What you be in support of this action against the American car companies?

I have another option. Let them be responsible for their actions just like any other business. They can choose to file for bankruptcy (this will not mean that they will close). Then they can restructure and since their contracts with the unions would be canceled by the bankruptcy, they could renegotiate a more reasonable agreement.

Even if GM were to go under, life will go on. Other car companies will experience a rise in sales. A new car company could emerge---one with good efficiency and management---and who makes a quality product that people will want to buy. The displaced workers will survive. I live in a city where we've lost several GM plants in the last decade. Life goes on. Some workers retire, some train to work in other fields (their severance includes free schooling), others choose to work in other manufacturing plants. The severance for these unskilled employees is extremely generous. If they've worked at GM for over 10 years, they get $140,000.00 each---which in this area is more than the average price of a home.

http://www.whiotv.com/news/17754270/detail.html

We've lost 1,000's of GM jobs and life has went on. Yes, the local economy has taken a hit but it's not devastated. If we have to reward any business with government money (which I'm against doing), I'd rather reward the successful ones. I've seen the business practices of GM and I DON"T want to be forced to invest in them through taxation.

No, I do't support letting them fail. As for focusing more on fuel efficient cars, they have been doing that.

Early this decade, GM put a major focus on improving its cars and expanding the number of crossover vehicles that it offers. As a result, of the last 13 new GM products introduced in the U.S. 11 have been cars or crossovers. Of the next 19 launches, 18 will be cars or crossovers.

Cars like the Saturn Aura, Chevy Malibu and Cadillac CTS have won major awards and are selling well in a very tough market. GM is also the only U.S.-based company to offer a subcompact car, the Chevy Aveo, which we introduced back in 2003. A second subcompact, the Pontiac G3, joins the lineup early next year.

GM crossovers like the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Pontiac Vibe have become increasingly popular with customers who need the space and utility of an SUV in a more fuel-efficient package.

The very rapid shift from trucks to cars that occurred when fuel prices spiked this spring has forced all carmakers to adapt. With its current and future product lineup, GM is well positioned to take advantage of growing demand for fuel efficient vehicles.

Bankruptcy would hurt employees, stockholders, suppliers or customers. Speculation about a possible filing is not constructive. It would actually cost us (as a nation) more to have the auto related workers in the employee lines than the loan them the money they are requesting.

As for the unions, the most recent GM-UAW agreement, signed in 2007, helps close fundamental competitive gaps with our import competitors, and they anticipate significant savings as they implement the key provisions of the agreement between now and 2010.

The government should stay out of it. There are three reasons why American automakers are in financial trouble yet again.

1. Unions. The costs for pensions and health plans are killing the companies, especially as the Baby Boomers are now hitting retirement and demanding their pensions.

2. Government regulation. The government already forces the automakers to make fuel efficient vehicles, and guess what? Most Americans aren't buying them. If it weren't for the regulations, the companies could simply focus on the vehicles that are most profitable instead of wasting money on research, development and production of products most people don't want.

3. Mismanagement, plain and simple.

Any further government involvement will simply either extend the problem into the future and/or make matters worse. And all done at the cost of our tax dollars.

As for the people who might or might not lose their jobs (the companies are going to likely stay open but just be smaller than before), they can get jobs with Honda, Kia, Hyundai and other manufacturers with plants here.

Well global warming maybe a myth - but not climate change. The more you research global warming the more you realize that it is just one symptom of climate change. The entire global climate is changing and the effects are different all over the world. Temperatures in the tropics will not increase very much but temperature in the arctic region can increase by as much as 10-degree Celsius. So an increase in global warming depends on where in the globe you are. Around the equator no real temperature changes but a lot more extreme weather patterns – storms and hurricanes. The scientists can fight all they want about global warming and myth or fact, or argue that it is natural or man made, but it is a fact that much of the earth is experiencing some form of climate changes and this can lead to failure of the economy and safety concerns, with more storms, more floods, more droughts, more heat. If we are not ready when it happens the human population will be thinned out considerably. Climate change is a fact and keep in mind that the atmosphere has a 10 year delay period, any improvements we make today will take 10 year to see. Talk CFC ban for example its been approx 10-15 since North America banned CFC and only now is the ozone showing signs of stability and possible self – repair. So change you focus to climate change and not just global warming.

The airlines went thru hell, bankruptcies, etc. came thru in the end. Why bail out these guys? Put 'em thru the same, filter out the inept business practices, get rid of the unions or make 'em get competitive. It won't be fun, but that's the way it should be. Otherwise, you give this money away, they don't learn anything, they come back for more.

GM, in it's infinite stupidity, had a viable electric car some time back, but scrapped the whole project. Why?

The Japanese manufacturers have made successful hybrids for a while now like the Honda Insight I had, got better that 50 mpg. Still gonna be 2 more years before GM could get something out again.

If and only IF the AMERICAN taxpayer must get involved, then what needs to happen is to buy a CONTROLLING interest in the companies that we are "bailing-out" and then the board of directors for said company is effectively the CONGRESS and thereby WE THE PEOPLE have a say in things like executive compensation (etc...)

I would like to see regulation to the extent that NO CORPORATION could grow large enough and powerful enough that if it where to fail, it would be a threat to the national economy. Therefore no bail-out would ever be necessary because no single corporation could pose a threat to the economy.

Oh yea .... END CORPORATE PERSONHOOD!

Spend the money on infrastructure, roads etc, let the workers spend the money on any car they want.

Good money after bad is not good

I say let them fail and operate under US bankruptcy laws, or be bought out by other car companies that would operate more efficiently.

Not one penny of taxpayer money should go to them.

Yes, let them fail. Unions will cause them to fail again, Unions don't work in modern America with laws.

Capitalism built America.

It is a corrupted, dead industry under American management and UAW and there is no hope to revive it.