Democrats Ready Emergency Legislation To Aid Auto Industry

New York Times:

Democratic Congressional leaders said Tuesday that they were ready to push emergency legislation to aid the imperiled auto industry when lawmakers return to Washington next week for the first time after the election, setting the stage for one last showdown with President Bush.

"Next week, during the lame-duck session of Congress, we are determined to pass legislation that will save the jobs of millions of workers whose livelihoods are on the line," the majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, said in a statement.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[PT6]

Let Bush's legacy include the DISMANTLING of the AUTO INDUSTRY!

What does he CARE!

He will already be remembered as the most corrupt and incompetent president and administration in History!

If he was SMART he would try to leave on a POSITIVE NOTE! But taking the SMART way out has never been his approach!

[ReasoNseeKer]

Are you kidding me? You think the roots of the Auto Industry's problems occurred during the Bush years? Grow up. Let them sink and someone else start a new car industry. Again, this money will not solve any problems -- a band-aid on an gushing artery. The democrats have lost their minds. The first bailout was stupid. So's this one. They are spending our future to put off the inevitable -- makes no sense at all.

And you sheep see that the democrats are for it and therefore it's a good thing to do -- wake up.

[KarateKid]

"Let them sink and someone else start a new car industry. "

Well, I believe the Japanese already have. Honda has a plant in Marysville, Ohio and other locations, so does Toyota, Mazda and Subaru. Also, BMW and Mercedes also have plants here in the US. They may be Japanese owned, but are American made. Ask any American working at these companies how they feel about this, and whether they'd want to go work for one of the three American owned companies?

Who needs those three dinosaur companies who have been mismanaged for three decades? These dummies never learned their lessons, and kept building gas guzzlers and the all American pickup truck. Let them go down, then pick up the pieces and rebuild, maybe with one or two companies.

[partyofone]

or let auto industry and union lobbyists pull their strings on Congress to get what they want.

The average taxpayer gains nothing from these bailouts. Use tax dollars to help the workers affected, not corprorate execs who want to protect their bonuses and stock options.

[Badger84]

Any bailout would also have to contain security for workers and living wages, with prohibitions on offshoring,

[partyofone]

The unions are part of this, however. They demanded and received wage and compensation that the maket could not support. The workers voted in their unions and have benefited from years from wages and benefits that helped to make American companies less competitive.

I am no fan corporations, but to suggest that the solution is only in changes in corporate behavior is not realistic. Unions have a role in the "bailout" too.

[schatsie]

I agree with the premise that UNIONS should have a role in the bailout... after all their livelyhoods are at risk, where the CEOs is not... he has his golden parachute, apartment in Manhattan and the Millionaire Mile and his mutimillion dollar pension etc, and so does his predecessor and his predecessor.... Get real, this is another situation where GREED in Management has Ruled and now the chickens are coming home to roost... The CEOs will get their pensions, the pensions for the unions will be cut to nothing like what happened with United Airlines. etc....

[Badger84]

Let's hope this bailout comes with a lot of strings attached regarding executive compensation, dividends, the type of vehichles to be manufactured and their price. I'm waiting for the details.

[KarateKid]

Don't hold your breath. These companies are so corrupted that it would take years to fix the problem, retool their assembly lines, and are you willing to gamble that these dummies will suddenly get their act together? What if they don't anyway? Then what? We'll really be up a creek then.,

[rf-hawaii]

Bush will veto that for sure.

[munki]

Give America and Americans are break...
Do the due diligence first...
Can they compete?
Can they do mpg better?
Can they tell us... they do for America and Americans?
and NOT for their pocket books?

Please...

[partyofone]

of course the "can".... the questions is "will" they do those things. No amount of prior due diligence answers that, only ongoing regulation and incentives.

[MountPanic]

LISTEN UP PELOSI

While I'd love to oppose this bailout the way I opposed the Wall Street bailout, there are too many American jobs at stake here. Investors and brokers dug their own hole and they deserved to be buried in them, but the people who build cars don't deserve to be victimized more than they've already been by these execs.

But we must, MUST learn our lesson from the Wall Street bailout and build in assurance that the money won't be pissed away on executive bonuses, perhaps going as far as to make them pony up for their own bailout from their own over-inflated spoils.

But perhaps even MORE importantly, this bailout MUST have built-in requirements that they use this bailout to become true 21st century industry leaders. Fuel efficiency sooner, rather than later. Working together to switch to alternative fuels soon after. IF we are to invest in this heel-dragging albatross of an industry, they MUST become THE cutting-edge developers in the global market.

And thirdly, we have every right and responsibility to DEMAND that American dollars go to American jobs.

Step up Democrats. It's Go Time. Don't f*** this up.

[KarateKid]

Yeah, right. Like these dummies will get an epiphany over night after decades of mismanagement and building gas guzzlers. What if the bailout doesn't work? Have you wondered what would happen then? They should just hand over the industry to the Germans and Japanese, who know what they're doing.

[rf-hawaii]

The bailout is necessary because the banking system is hamstrung, not because the car companies are broken.

[MountPanic]

Of course they're not going to get any epiphanies. That's why we need to shake them awake.

There are multi-thousands of working Americans employed by the American auto industry. This is hardly the time to be casting them adrift on the current American economy.

Furthermore, the "green" industry is a MASSIVE opportunity for America to both take responsibility for the damage we've done (and the example we've set) as well as a huge chance for renewed prosperity (akin to the tech boom during Clinton, but with even longer legs).

[partyofone]

If the Democrats try to re-elect Pelosi speaker, citizens should take to the streets. She is a disaster.

[UWNBM]

This is one occasion where if Bush vetoes it, I will be in complete agreement...

These companies have been in the pocket of the oil industry, have dragged their feet on new technologies, and built cars that sucked.

[Hawka]

Yeah, and they employ around 2.5 million working Americans. If Bush vetoes it and they go under then its all on him and its all on us to deal with the repercussions a loss like this would have on the economy, not to mention basically blowing up the backbone of our manufacturing Industry. You think the housing crisis was bad...

[ReasoNseeKer]

They will go under eventually anyway -- what good is putting it off? We're bearing the burden anyway. NO MORE BAILOUTS.

[MuchMadness]

Most people would agree with you that the fat cats do not deserve a bailout. But what of the workers?

Are you OK with the companies defaulting on their pension obligations and healthcare obligations for retirees? And if that happens, are you OK with the federal government having to pick up the tab? Or are you OK with lots of homeless elderly people eating dog food on the street corner? Many of those people started working for GM, Ford, and Chrysler before the Republicans brought us the wretched leadership of Reagan and two Bushes.

[partyofone]

Create enhanced unemployment benefits for works to retool their lives. Corporate fat cats will get billons in parachuts, and the workers will still be in jeapordy. Let some of these badly managed corporations bit the dust, and maybe corporate America and stockholders will clean up corporate corruption and unchecked, destructive, cannablistic greed.

[PT6]

LOOK NO FARTHER THAN BUSH!

100% INCREASE IN DEBT!

100% INCREASE IN SPENDING!

[ReasoNseeKer]

And the democrats in the house and senate approved every penny -- almost every penny anyway.

[PSM42]

Iris and Stan Ovshinsky - in WKTEC. American genius. 'Good guy.' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_R._Ovshinsky
- Berkeley Alternative Energy speech (long intro to intro @ 13:40) video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DYxoacwuxg

Who K i l l e d the The Electric Car. Ignore Italian subtitles. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wofjkTmVgt4

Amory Lovins http://www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid41.php
- On the Hypercar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D-uhKHy7mk
When you hear "hydrogen" realise that Ovshinsky NiMH battery IS a hydrogen storage device. Doug Korthof describes it and how it could have been available TEN years ago and OR RIGHT NOW, with pressure.

Doug Korthof liveoilfree http://www.youtube.com/liveoilfree

S. David Freeman http://www.thegreencowboy.com/

[LemonMeringue]

2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010

We are taking names of the people who are throwing our money away.

[UWNBM]

The Dems are setting themselves up for a fall...

[PT6]

LOOK NO FARTHER THAN BUSH!

100% INCREASE IN DEBT!

100% INCREASE IN SPENDING!

[PT6]

LOOK NO FARTHER THAN BUSH!

100% INCREASE IN DEBT!

100% INCREASE IN SPENDING!

[PSM42]

contd.
Iris and Stan Ovshinsky - in WKTEC. American genius. 'Good guy.' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_R._Ovshinsky
- Berkeley Alternative Energy speech (long intro to intro @ 13:40) video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DYxoacwuxg

Who Killed the The Electric Car. Ignore Italian subtitles. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wofjkTmVgt4

Amory Lovins http://www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid41.php
- On the Hypercar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D-uhKHy7mk
When you hear "hydrogen" realise that Ovshinsky NiMH battery IS a hydrogen storage device. Doug Korthof describes it and how it could have been available TEN years ago and OR RIGHT NOW, with pressure.

Doug Korthof liveoilfree http://www.youtube.com/liveoilfree

S. David Freeman http://www.thegreencowboy.com/

[PSM42]

Re GM below, IF not done, WHY was this not done?

Because the Oil companies make too much money providing the fuel. How much? $100T to go. Really. Two words. Razors. Blades. The money is made on the blades. Or in this case the gas. $100T in oil still in the ground, from Who K i l l e d the Electric Car and others - Amory Lovins?

Trusted sources from Who K i l l e d the Electric Car. They lead to others. Use the web of trust to avoid constant disinformation from lobbyists, in forums etc. - nuclear, coal, Chevron on EVs; big $$$ at stake. $100T in 'business remaining to be done' in oil alone - WKTEC.

[PuppaX]

Seems to me like this would be a good time to discuss emission standards.

[PSM42]

Re GM below, IF not done, WHY was this not done?

Because the Oil companies make too much money providing the fuel. How much? $100T to go. Really. Two words. Razors. Blades. The money is made on the blades. Or in this case the gas. $100T in oil still in the ground, from Who K i l l e d the Electric Car and others - Amory Lovins?

Trusted sources from Who K i l l e d the Electric Car. They lead to others. Use the web of trust to avoid constant disinformation from lobbyists, in forums etc. - nuclear, coal, Chevron on EVs; big $$$ at stake. $100T in 'business remaining to be done' in oil alone - WKTEC.

Iris and Stan Ovshinsky - in WKTEC. American genius. 'Good guy.' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_R._Ovshinsky
- Berkeley Alternative Energy speech (long intro to intro @ 13:40) video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DYxoacwuxg

Who Killed the The Electric Car. Ignore Italian subtitles. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wofjkTmVgt4

Amory Lovins http://www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid41.php
- On the Hypercar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D-uhKHy7mk
When you hear "hydrogen" realise that Ovshinsky NiMH battery IS a hydrogen storage device. Doug Korthof describes it and how it could have been available TEN years ago and OR RIGHT NOW, with pressure.

Doug Korthof liveoilfree http://www.youtube.com/liveoilfree

S. David Freeman http://www.thegreencowboy.com/

[hilary916]

I wish they could give us taxpayers each $1 million and call it a day.

[Hawka]

That'd be socialism according to the GOP my friend.

[AirForceWx1701]

If we're going to start shoveling money toward Detroit, they'd better roll over and come off some high-mileage, well-built cars. I'm talking STRICT plans and requirements- go for higher CAFE standards, and make them applicable to ALL passenger vehicles, doing away with the SUV loophole that got us into this mess. Also, look into more stringent rollover and other safety standards. Do all the things that their megapowerful lobbyists won't allow when they're strong! In a similar vein, I think the Obama administration may want to look into bringing our emissions and safety standards in line with the rest of the world- this way we could have the option of buying the super-efficient European-spec cars, rather than putting up with excuses and bureaucracy--anyone who is curious might do a web search for the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic, the Volkswagen Touran Tdi, the Peugeot 407, or Citroën C5.

[Twinkie]

Of course that should all happen, but you're not talking about a bailout lol. You're talking about a complete overhaul of the industry. That takes a lot more money than a bailout. The industry should pay for that themselves.

[Hawka]

Here here, I think this was attached to the agenda and the string for the bailout money on Obama's agenda for them to retool.

[LemonMeringue]

2010 is not that far away and WE WILL NOT FORGET WHO THREW OUR MONEY AWAY

[PT6]

LOOK NO FARTHER THAN BUSH!

100% INCREASE IN DEBT!

100% INCREASE IN SPENDING!