Closing Arguments: Big Three CEOs Try Again

Should the auto executives be successful in securing the $25Billion in corporate welfare, then all three CEO's should be fired for incompetence. If they can't make the tough decisions to make their companies profitable, then find the leaders that will. Although the corporate jets and the pay compensation is ridiculous, those are just a small part of the sickness the companies have. These companies should be required to enter into bankruptcy, work through their problems and come out ready for the 21st century and beyond.

no i dont want the gov't to hand out any more money. where does it end? i mean we the tax payers are not being helped at all by any of this so called bailout as stated in a video clip on this website earlier today. i think they said that less than 5% is actually going to the taxpayer, so it really isn't helping us at all. And as far as the ceo's taking $1 salary. Well that's just a meaningless statement. They are already millionarie's anyway. so for them to even say something like dat is a slap in the face of all struggling middle and lower class hard working americans.

The auto industry want to make no concessions the first time that they went to congress begging for money. Now they have a small taste of reality and have made some very minor concessions. With the $1.00 per year salary, they probably keep their entire benefits package. They do not deserve any help. It is because of these beggers and the unions that the auto industry is in the condition that it is in now. If congress weakens to the point of granting these mishandlers of money a loan, the CEOs of all three auto makers should be fired. In their place should be a congressional appointed oversite committee. This committee should have the responsibility and the power to close the industry for any mishandling of the loaned funds. All luxury items owned by the industry (aircraft, clubs spas memberships and the like) should be sold/canceled. All auto related unions should be dissolved to allow the price of automobiles to normalize. If they do not like it, too bad. These are the only conditions that money should be lent to this industry.

To me it is like throwing good money after bad. Why reward those that have mismanaged their finaces and lost their shirts. They should have to deal like the rest of us. If the people of this great country thought the easy gravey train was going to last for ever...then I guess we were only fooling our selves. Other great governmental organization that have gone before us have topled and fallen from worldy grace over the centuries because of similar mismanagements. What gave us the false impression that we would not have our demise? Being the smartest and at one time the wealthiest country...why could we not lear from the errors of the past?
I had had my say ...none of them..auto companies or any other mimanaged groupes would get rescued..and their leaders should use their own personal funds to bail out their enterprises...even if it means selling the family home and cars to do it.

I think that we should give them the bailout money, now that they have a definitive plan. Many, many other businesses will fail if we don't, and many more people, other than auto workers across the country will be out of work if they fold. Why bailout the wealthy criminals on Wall Street that don't produce anything in our society,
when they're the ones that caused the problems for the auto industry, as well as the prospective consumers of same?!

No more bailouts! Chrysler was bailed out once before and did not learn a lesson. So NO. Let them file chapter 11 and reorganize and do away with the high cost of doing business. No one bailed me out when I had to shut down all three of my companies. Sell a product that's reasonable and fuel efficient you are going to have to compete with Honda, Toyota, Suzuki, and Subaru.

In the intrest of avoiding lay offs, give the Big 3 the bail out, but with limits and conditions. Tax payers shouldn't have their money going to pay over inflated executive salaries and perks such as private jets, etc.

This infuriates me!!! Let's just take this into consideration: While Ford Motor Co. may be losing money in their North America Division, this is not the case in their European Division, South America nor Canada!! So you mean to tell me that they actually want a "bailout" (which is exactly what it is), from a country they BAILED ON?! They gave away U.S. jobs to other counties!! They bailed out on American Auto Workers!! Return the jobs and then we'll think about it!! Where is John Stossell!?!?!?!?!? GIVE ME A BREAK!

I don't think we should bail out anyone but since the government has set a precedence by bailing out banks and financial institutions that made extremely poor business decisions and basically started this whole mess, why shouldn't we bail out auto makers that have been US companies for generations? The big 3 auto makers have multiple types of cars to meet almost any requirement and are of good quality. It's really a shame that more of the US population don't feel the importance of supporting US companies rather than buying so many products made in Japan and China. (This statement isn't just about cars. We really have to look ahead and see how much of our hard-earned money is going out of our country.)

Why pay for the guys drinking Champagne and eating Lobster? Staying in million dollar homes, and retiring on million dollar incomes. Make them sell their homes, and settle on smaller incomes. They need to live like the people who they are robbing. I'm tired of bailing out rich people. I have trouble buying medicine and taking care of myself. I am old and sick. I need help; but no one pays my bills. But the richer you are; the more the government wants to help them out. Why? Rich people spend money on wine, paintings, and entertainment. They have money to burn while the poor does well to eat and keep a roof over his head. Why should the poor keep the rich rolling when they mess up. Let them live like I do, without a pension or luxuries.

So, we have an industry which has, throughout it's history, sought to sabotage public transportation, persisted in designing and offering nothing but over-weight inefficient vehicles, systematically destroyed any company which offered competition, and generally lagged behind the world in innovation asking for OUR money because they can no longer sell what they want to sell.
LET THEM DIE!
I understand the consequences of jobs lost and security destroyed, but it is the only way Americans will gain the initiative to change a fundamentally corrupt economic system.

The time for accountablity from the big three auto manufacturers is overdue. A loan or bailout will not change the poor behavior of its executives and frankly the unions as well. I am sure that if they fail, new innovation with be the result. And frankly, while I am glad to hear the CEOs are driving hybrids to Washington instead of traveling in their private jets, they missed the boat again. Car pooling or taking mass transit would be the most appropriate. Take the buck cut and figure a way out without having the American taxpayer bail you out.

I think the way to help the big 3 would be to give any american who wants to buy one of the big 3 cars, $10,000 to put towards a new car or truck. This money would have than have to be used when it gets to Detroit to develop more fuel efficient cars. This way the cars sitting in the lots would move, the economy would be helped. They would still get the money but the US public would also benefit by being able to afford a new car, alot of people could afford a car with the help of 10,000 towards it.

when toyota was designing the prius, G.M. was designing the HUMMER. With forsight like that, let them file for bankrupcy.The U.A.W must be put in it's place.

No! Pirvate industry should be responsible with it's business. Ae they going to bail out every business that is failing? Let me get in on that pork!

Give them the money to save the jobs of the workers so that they don't suffer from this, but, also, include about $500,000.00 for me as well, since I too am in need of a bail out. Is that all I have to do is draw up a proposal to why I need the money? The rich stay rich and the poor get to watch like always.

DO NOT BAIL OUT THE AUTO INDUSTRY!!!

Any other business would be left to go out of business or sell. Let their value get reduced so someone else can buy them as an investment. If no one else wants to buy then we’ll buy, and then we are the shareholders. And the first thing anyone who purchased a failing co would do is fire the CEO’s that tanked the business. How do they have the absolute audacity to fly to a meeting for 20,000 and lay off a worker in the seem week? They have the nerve to say they have to be at a meeting. NO YOU DON’T. There is no meeting, you tanked the company and you should be FIRED for doing so. If I fail to do my job I will get fired. What make that person, the one that jeopardized others jobs and our environment above consequence??? We are considering protecting that person because?????????????????

In addition, it was their very own greed that got them and the shareholders and employees into that mess. Had they been focused on what people really need – green transportation – and not on lining there pockets by pushing people to buy hummers and SUV’s those businesses would be doing absolutely fine.

LET ‘EM TANK! WE NEED GREEN CARS!

Where are the shareholders and board members? Why are they not holding them responsible? Their stocks are in the toilet because of these guys and they are not demanding they get out??? why????

The guy making millions a year showing up in DC with his jet is equivalent to him landing on my street and asking for a couple hundred dollars. The value of his jet alone exceeds my net worth!!! Let him work the jobs he is cutting!!!

And the BS about the workers who’ll be out of a job – that’s what we have an unemployment system is place for!! They had security for a while. Things change! Adapt like the rest of us! Your lack of planning for a future shouldn’t come out of my pocket. I’m happy to help out in tough times: our tax money is already funding unemployment benefits.

When those CEO’s want to sell there jets, move into a ranch house, and take the subway – then we can talk about a LOAN FOR GREEN CAR MANUFACTURING.

NO – you cannot squander my hard earned money. When I have to worry whether or not I will have a house when I retire, no these greed whores cannot have my shelter!!!!!!! For congress to even consider something so preposterous is evidence that they have way too much muany and need to refund the taxpayers!!!!!!!!!!

leo I like your idea, too.

I will turn 60 this month and have worked as an airline agent for 20 years...I earn $20.00 per hour as opposed to auto workers who average $74.00 per hour. The ceo's of these auto giants have had the technology for decades to build energy efficient cars and instead have suppressed knowledge for greed. Why should my tax dollars bail them out? And why should we believe they would honestly use that money...the banks and wall street haven't.

ABSOLUTELY NOT! I don't totally agree with what the government did with the banks either. If all the small Mom and Pop buinesses went crying to the government to be bailed out because they overspent and didn't keep within their budget would the government bale them out? NO. These companies need to start at the top and began cleaning house with the ones that live very high off the hog rather than take it out on the blue collar employees who actual are making the cars, etc.