to bail them out. I say no. Loans, maybe. "They" pay out - because of their greedy unions - pensions and health care to hundreds of thousands of retirees. The "typical" auto worker makes $72 an hour including benefits. That's $150,000 a year for an assemby line worker. Last year, GM's Chairman made about $15,000,000, a 41% increase over 2006. At the same time "they" continued to sell $45,000 gas guzzling "tanks" with lousy gas mileage and stuffed with satellite radios, GPS units, 6 hi-def television screens and wi-fi. Meanwhile, down South, Toyota is selling its 2009 Prius Hybrid starting at $22,000 with 48 mpg highway and 45 mpg city. According to The New York Times, "The average fuel efficiency of the American auto fleet peaked at 25.9 miles per gallon in 1987 and then leveled off as gas prices fell and the automakers churned out more sport-utility vehicles and pickups."
And if "we" give them money, what will GM, Chrysler and Ford do? 35 mpg by 2020? 50 mpg by 2020? Are they kidding? 2009 is right around the corner - 11 years to make a more fuel efficient automobile? In 11 years,Toyota and Nissan will have models surpassing 75 mpg. Are you telling me that "they're" always going to be "lagging" behind? What kind of "leadership" is that? Management of American automobile manufacturers is and has always been horrible. So why exactly should I give you - lend you - one damn cent? Your problems are NOT my problems.
Read The Times editorial at: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/15/opinion/15sat1.html?hp
The photo credit is: http://www.toyota.com/prius-hybrid/photo-gallery.html
