What Next for Detroit, the Big Three and the Auto Industry?

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The UAW is at least a great part of the mess that the auto makers are in. The UAW are full of greed and run the plants, If a UAW worker farts and does not like the smell he just request a committee man call so he can cry to the UAW. That shuts down work for awile, and loss of work done. I would just love to see the UAW go away and right now. I have seen this for myself, the UAW run the plants. Lets pay good peop;e a good wage and get ride of the premodonias the are UAW. Bring in the Courts and get ride of the greed of the UAW.

JD of NV 12:32AM December 14, 2008

Providing a Car Czar will with the authority of a bankruptcy judge will allow companies to change contracts that otherwise can only be done in BK such as cancel leases, renegotiate contracts and terminate other obligations. Shareholders including Ceberus and me will be taking it in the shorts. Bond holders will become shareholders. Banks that are unsecured debtors may not be paid in full but vendors who are needed by the industry will need to be paid in full to assure that they can continue to stay in business and get the credit they need to continue. New unsecured debtors will have priority over earlier debtors.
The concern about obtaining parts is a red herring. Parts is a very profitable business that can be easily sold off to private firms that will be lining up to be the exclusive suppliers of Taurus fenders and Escalade bumpers or Intrepid doors.
What will be more challenging is coming up with a business plan that brings the car companies into profitability at realistic sales volume. This will require a change in management because the current batch are a bunch of greedy idiots.

Drew of CA 8:17PM December 13, 2008

While I am against a bailout, if there is going to be one anyway, it makes the most sense to help the company that is the most fit to start with. Ford must already have the best management, so if we have to help anyone, it might as well be the one that has the best chance to be successful. No use subsiding the businesses that have already proven to be the least competent; rewarding bad behavior, especially on this scale and at this cost would be ludicrous and only lead to more trouble in the future.

Ned of VA 7:16PM December 13, 2008

Does Bush expect the big 3 to repay the taxpayers money from the revenus from future sales. This is the same malarky he gave us when he went to war with Iraq, the war would be paid for from Iraqi oil revenue. Here we are still sinking money into that money pit and has any of that oil revenue been used to repay the 3 trillion dollars we sunk into that country. Forget about it Mr Bush nothing you do will save Detroit and for that matter your legacy. Any life saving moves have to come from within the big 3 and if they go the way of the Packards or Studebakers so be it.We should not reward incompetence.

meanmarine of CA 2:26PM December 13, 2008

Survival of the fitist!

AJ of WI 9:45AM December 13, 2008

Survival of the fitist!

AJ of WI 9:45AM December 13, 2008

Correction: lot not let. My bad

Frans of MI 9:22PM December 12, 2008

Why do not the Big 3 borrow the money from OPEC? That seems like a win-win to me. This would be pocket change for them and it would definitely save a let of jobs.

Frans of MI 9:18PM December 12, 2008

The big 3 have provided us poor quality cars while they themselves have maintained high level of salaries and benefits. Now, they want us to bail them out. Anyone who has a reasonable mind will find it absurd.
I have never voted for Republicans throughout years, but after seeing what the Republicans in Senate are doing, such as blocking the vote on the 15 billion dollars of bailout plan, I intend to vote for them in the future.

John of IN 3:38PM December 12, 2008

The government should not get involved, let them fall, survival of the fittest!! The wages and benefits they pay are discracefull to the American people who get a higher education. If they can't drop to what American employees make in foreign auto plants they should fall!

of IN 11:47AM December 12, 2008