Comments on: Excuse me automakers: Is that my stapler?

By: Karen Pierce Gonzalez

Karen Pierce Gonzalez — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:15:54 +0000

Bailout, Bailout, Bailout. Whatever happened to the idea that we were responsible for our choices? These auto industries took their eyes off the road years ago when they decided not to expand their energy-efficient lines.
In my household, we watch our budget and when it looks like times are slim, we slow down the spending AND we get creative, even entrepreneurial about meeting our needs.
We do this for two reasons:
1) We don't want to go under financially
2) We want to rolemodel the basics of fiscal responsibility for our daughter who will, one day, be an adult in this crazy world. We'd like to think she's not so delayed-gratified that she won't be able to take care of herself!

By: Kenneth

Kenneth — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:56:00 +0000

It'll be hard to get even when the next election rolls around if we're all in dire straits or even homeless. I think we all need to take a stand right now, before it gets to that point. I read a book by Louis Kestenbaum, about how life is too short to sit around waiting for karma to work for you or to get revenge. There's a lot of truth to that. It would be great if all of us "Miltons" could be a bit more proactive, that's for sure!

By: Jean Rachel

Jean Rachel — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:50:15 +0000

There never should have been any "bailouts" by the government paid for by the public. The wall street gluttons and the Big 3 auto makers should be forced to follow bankruptcy proceedings, be monitored closely by judges and economists, and not be allowed to outsouce any jobs to other countries at any time. There also should be a legal cap on what CEOs can make and take from a company. Bonus pays should be tied to the "real profitablity' of each company-and if a company sinks-the CEO doesn't get a dime. America has become the land of spend and run. For over 20 years the American auto industry deliberately ignored the fact that smaller autos would have been better on the environment and would cost less to make-thus netting solid profitability to the automakers. NO BAILOUTS! BANKRUPTCY HUMBLES FOLKS AND LENDERS TEND TO BE MORE CAREFUL.

By: Jack

Jack — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:38:10 +0000

The republican view has been to totally support big business and dump on labor as an excuse for all that is wrong with the republican supported deregulation in every thing from the labor department to the energy department.

This viewpoint is what has led to the demise of the middle class in America and one of the reasons that the republicans have been thrown out of Washington. Pat Bucannon wrote an article in todays newspaper that talks about the republicans missing the boat and he's a republican.

By: Joe Brzezinski

Joe Brzezinski — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:37:47 +0000

I have owned GM trucks my entire driving life 30+ years and the vehicle I own now has been the most costly to maintain and design flawed truck I have ever owned. During my last communication with GM regarding a known defect with the truck their response was “Sorry no good will in this matter”. I made the decision to never give GM another cent. So as far as I’m concerned I feel no good will toward GM, How dare they expect money from the taxpayers when it’s their own incompetence that has but them in the position they are in today? Why doesn’t the UAW kick in a little, after all they helped to drag them down?

By: Tony

Tony — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:17:19 +0000

Having been in the airline industry for a number of years, we were ask to accept pay cuts to save our airline, this still continues in the industry today.

My question is what have the employees of Wall Street or the Auto industry been ask to do to save their industries and jobs?

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:11:35 +0000

Please no bailouts!! Period. The CEO of Ford and GMC are no doubt Republicans who up until the credit crunch screamed (with all of its lobbying money) – small government. What these Republicans truly mean is no money for the small but all for the rich. Give me a break. Let them fail, in fact, let those who weren't prudent fail. The end result will be more reasonable prices for all of those products, houses, land that had their prices driven beyond their value.

By: xtina, chicago IL

xtina, chicago IL — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:10:39 +0000

Two ways of looking at it. Why put taxpyr money into a bad business model? The other hand: no one wants to see the hard-working people lose jobs. I'm glad Im not a politician.

By: Cindy

Cindy — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:04:56 +0000

Unfortunately I think that we will have to bail the 3 automakers out. If they fail not only will the ones working for them lose their jobs but other companies associated with the auto industry will go under. That will lead to a huge downfall in our economy!

But I do think that we need to set up some type of commission to overlook what they are doing and how they spend the money. That way we can be sure that they are doing right and spending the money wisely to get themselves out of trouble. We should in no way just give them a check and send them on their merry way to do as they please. If we do that they'll do like AIG and waste the money then come crawling back for more.

Cindy...Ga.