As for the UAW, they, in part, brought it on themselves by demanding things from companies rich enough to give it to them. There were other things also. The history of manufacturing and unionism affected both people and the companies that employed them.

As a Detroiter, I put myself through college solely by working factory jobs that allowed me to complete my degree without a loan. Other friends of mine did it for a summer and never did it again. Working a factory job can be dangerous, is certainly monotonous and wears out your soul. I could see it in the eyes and behaviors of my fellow workers.

I am conflicted as to whether they loans are working and wonder if they can continue to cut jobs and costs. But in the past months to this week, Ford announced an immediate retooling of a truck plant to make small cars (look ma – no bailout!), Chrysler showed off 3 potential electric vehicles and GM announced the building of an engine plant for small engines in Flint and the adding of the Volt production to a plant in Detroit, all by 2010. The change so far is great and requires even more change than has happened. The foreign auto companies had no such baggage and deliberately avoided all things like that. Most started far later. Is it reality that you can't give some help to companies that created this industry and put the world on wheels along with some European companies. These companies have already have and are still paying the price for their structures. Many have suffered and perhaps we can offer some reasonable assistance. The company I worked for , Massey Ferguson, didn't change. Now, it is gone from the US.

“Why did short soccer moms in the south drive Escalades instead of a Smart car or MiniCooper?”

Is this element of Demand not exactly the same as the role of borrowers in the mortgage / banking industry?

Why did short soccer moms in the south drive Escalades instead of a Smart car or MiniCooper? I remember the profits and profits sharing checks at Chrysler around the time DaimlerBenz bought up Chrysler, those Durangos and loaded Grand Cherokess funded those profits, not a retooled Omni.

My father put in 38 years at Ford Motor Company. And to this day he talks about the how many workers were overpaid for doing very little many times. Earning double and triple time on a certain shift while taking in a Sunday football game happened all the time. Those workers worked hard, no question. But Big 3 and UAW inflexibility, over-entitlement, and lack of vision screwed them.

The automobile industry has thrived for ages in the United States — in the South.

If the Big Three are offered any money (grants or loans), the other automakers (who are doing well, unlike the Big Three) should sue to stop it or to be given the same, so as to end the interference in the market that such a bailout of the failed Big Three constitutes.

Sigh…

Where's my 25 Billion?

They pressured GM to drop the volt back in 2000. Remember that “recall” of those electric cars? They took the lot of them and scrapped them in the desert in favor of producing the Hummer.

Now they're bankrupt as a direct result of that decision. They would be world leaders in alternative passenger cars.

BTW. I made some bad investments that cost me about 2 million in lost expected revenue about 15 years ago. I'd like the government to bail me out. In fact, I insist on it. They've set a precident for investment bailouts. My family's well-being depends on that money coming through. That 2 million would be a drop in the sea compared to what GM is asking for.

Congress can send me a check or money order drawn on a Swiss bank account.