Obama, Pelosi and Reid it's time to pay back the unions for voting for them.

The unions need to give back and the CEO need to give up alot. The CEO's should give some of their money to the workers not ours.

But here is my question,,, if Pelosi and Reid can sit back and make DEMANDS,,,,, why can't we?

Why can we not DEMAND that our elected officials be held responsible for stupid dumb mistakes and making poor judgement calls. Regardless if your a Dem or Rep, we the people should be able to hold our elected officials responsible for making a mess of this country. But it seems the big money political machine will continue to elect who they want, when they want.
Congress has a lower approval rating than Bush does, so why can we not say, we want you people ou, or you will now start answering to US,,,, the people who put you in office.

I think the "big 3" executives and the labor unions need to make big concessions before getting that 25B. How about everyone taking a pay cut to save their companies. It is better to take a cut in pay and keep your jobs and benefits than to have to live off the poverty level of temporary unemployment benefits. Wake up people!!!!!

It may be an unpopular thing to say, but my understanding is that employees of these auto companies make more than the average American worker, more than school teachers with a lot more education, more than a lot of people. The unions are expecting taxpayers, most of which make less than their members, to support them? That seems a little unreasonable. And from reading the various articles that have been online lately, the way the union contracts read, if the auto makers shrink their businesses to be competitive with others, they'll still be required to pay the salaries of people they lay off. In no other industry does THAT kind of security exist. In my opinion the auto workers should have to take their chances with unemployment along with the rest of us in this economy. Otherwise where's the incentive ANYWHERE in the hierarchy for the auto industry to become competitive with Japanese auto makers and give the American public the fuel-efficient, low-polluting cars they want to buy? The auto industry has put up all kinds of resistance to Congressional efforts to increase fuel and emissions standards, which is one of the reasons their cars aren't selling. It isn't JUST the economy, because people are still buying Japanese cars.

Dave, it's "woefully" ignorant - just thought I'd mention it, since you seem to be so eager to judge others' ignorance but are clearly oblivious to your own.

"Why aren't Toyota and Honda included in any discussions of a bailout package???"

I drive a Honda, and I can tell you exactly why. Unlike most vehicles from the Big 3, my Honda...

1. Is 20 years old, pushing 200K on the odometer, and starts up the first time every time regardless if its 100 degrees outside or 10 below.

2. Gets 25+ miles per gallon. During the worst of the gas prices, $20 got me to work and back for a week.

3. Is cheap to repair and maintain.

4. This is the most important one: My Honda was made in the United States of America. It was built by American hands, gave jobs to American workers and put money in American wallets. Can the same be said of the domestic automakers who are shipping jobs to Mexico and Brazil simply to bolster their bottom line? I think not.

Take current avrage labor cost for Foreign car companies in US along with average retirement compensation experienced by US top 100 companies. If UAW want agree to cutting their pay and retirement benifits to US average -- then let then GO TO HELL and STARVE!!!!!!!

Could not happen to a better bunch!!!!

Now, I have a plan.

The big three go into Bank-O with the Gov right there over the process, ready to implement the program below:

1. A restructuring that immediately starts conversion to Natural Gas for heavy equip. City Buses, trucks, Big rigs and UPS trucks.

2. They also develop the pumping stations and conversions for existing vehicles

3. advance the design and build of High efficiency Hybrids, Hydrogen and full electric cars

4. Give tax credits to people and companies that convert to natural gas, i.e. UPS, Roadway, City Buses, Gas Stations, and all those that convert.

5. Where does the money come from? Determine the national security value of what it is worth to America in converting to Natural Gas via the percentage of change over and instead of just giving the money to the Car companies, use some of these moneys/tax credits to expedite the change in those that participate and complete the cycle.

6. Conduct the changes to the sectors that will allow for the quickest implementation, i.e. like trucking companies and truck stops, UPS, Municipalities.

Nancy & Narry – you are our leaders. We expect you to be able to say no with a period after it, not No with a comma.

So if the Big 3 failed, just put the company up for sale on E-bay and see if it gets bought by Toyota, Nissan and Hyundai.

Dear Exxon/Mobil, British Petroleum, ConocoPhillips and Texaco:
Time to pay the piper! Lend us – your number one reason for existing – $40B to keep us afloat, 'cause if we go down, you go down. If we get the money from taxpayers, they are gonna force us to make fuel efficient cars, so that's the end of your gravy train. Send check ASAP!

Love, The Gas Guzzling Auto Makers.

This will allow them to learn humility and hopefully get them to go back to business 101. Produce a product that people actually want... Buy parts at a reasonable rate... pay your employees a fair rate to manufacture your product... sell the product for a reasonable, yet profitable, price...Give bonuses based on profits only... take care of your employees and customers always.

Executive compensation shoud be the first reform but right after that should be the renegotiation or cancellation of all UAW and vendor contracts.

The country's biggest issue with this situation is that Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Barny Frank are the players. I'm horrified at the thought. I wonder if any of these people actually have signed the front of a paycheck before?... I doubt it.

ANOTHER SHOT WOULD TO ASK A REFUND FROM OVERPAID UNION WORKERS OR THE UNIONS HTEMSELVES FAILING THAT ASK YOUR BROTHERS IN TOYOTA OR HONDA MOTOR COMPANIES

MOVE OR GET ON WITH IT NOW!!!

Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid need to take a look at the recent sacrifices made by Haruka Nishimatsu, CEO of Japan Airlines. Then, ask CEO's of U.S. Auto makers what sacrifices they have planned to make.

I predict the difference in sacrifices will reflect an attitude, main the source of the U.S. Automobile manufacturing problems.

I doubt either of those clowns could comprehend the function of a pinion gear in 6 days.

Had they sent me that high and mighty letter, I would identify a soft warm place they can put their money – a lot of it my own – and proceed directly to Chapter 11 bankruptcy court.

dave: Most people are saying both union greed and executive greed are at fault.

Any short-viewed "bailout" is going to simply be the first of several. Remember the failed S&L's in the late 1980s? How many times did Congress have to keep adding money to the till?

No matter what, I want to see the paychecks of senior management cut 3/4 and bonuses paid WHEN GOALS ARE ACHIEVED. Take a look at Japan Airlines CEO – he reduced his pay to below the pilots and to respect workers his age forced into early retirement. That's honorable. American CEOs? Despicable!

Further, Moe, Larry, and Curly need to be fired. For them to show up as arrogant as they were with their 3 separate jets show us that they don't have a clue. The auto company leadership is what got them to such a pathetic state in the first place. They need new blood.