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Senate to Middle Class: Drop Dead
Friends,
They could have given the loan on the condition that the automakers start building only cars and mass transit that reduce our dependency on oil.
They could have given the loan on the condition that the automakers build cars that reduce global warming.
They could have given the loan on the condition that the automakers withdraw their many lawsuits against state governments in their attempts to not comply with our environmental laws.
They could have given the loan on the condition that the management team which drove these once-great manufacturers into the ground resign and be replaced with a team who understands the transportation needs of the 21st century.
Yes, they could have given the loan for any of these reasons because, in the end, to lose our manufacturing infrastructure and throw 3 million people out of work would be a catastrophe.
But instead, the Senate said, we'll give you the loan only if the factory workers take a $20 an hour cut in wages, pension and health care. That's right. After giving billions to Wall Street hucksters and criminal investment bankers -- billions with no strings attached and, as we have since learned, no oversight whatsoever -- the Senate decided it is more important to break a union, more important to throw middle class wage earners into the ranks of the working poor than to prevent the total collapse of industrial America.
We have a little more than a month to go of this madness. As I sit here in Michigan today, tens of thousands of hard working, honest, decent Americans do not believe they can make it to January 20th. The malaise here is astounding. Why must they suffer because of the mistakes of every CEO from Roger Smith to Rick Wagoner? Make management and the boards of directors and the shareholders pay for this.
Of course that is heresy to the 31 Republicans who decided to blame the poor, miserable autoworkers for this mess. And our wonderful media complied with their spin on the morning news shows: "UAW Refuses to Give Concessions Killing Auto Bailout Bill." In fact the UAW has given concession after concession, reduced their benefits, agreed to get rid of the Jobs Bank and agreed to make it harder for their retirees to live from week to week. Yes! That's what we need to do! It's the Jobs Bank and the old people who have led the nation to economic ruin!
But even doing all that wasn't enough to satisfy the bastard Republicans. These Senate vampires wanted blood. Blue collar blood. You see, they weren't opposed to the bailout because they believed in the free market or capitalism. No, they were opposed to the bailout because they're opposed to workers making a decent wage. In their rage, they were driven to destroy the backbone of this country, not because the UAW hadn't given back enough, but because the UAW hadn't given up.
It appears that the sitting President has been looking for a way to end his reign by one magnanimous act, just like a warlord on his feast day. He will put his finger in the dyke, and the fragile mess of an auto industry will eke through the next few months.
That will give the Senate enough time to demand that the bankers and investment sharks who've already swiped nearly half of the $700 billion gift a chance to make the offer of cutting their pay.
Fat chance.
Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
http://www.michaelmoore.com/
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I do not understand how we do not see the problem as one we all contributed to. All who drive a Japanese or German vehicle can not have had a family member who fought and died in WW1 or WW2. Her we are now giving our money to the same ones who did major atrocities to the world. I am amazed we do not feel the need to help our own people and buy what I consider to be a fine American vehicle and at the same time keep our American worker earning what he or she needs to take care of their families and contribute heavily to our tax base which supports our country. There is no longer a quality issue. Drive one and see. Yes the workers need to help, yes the executives need to help but the biggest group who need to help are the American people. Continue to support other countries economies and believe me it will come home to roost at your own back door and there will be no need to drive our foriegn car anywhere because you also will be out of a job. I hope we all wake up in time and take care of our own and keep our money here before our economy collapses and we worry about obtaining a bowl of soup not what foreign brand of vehicle we will buy. Maybe that's what needs to happen to get people to wake up.
--- Increase taxes on gasoline to finance the auto bailout and new green energy infrastructure. Compared to Europe, gasoline is cheap in the US and not taxed very much.
--- Increase taxes on tobacco and alcohol to help finance health care reform
--- Increase taxes on the rich and close corporate loopholes to pay for the financial sector bailout.
This is not " raising taxes " , this is just allocating money better within the economy. Lets just do something ! I hope the new Obama team is not tentative or timid when time comes for action !
Here is a better headline: UAW says to the company whose very existance is the reason the UAW exists, Screw you we have you by the short hairs and we're not letting go! Also acceptable: UAW says to taxpayers. Screw you too! You owe us! You don't see the Japanese companies who also employ our workers crawling to the government for a bailout. Oh yeah. It's because they are not under the jackbooted heel of the UAW.
Well said, Mr. Moore...the priorities of this country need some re-examination.
Definitley...I think the UAW needs to be busted up...this is what is k i l li ng our manufacturing..not the workers.
The issue isn’t wages — though those are a problem — so much as work rules. UAW work rules, which have evolved over the many decades since the passage of the Wagner Act, are the biggest reason that General Motors is uncompetitive with its non-union American counterparts.
What are work rules? They are agreements negotiated in the contract between management and the union covering how the employees are to be classified, how many breaks they get, how much time off they get, who can do which jobs, how discipline is to be enforced, etc. The goal of the rules is not to enhance productivity or production quality. It is to provide opportunities for featherbedding, increase numbers of (overpaid) jobs for union workers, and minimize how much they have to actually work. This is important because it’s at least in theory possible that the industry could be making money even at current wages, if they could be provided with the flexibility to increase worker productivity.
Scrooge needs to partner up with Santa Claus and visit and show the apathetic wealthy, corrupt Republicans and evil moneychangers the spirit of Christmas future. And chances are, they won't like what they see. For they will find out that hording the public trust while We The People twist in the winds of Depression is United States suicide. Add global warming to our financial end days and money or greed won't save the top 1% of US in the event of civil unrest.
Geez, Moore check the vote tallies. Democrats torpedoed the deal. 14 Dem Senators either didn't vote at all, or voted against the UAW Bailout. In fact 10 Republican Senators voted FOR it. It was the Democrat Senators who blocked the deal, willing to sell America down the river to stand in solidarity with their bankrollers (UAW). The message: Let the Depression begin while we stand with our financial backers.
So, it's turned into the UAW Bailout? The automakers had nothing to do with the management of their companies - those miserable working people are 100% responsible for the problem? - Sarah, people are responsible for their government because they are elected - People are not responsible for their employers - they just work for them and have very little say in the structure - you are silly.
And by the employees belonging to a Union they get high wages, numerous breaks, too many "specialized" employees, and KILL production!!
"For the love of money is the root of all evil...." (1 Timothy 6:10 KJV)
I'm guessing then, that republicans and democrats, and ceo's and their fellow execs, and wall street bankers, and the market makers, and the fed ........... all caught with their fists in the piggy-bank of americans ....
are not practicing christians?
In my experience , most Christians could use a lot more practice.
well said, mike. just infuriating, isn't it?
We Americans need to continue to do what we did for this election cycle. We voted in someone who had our interests at heart more than money! Believe me, when people do not buy the GM cars any longer, they will change what they build. This goes back years, and this is basic economics. People only supply products based on demand. No demand, no need for supply. If the Big 3 fail, it should be us making them fail, not Congress or a stupid, lame, ex-president still hanging around Washington for that matter. If you don't believe that you are in charge of your country, you need to complain about how you feel. You need to get everyone in your community to complain. Grass roots demonstrations are the only way to fight back! The Iraqi guy had the right idea...we all need to throw some old shoes on the White House lawn starting today and leading up to the inauguration day! We definitely need to get the Republicans attention and let them know that they are no longer in charge nor relevant unless they play ball!
Stop buying crap not made in the USA. TODAY! That will speak more than all this online whining.
I guess your computer is 95% not made in USA. Throw it away.
Ditto!!! Make sure that what you buy has the "American Crap" label. If it ain't made in America, then it ain't really Crap!
I tried that. I told my kid he could have Christmas presents if he could find things made in America. I said I wouldn't buy imported stuff while people here were jobless and suffering.
He was thinking books, till he checked 'em out.
It doesn't help here to have principles unless everybody does it, and it's almost impossible.
For that matter, Yahoo was going to begin outsourcing to cut costs, and laid a bunch of people off. So you know, stay off yahoo too. Like, you know ... it's everywhere, it's everything.
I wish we could outsource government jobs ... I don't think they're doing much worthwhile here anyway, but getting rich.
I agree 100%. We create our own demise by buying anything that supports another economy.
The unions ARE the middle class.
Even if you DOUBLE all union member pay, the amount is small compared to other related concerns.
The Republicans are spinning small issues into large ones while hiding the numbers.
"...citizens who are in distress should simply destroy their credit cards and stop paying the monthly bills. People are already doing this. Arrearages and defaults are climbing, and credit card debt is starting to be viewed as the next bubble to burst. But so what? If people have to use a credit card, that means they can’t really afford to buy whatever it is they think they want. If they can afford it, they should use a debit card instead.
http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/Archives2008/CookStimulus.html
Then tell the credit card company you cannot pay. Ask them to write off some or all of the debt, and if they want to take you to court, go on your own and defend yourself. You don’t need a lawyer, and you don’t need anyone’s permission. You also don’t need to go through the horrendous “reformed” bankruptcy system the credit card companies got Congress to pass in 2005. Failure to pay credit card debt is not, thank God, a crime in this country, and there are no debtors’ prisons—yet.
Yeas, sure...shrug your responsibilities...every one else does.
This is clearly Anti-Union - One nation "at Will" under God - be happy you have a job and stop whining about benefits and conditions. If the GOP have their way collective bargaining would be outlawed and the National Right to Work Law would already be passed. No one would have the right to organize and collective bargaining units would not need to be recognized by employers. YOU are on your own and if you think that works so well take a peek at history - it has a tendency to repeat itself over and over and over again. Skilled labor has been so devalued and marginalized that a trained monkey can do the job? Fine - Train Monkeys - oh wait - there's serious laws against cruelty to animals!
You are 100% correct and you were also 100% correct about the proposed solution to GM's problems -- transit cars and such. It works. We need this desperately. I remember reading your last blog and your appearance on Countdown.
And, Bush, yes, he absolutely refused a couple of months ago. But since he is trying to "preserve" his legacy there will most likely be a stop-gap put in place.
Regardless, the Iraqi reporter was correct yesterday and we should all be doing the same.
31 Republicans.
Republicans!!!
Remember what Republicans did to the air controllers!?
31 Republicans inflicting pain and suffering to millions of U.S. citizens!
37 days, till January 20, 2009, feels like an eternity.
January 20, 2009 can not arrive fast enough.
Let us understand that these same 31 Republicans will still be in office inflicting more pain.
31 courageous Americans. Heroes, really. They refused to be bullied into agreeing to give the UAW until 2011 to bring salaries in line with the other car companies. It's economy is dire NOW, not next year, and certainly NOT in 2011. The UAW demanding a 2 year delay was outrageous. They should go down and out of business. Parasites, they are.
I agree!!! Unions are the parasites, not the Republicans..
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