehicle.”
Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm is one of Obama’s hand-picked economic policy advisors.
Sorry Kevin, but $73.00 an hour is the total that is paid out in wages and benefits.
It’s unsustainable.
So don’t ask me to sustain for you.
Face the economic realities and take a wage cut or go bankrupt.
It’s as simple as that.
You killed the goose that laid the golden eggs.
$73.00 for unskilled labor is not economically realistic.
And you don’t understand the fallacy of the economic argument. If I have to give you money to bail you out, it’s less money I have to spend myself and to stimulate the economy.
Or does money grow on trees?
Your argument is that I should give you money so you can buy a DVD player and that’s good because it simulates the economy.
But you forget to factor in that I will be buying one less DVD player, so it’s a wash.
If you want to retain those spin off jobs, take a pay cut.
Because asking me to pay more taxes to bail you out is effectively asking me to take a pay cut.
Is yours the only industry in Canada?
Every dollar you get in a bailout has to come from somewhere, and that will damage whoever has to give it to you.
Or didn’t you think it through?
You want to save your job?
Take a pay cut.
Don’t ask me to take one when the average Canadian makes far less than you do.
You and your CAW pensioner buddies will have to face the harsh reality that your greed helped destroy your industry.
It’s your fault, you take the pain.
I have never been an auto worker Stan, but I have seen data showing the surprisingly small component that wages add to the price of a car. Honda and Toyota products are more expensive than big three products, yet their wages are half what the big three pay out. There must be some explanation why the big three aren’t charging more at the dealerships.
We aren’t bailing out the workers, we’re bailing out the company. If you choose to not bail out the company, then prepare to pay more taxes to pay the unemployment, retraining and/or welfare costs for the thousands of displaced workers. What’s your preference? But you’re okay with bailing out the banks then?
Blame the Union if you must, but it’s management who has made the poor decisions. How about knocking a couple of million out of executive compensation first before touching the workers? Poor management, lack of innovation, and poor product design is killing the golden goose since the workers can only build what the engineers and executives decide on.
Will you be happy when all manufacturing leaves north America for good and everyone here is out of work? Isn’t it greed that’s sending manufacturing offshore, in that never ending quest for increased profit? The auto industry isn’t the only industry, but there isn’t much else left. Or hadn’t you noticed?
Of course the Union is guilty of unrealistic increases over the years, but executives are completely justified in showering themselves in perks and shamelessly huge bonuses regardless of performance. There’s plenty of blame to go around, but the least guilty here is the little guy. Let him have his $25 made in China DVD player.
It’s not my fault, but I know the pain is coming for all of us. We can bicker all we like about who is to blame, but we’re all going to see trouble from this no matter what your station in life.
“$73.00 for unskilled labor is not economically realistic.”
…
“Take a pay cut. Don’t ask me to take one when the average Canadian makes far less than you do.”
Maybe unemployed auto workers could start to earn $200/hour as photographers like one of our lefty posters here.
i want my free lunch. where’s my free lunch?
Drake;I am glad that you mentioned farm subsidies.I hope you mean the subsidies that keep Quebec in Canada and give Ontario farmers a fortune for their land.If you mean the subsidies that Western Canadian farmers get then let me tell you there has been a revolution in farming in the west.No-till,monstrous seeding machines,thousands of acres farmed by two or three guys all of the same family.If the auto industry had gone thru the same changes then whole factories would be manned by a few workers.Cars would cost the same as they did twenty years ago as that is the price that we get for our commodities.When I hear of auto workers having to get a second job to make ends meet then I will have some sympathy for them but not when they can retire from a good paying job(that they didnt have to buy),sell nothing and still live handsomely on a pension that I have to pay for.
Fair comment:
She’s a f**king idiot.
Taxes up. If things go titties up?
The “automotive” workers will get first crack at new jobs.
NO NEED to actually be QUALIFIED for the position. Jenny-poo will save you!!!
…and she’s an “advisor” to Obama?
My friends in Michigan keep reminding me she’s “Canadian”. I keep saying “No, she’s a frickin’ Marxist! There IS a difference.”
Oh…as for any automotive bailout?
HELL no. That’s a step in the direction of nationalization of the automotive industry.
You can have either a Trabant or a Lada in any colour you want. As long as it’s Red.
“You can have either a Trabant or a Lada in any colour you want. As long as it’s Red.”
Everyone out of work could then take training to become a mechanic, and there would be full employment keeping those commie cars running…
so there is an upside to this thing!
It’s not the first time. Didn’t Reagan guarantee GM 800,000.000.00 in loans in the 80’s?