Is the government bailout plan a good idea?

I for one do not believe the government should be trying to finance the private sector at the expense of the American taxpayer. That's what the various bankruptcy laws are for.

To begin with, the banking industry created their own situation through poor management and practices.

Citi-Bank in particular. In February of 2007, they themselves provided a bail-out of sorts to a Japanese bank to the tune of about 7 billion. They basically bought out another bank's bad debt in exchange for ownership of a failing business. Then by August or September of 2007, they were asking for a bail-out themselves. This was provided in a large part by foreign entities who now own over 51% of the company.

And now they're in trouble again and the American government steps up to the plate and offers a bail-out package of American taxpayer dollars to a company that is no longer American owned. Go figure.

And have you heard? Several of the banks that received their part of the bail-out money, are now offering multi-million dollar contracts to the same executives responsible for the mess, just to get them to stay on.

As far as the American auto industry, what can you say? Over the course of the last several years, the auto industry has tried to play banker as well. Offers of 0 down and 0% financing along with an entire portfolio of buyer incentives, they accomplished what they set out to do.

New car sales rose and rose until the market was saturated. And the price of a new car was on the rise as well until the number of people that could even afford a new car was limited. And they wonder why sales are down. For Pete's sake, a new car now costs more than I have paid for houses. And they keep making them bigger and adding more goodies to them.

I think it's time the American automobile got back to the basics. Henry Ford envisioned an automobile that everyone in the country could afford. He must be rolling in his grave.

Sad to say, but our government can't even balance their own budget. The best thing for these companies might have been to file bankruptcy and restructure. And it may still happen yet.

It could be if, the government had them sign a contract guaranteeing payback and proof of where the money went, and that the money would be used only for business and not for fancy parties and vacations.

If the companies being bailed out are employers of large numbers of people I could agree as long as there was legitimate oversight and not some greedy politician that would take his share and still let the business go down the drain.

A better way to bail them out would be to have them sign over a set amount in stocks to the tax payers by way of tax reduction or stimulus checks, making each tax payer a part owner in the business.

The bank bail out should not have been done at all, because they should have had their loans covered. When I go to the bank to borrow, I have to have enough collateral to cover twice the amount that I'm borrowing. For instance, I buy a used truck for $10,000, I borrow $7,000 from the bank. they wast the title to my $5,000 boat, $3,500 motor, $2,300 ATV as collateral. If I miss 2 payments I'm walking to the fishing hole, and fishing from the bank. And when they sell my things, if they don't get full price, they say I still owe, even though I may have paid $6,500 back, But on top of all that they charge me the highest rate on the interest.

Banks make money. The only reason they can lose is poor management.

The bailout is a BAD idea. All the money we have isnt going to bail the big three out... It took about 20 years to get to this level... CEO's, Directors, managers shuffling around, getting their pie and leaving... NEVER giving thought to you and I the CONSUMER. They were all told over ten years ago to build more economical cars... what did they give us.. .Hummers, Dodge Hemis and too many Ford F150's.... they put all their time and effort into designing gas guzzlers rather than good strong efficient cars... they build disposable cars instead... and at 30,000 a piece... who can afford that and afford to fill the tank????? They all live higher on the hog than you or I ever will... most of them have homes in the Carribean, have yachts..... and never think of you and I and how hard we have to work to get by, only how much they can gauge the public... so to ask the public to bail their sorry Ar$$ out... is pure greed. I cant believe people are buying into the FEAR tactic of lost jobs.. those jobs are going anyway, regardless of any bailout... all that bailout is going to do is give the current greedy crew their pie before they leave. So as this is going on Toyota, Honda and Nissan are opening plants... gee.... why is that? Maybe because they drove around north america asking people what they wanted and listened??????? Amazing that we allow our already corrupt government to bail these guys out... they all golf together... probably have all been to camp David.... its really sick.... while we cut coupons and pay enormous amounts of taxes......

To the banking industry? obviously not, they appear to have just taken the money and run. Auto industry? I am not sure yet, the reporting is so biased, but at least the biggies won't file bankruptcy right away and the thousands of companies that supply them with parts for the cars they build stand a better chance of getting paid. Also I heard that the union is totally ready to cooperati, that they will match the salaries that the foreign companies pay here if they can see the actual records of those companies on salaries,

Maybe we just need to take back the money from the banks, take on the huge debt load of health care that is carried by the auto industries for their retireew (or duh how about national health for all)

For starters, everyone receiving annual pension over £one hundred,000 could desire to pay ninety 5% tax. Then we could regularise the giving of titles and sell them on ebay to the optimal bidders. we could even post the place of work of the monarch on the marketplace, e.g. $200m in step with 12 months or greater, to whoever desires to be the British monarch. For that they are able to stay interior the palaces, open parliament, supply the Christmas message, wave to the crowds, confer gongs, supply out mundy money, etc. And in the event that they had to be sure a dynasty, they could desire to inject £350bn into Britain and help themselves truly of living off the rustic. You concept of 'advertising' off Gibraltar and the Malvinas assumes that we own the titles. that's is in all probability no longer the case. you will discover that we are occupiers truly than proprietors. that's a non-starter.

I'd feel a lot better if I knew what the hell was happening to the money.

Well, maybe I'd feel a lot better. But, from what I do know, international banks are being bailed out by US tax dollars. I don't like that idea at all.

Is loaning a thousand bucks to a crackhead and expecting them to pay you back a good idea?

Sure it is. Just don't look at the AGI $5000000 that went to that fancy holiday party.

Absoluetly not.

anything the government touches out side of what their SUPPOSED to do, falls to crap.

Only if you are one getting bailed out.