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Subscribe to RSSPresident Obama says that the $85 billion bailout of General Motors and Chrysler saved millions of jobs that may have been lost without the money, speaking in a high school gym packed with auto workers and other union members in Toledo, Ohio.
TOLEDO, OH -- President Barack Obama decried Republican opponent Mitt Romney's opposition to the 2009 auto industry bailout before a crowd full of autoworkers gathered here for Labor Day.
Surrounded by some 3,000 supporters -- many of whom were sporting United Auto Worker (UAW) t-shirts -- in a high school gym, Obama said he had made sure to stop in Toledo, a major auto industry hub as part of his campaign across the country in the run-up to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte.
"I wanted to stop here in Toledo to spend this day with you," he said as the crowd applauded. "A day that belongs to the working men and women of America."
The bailout was first initiated by President George W. Bush, and won the support of some Midwestern Republicans, including the vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan. Romney penned an op-ed at the time, infamously titled "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt," that the Obama campaign has used against the GOP presidential candidate.
"You remember that?" Obama asked the crowd as they booed.
He also decried Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich for claiming he had led a turnaround in this economically ravaged swing state; that turnaround wouldn't be the case if not for the administration's policies, Obama said.
"I guess the theory was it’s all the governor’s doing. But I think we need to refresh his memory. Because a lot of those jobs are auto worker jobs like yours," Obama said.
Kasich has previously downplayed the positive effect of the bailout in his state, arguing in July on Meet the Press that it wasn’t responsible for as many auto jobs as Democrats might claim.
Obama's appearance here marked an effort to court Ohio's influential labor vote, which could make a big difference for the president in his bid for a second term; Obama won 58 of Ohio's union members in 2008.
And the importance of the auto industry to Ohio’s economy -- according to a February 2011 state government study, 7.5 percent of economic activity here relates to auto production -- meant Toledo was the perfect place for Obama to compare his position on the auto bailout with Romney’s.
The president also seized a statement Romney made in Cincinnati on Saturday, when the former Massachusetts governor called for a “new coach” that would bring America a “winning season.”
Reacting to that comment, the president went off on his own extended football analogy, seeming to suggest to his presidential rival that Romney not tread on the home turf of the nation’s best-known sports fan.
"After their convention Gov. Romney came here to Ohio and he said he’s going to be the coach that leads America to a winning season," Obama said. "The problem is everybody’s already seen his economic playbook."
Then he explained how Romney would spend the next three “downs” destroying the economic recovery by raising taxes, which he deemed “unnecessary roughness,” calling an audible by undoing financial regulations, and finally calling for a Hail Mary on the third down by “ending Medicare as we know it.”
“There’s a flag on the play! Loss of up to an additional 64 hundred dollars a year on the same benefits that you get now!” he shouted. “I’ve got one piece of advice for you about the Romney/Ryan game plan, Ohio. It won’t work! It won’t win the game!”
“You don’t need that coach,” he concluded.
The event in Toledo concluded Obama’s political events on this four-day swing; he headed to Louisiana after the event to tour the damage from Hurricane Isaac in St. John the Baptist Parish and talk to officials there.
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Gm's stock price is in the toilet.
Going BK again soon.
Excellent results, as always.
Oh, and does anyone want to tell O that GM did in fact go Bankrupt? Of course after what he did to the Delphi employees and the Chrysler bond holders, I can see why he just wants to gloss over the facts.
Chrysler and GM are still alive and well, thanks, Mr. President
hundreds of thousands of jobs have thus stayed here in the United States which would have otherwise been outsourced by Mitt the Outsourcer-in-Chief.
tell that to the GM workers who were able to keep their jobs because of the bailout, Spunky. I would love to see your a$$ hanging upside down from a tree limb. LMAO.
Mitt was born in Michigan, how could he shout "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt."??? So heartless.
Mitt created RomneyCare in Massachusetts but has opposed the ACA, the federalized version of RomneyCare, how could he shout 'Let him die' to a youngman without healthcare. So vulturesome.
There's a flag on all of their plays, President Obama.....
Lying means you have no plan.....the TeaPeople field of play is loaded with flags, enough to stop play all together, unsportsman like conduct....lying...illegal motion...lying.....excessive bounty.....lying....heck, they don't even have real cheerleaders (they bring in replacements).......lol
yeah, I agree with tonybeeerm - hey, spanky, you need some spanking!
Not to mention the thousands of Chrysler workers and the hundreds of thousands of workers in the companies that partner with GM and Chrysler.
I know that most purists think that if we just let business alone, it will do well and we'll all have jobs and everything will be great.
The problem is, there is no pure capitalist system anywhere in the world. Governments give contracts, manipulate currencies, give tax "incentives", even control some businesses and banks.
Without the government intervention, the unemployment which was at 10% at the height, could have very reached to 15% or more without the actions of the government.
When a boat is taking on water, the people there have a choice; they can stand around as they watch it slowly fill with water; they can attempt to stop the leaking and bail out the water; or they can jump ship and watch it sink. President Obama and the Democrats chose to try to fix the economic ship of state, even as the Republicans have tried to throw in bricks and cheer as the economic recovery falters.
Who do you want leading the nation, someone working for its improvement like President Obama or someone bent on its destruction, like the Republicans.
Businesses and government are partners, to work together for a better America...but Vultures like Romney just want to make more obscene profits without proper government intervention. When these vultures destroy the economy (Great Depression and Great Recession), these vultures don't have to worry about food on their table.
It is because Mitt is a sociopath. He doesn't care who gets hurt as long as he gets what he wants. He will say or do whatever is necessary to get what he wants.
He saved over 1,000,000 jobs at a time when W had already helplessly watch 3,500,000 die. The choice is between a guy that isn't doing it but says he can do better, and someone that is already doing it.
No thank you, Robme.
Yep, Mr. Obama is "touting" saving the automobile industry. Government Motors (GM) is a really good example:
Wow, Osama bin Laden is gone (thanks to our brave military men and women) and GM has been saved. That is the only positives Mr. Obama has ??? Guess the diversion is next on Gov. Romney's faith or just fall back to the ol "Bush did it" routine.
Why wasn't GM and Chrysler "allowed" to go through Regular Bankruptcy Court ??...The terms of the Bankruptcy were written by the Obama Administration...and here's why.....It put the normally first in line Bondholders last....It decided which Dealerships would close and which would get the benefit of the others closing, it refunded the empty coffers of the Union Pension & Benefits Funds, Gave Unions partial ownership. They eliminated the Pensions of hundreds of "White Collar" Employees....The list is longer, but I'll leave it here for now......Then they gave it to a Bankruptcy Judge and told him to Approve it....Think any of this would have happened in a Normal Bankruptcy ??....It was trading at $5.79/share on Oct.30, 2008....The "New GM" IPO was $33.00/share....GM closed at $21.35 on Friday.....It has to reach $55.00/share before the taxpayer "breaks even" And the Government sells its shares.
Some Success Story....Yeah, sure bin Laden is dead, but GM is still on Obama-Life-Support.
"WASHINGTON, Aug 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department has said the auto industry bailout will cost taxpayers $3.4 billion more than previously thought.
Treasury now estimates the 2009 bailout will eventually cost the government $25.1 billion, according to a report sent to Congress on Friday.
That is up from the last quarterly estimate of $21.7 billion."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/13/us-auto-bailout-treasury_n_1773811.html
Wow, Pigotry, what a brilliant, astute observation....since Chrysler now belongs to an Italian company, and GM is billions of $$$ in debt. No wonder libs are no good at business; they know nothing about it!
spider-737231....
Haven't your noticed that Progressives (Liberals) just make comments out of thin air. When someone counters their comments with FACTS and LINKS, their comment gets collapsed. Progressives (Liberals) cannot stand nor comprehend TRUTH.
FLYesity and BEV are good at doing that. Oh, it is so quiet in the room without them.
Yes, Spider, U R right about an Italian [part] owner of Chrysler, but jobs are still here - because of the acquisition and govt bailout.
On the other hand, we do have an American company called Bain Capital which makes money by sending jobs overseas.
Do you see the contrast?
UAW got 9 week taxpayer paid vacation courtesy of Obama's bankruptcy that was not available to any other company.
No thought is given to the jobs lost at closed dealerships at least one of which was 90 years old.
Which industry will he choose next?
Pigotry....."Yes, Spider, U R right about an Italian [part] owner of Chrysler, but jobs are still here - because of the acquisition and govt bailout. On the other hand, we do have an American company called Bain Capital which makes money by sending jobs overseas. Do you see the contrast?"
Yep, and GE is the leader in shipping jobs overseas, especially to CHINA and the GE CEO is Mr. Obama's jobs Czar which he has probably not had a meeting with this year. And, GE had BILLIONS in income but yet DID NOT PAY ANY TAXES LAST YEAR. Do you see the contrast ?
Romney/Ryan 2012!!! Leadership for a Change!!!
Hey guys we just gave GM another 125 million dollars in TAX REFUNDS even though they post a 6 BILLION dollar profit. What does Gumby Motors do with their profit? Possibly buy back their worthless stock? NO, they give themselves a bonus.
When they go under the next time just let them die. Ford will get stronger because of it.
Do Republicans actually know how Romney made his money?
Bane Capital would invest in a company, sometimes that company would be doing just fine all by itself. Invite other investors to take control of the company, then borrow against the company's credit.
Then they would get a huge bonus for "helping the company" and then sell their shares causing the company to be held with millions and millions in debt. This is new debt brought about by Bane that did not exist before they "targeted" that company.
Many companies went bankrupt AFTER Bane invested in them then pulled out the rug from under them.
They were like sharks, circling the water for companies they could take control of then cash out leaving the companies millions of dollars in debt.
This is the type of Man Romney it. A disgusting person. A fraud from the get-go.
READ IT FOR YOURSELF
rollingstone.com/politics/news/greed-and-debt-the-true-story-of-mitt-romney-and-bain-capital-20120829#ixzz254uMfAxe
Now that Obama has released his beer recipe, the DNC can change their slogan to what the libs really have given the 14 - 20 million out of work Americans over the last four years:
BREAD AND CIRCUSES!
Perhaps O could compare and contrast the fantastic results Kasick and Walker are getting v. Brown and Quinn?
And shoot hed had to 'Booker' poor little O'Malley this morning.
Yep, we are totally doing way better now than '08.
Sure we are.
Say, what was the unemployment rate in 2/09? Is that more or less than now? Numbers of people employed then v. now? More of less now?
Yep, things are swimming along. Must have been that Stimulus. I know Bernacke agrees it failed.
Wait- I thought Obama was, finally, going to go to Louisiana today? You know, get a first hand look at what not building the levee in Plaquemines County meant for the "not enough people" who live there?
He chicken out? Going to do a flyover?
Getting a pass from the cult?
Spanky: do you really want to be comparing IL and WI jobs numbers ?
Wisconsin is down 21,900 July 2012 vs. July 2011
Illinois is UP 28,600 over the same period (CES from deptofnumbers.com)
SO.... how's that screw the workers thing workin' for all you Republicans ?
Spanky, You ask what was the unemployment rate in 2/09..The destruction of our economy took 8 years under your former President; you know the one you conveniently have forgotten or fail to mention. The downfall was well underway, and not going to be turned around in Obama's first month. In fact, in 2/09 we were still operating under Bush's budget as the fiscal year is something like October through September. Despite these facts, and the obstructionist party on the Right, Obama went to work. When Obama took office we were losing over 700,000 jobs per month. Obama shortly turned that around to the point he has now created over 4 million jobs in his 3 1/2 years in office. That is more jobs than you know that last President, the one you have forgotten about, created in his 8 years. After the Right took the House in 2010, the obstruction got even more indepth, and despite running on a" where are the jobs" campaign, all they talk about is abortion, a guaranteed right by the Constitution of the United States, and voter suppression. So, I ask YOU, where are the jobs the Right promised in 2010?
drip, what are the state budget numbers when comparing the 2 states. Living in IL, I know we are in hugh debt and the Gov raised state taxes just a year ago. We are still billions and billions in debt and Chicago public schools will be 400 million in the hold next year alone, where will that money come from? In fact the state of IL was just downgraded last week due to the inability of the democratic controlled state Gov to do nothing to address the underfunded pension liablities.
I would appreciate it if the folks who claim the bailout of GM has been successful to this point and the way it was performed to please provide the number of GM shares you currently own and how many more shares you plan to purchase when the Gov releases the remaining shares. Thanks!
Thanks UAW for all of the great work you guys do! I'm glad our president chose to bailout GM so that hard working men and women like you didn't get bulldozed by the Republican party like the other union members around the country. Made in America, by Americans!!
Make sure that you get every democrat and union member you know, young and old, registered and to the polls to vote in November. This president needs more help from real Americans like you to get more republicans out of the house and senate, so we can get more work done and don't have to be held hostage by a$$holes like the jerk off above. Remember your employment makes him sick, so imagine what makes him happy!
On this Labor Day ,I offer a tribute to the working women who battled low wages, discrimination, and sexual harressement in the 1970' and 80's to gain equal rights in the workplace.
In 1973, at the University of MN a Woman was denied a faculty position in Chemistry. It was not a woman's field.
And in the Eveleth Mines in Northern Minnesota, women worked in the mines under extreme sexual harassment. They brought the first class action suit for sexual harassment. Ten years later, after federal appeals the company settled rather than go to trial again. But it was too late more Ms. Jensen and her family . She died on Lu Gehrig's disease and her family never received a nickle in settlement. but her ashes were spread over the open pit mine as her last wish. She said that she wanted to haunt those SOB miners who made her life miserable while she worked at the bottom of the pit mine.
Here is a wonderful radio documentary for this Labor day. I urge any woman who was born after 1980 to listen and remember what this election is saying about women today.
http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/ironrange/
And the Republican party looks nostagically back at the '50's as a time when the promise of the future was great and there was nothing that could not be accomplished with the proper leadership.
The problem for anyone who thinks is that the Republicans have been talking about the 1650's.
The Republicans want us to stay in the dark ages. In every respect. From advances in science, the treatment of labor, to the treatment of women in general. I'll bet they long for the past. Only problem is they are referring to hundreds of years ago. I don't think so GOP.
Plain and simple...NO IS NOT A SOLUTION!!! Our president needs everyone to get out and vote a democratic ticket this year to get as many republican obstructionists out of the house and senate as possible. Do whatever it takes to get all democrats, young and old, registered and to the polls to vote this year! VOTE VOTE VOTE, or let the corporations and billionaires in this country ride your silence to victory.
4 more for 44!!!
Yep, it's real simple. Just get into that voting booth and pull the lever that say Democratic. Don't bother with the names. We know what the Teapublicans stand for and what they will do if the gain the majority of power. Deny them that and send them back to the private sector where they will have to earn their money again.
The reason Ohio is doing better is because Kasich encouraged diversity of industry. A lot of the new jobs are in the financial industry not auto. Additionally, GM is looking for 5 billion in credit. Does not sound like GM is doing all that well.
Romney took control of HEALTHY COMPANIES and drove them INTO BANKRUPTCY for PROFIT.
Read how he and bane did it. These companies were TARGETED. Like sheep for the slaughter.
WE the tax payers had to PAY some of the losses caused by Romney and Bane Capital.
rollingstone.com/politics/news/greed-and-debt-the-true-story-of-mitt-romney-and-bain-capital-20120829#ixzz254uMfAxe
Now that Obama has released his beer recipe, the DNC can change their slogan to what the libs really have given the 14 - 20 million out of work Americans over the last four years:
BREAD AND CIRCUSES!
Hey Barry..... why don't you tell how you're going to keep this plant open for another 100 years?
Exactly how many jobs were created by the GOP in the past four years? I must have some form of dementia because I can't seem to recall a single one? Hmmm?
Right on...
VCStar.com: The connection Anthony and Julie Pierce feel to President Barack Obama goes far beyond party politics.
“It’s not just about Democrat vs. Republican,” Anthony Pierce said. “It’s very personal.”
Amazing endearing photos from today's campaign event in Ohio with President Obama and we the people. He's worth fighting for. If the president wins, we all win.
http://theobamadiary.com/
Spanky
Perhaps O could compare and contrast the fantastic results Kasick and Walker are getting v. Brown and Quinn?
Sure they did stimulus WITH stimulus money.
Maybe so but they still balanced budgets that Brown and Quinn did not. Beverly in Chicago, come on, do you not read the papers and see the news? Im here in IL as well, IL is not in financial shape at all and the Democrats have and are running it, so when will they fix it? Did you here how Madigan and other Democrats received about $500,000 in the very recent past from the States Unions and low and behold the Democrat GOV Quinns request to work on the underfunded pension issues never occurred?
Im wondering if you are willing to answer how much you pay in property taxes, how many children you have/had in public education, how many shares of GM you currently own and how many you plan to purchase when the Government releases the remaining shares. Our household is $7400 in Lemont, IL in property taxes, $5500 going to the local school district (we have no kids and never will), no shares of GM now or ever.
Yep, Mr. Obama's Stimulus (American taxpayer money) worked and saved the World from a depression.
- $ 787,000,000,000 (CBO revised to $ 814,000,000,00) stimulus package for shovel-ready construction jobs and keep the unemployment rate at or below 8%. Mr. Obama later admitted that "There's no such thing as shovel-ready projects." and laughed about it on National TV. Further, Mr. Biden later stated that the Stimulus was a failure. Most Mr. Obama's "Stimulus Go Green" payback programs to campaign contributors and special interest groups failed and the companies went BANKRUPT thereby flushing American taxpayer money down the drain.
- Total cost for ALL Stimulus/Bail-Out initiatives: $ 2,800,000,000,000 and the economy remains stagnant and the unemployment rate is outrageous.
I always remembered GM being known as the Heartbeat of America. My husband bought a 2011 Silverado and we were shocked to find out it was made in Mexico. So, looks like regardless of the US bailout, our government still allows jobs to go overseas. Seems to be that we need to focus on getting jobs back here in the states instead of bailing someone out and letting them send more American jobs to other countries. We now own what would have been known as a US car that waws made in Mexico.....so sad.
Obama has failed. Are you better off than you were 4 years ago? I know that I am not. Maybe I should send a bill to Mr Obama for lost wages that I have missed out on due to salary decreases.
I understand exactly where your coming from, 11 of my past 14 vehicles have been GM, no more on a go forward basis. My past 2000 Camaro was made in Canada, so is the new Camaro. I do not want to purchase any UAW assembled vehicles as its fact Unions support and vote for democrats, can't have our household income going towards supporting the Democratic agenda of which I do not believe in.
And here is the problem. Many are made in China as well.
The government doesn't dictate where companies choose to send their manufacturing jobs, but ask Willard that, he is pretty experienced in that type of work. What the government can dictate is where it spends tax payer dollars, like in the GM bailout. Republicans under Bush chose to spend tax payer money on blowing up $hit in Afghanistan and Iraq, chose to spend money sending our kids to die in these wars without the gear they needed to protect themselves, and chose to spend the rest on a trillion dollar tax cut for the wealthiest Americans; the group that runs the companies that outsource jobs to foreign countries.
What our president wants to spend American tax payer money on is American tax payers! That's why Obama wants to spend money to boost the domestic alternative energy industry, so we can not only save money by using and buying our own products in the future, but also so we don't fall behind China and the rest of the world on the next generation of energy production. Our president also wants to spend money rebuilding domestic infrastructure, putting Americans back to work rebuilding what desperately needs to be tended to IN AMERICA! He also wants to spend money on education for our children, healthcare for Americans that depend on it, like our grandparents and families that can't afford their health insurance premiums, and he also wants to make sure lobbyists, corporations, and religious fanatics don't enact laws that restrict the rights of women or any other average American. He also wants to spend money to help take care of the vets that served this country for the last decade fighting republican made wars.
It is more than fair, as an American tax payer, to ask that our government invests in ways to take care of Americans and focuses on rebuilding our country, before we storm off to start rebuilding other countries that don't want us there anyways.
Solar panels made in China and Finland. Helps us how?
sleuth: Oh yes, our government DOES decide where these vehicles should be manufactured. It's our tax dollars that bailed out GM. As long as we're footing the bill, it should be benefitting ONLY Americans. There are millions of people STILL unemployed and underemployed in this country. Outsourcing should NEVER have occured with this bailout of GM.
So the only thing you think I mean when I say alternative energy is Solar Panels? Really? Is that the only alternative energy source you know about or is that all you could come up with? Solar panels are probably one of the least efficient forms of alternative energy at the moment, but they are still useful. Since I've been educating you all over the place here LULU, here is another tidbit of knowledge you won't find hidden up your a$$.
On a single clear day, the sun will cover the earth with more energy than the entire world uses in an entire year. The only problem is that we can't harness all of that energy yet. Solar panels are just one of those creative ways that intelligent "liberals" learned to start harnessing the sun's incredible energy. There is much research and testing yet to be done in this field, and that is why it is a great investment for the US government to make! Besides the information you present here, what was the last thing you invented LuLu?
sleuth23....."What our president wants to spend American tax payer money on is American tax payers!"
Sleuth....you are completely brainwashed or haven't been keeping up with outdated news.
Mr. Obama specifically spent the Stimulus money, not on American taxpayers, but to his campaign contributors and special interest friends. Further, most all of Mr. Obama's "Go Green" stimulus projects went belly up with the American taxpayers on the hook. Here are a few for you to look up:
Believe'n.....so you are in the group that thinks tax breaks for the wealthy are a good idea? I'm in the 1% club and I can tell you that I make significant investments overseas. Thanks for voting for my tax breaks, but unless the US government is the one making the investment, I reserve the right to invest my money in whatever country I see fit. In essence, my tax dollars could go to the government, which still may decide to spend them on foreign aid or foreign wars, but if I choose to spend my tax savings overseas, they have no say in it whatsoever, and neither does the average American tax payer.
Hell, I'll bet nearly 50% of every dollar you spend goes towards products manufactured in China or another developing country, including the shirt on your very own back right now. Save the outsourcing drivel for someone that doesn't know any better, or practice what you believe in and ONLY buy American made products. The GM bailout did preserve American jobs in America, and that is a fact, whether you like to admit it or not! More still needs to be done to CREATE more new jobs, not just bring back jobs that are obsolete, so that is why you should be voting for President O this year.
4 more for 44!!!!
Thanks for proving my point Ido!
If you hate the tax breaks so much why did you take them ? You do know you don't have to take them and if you wished you could pay more in taxes as the Gov has a program to take donations from those who feel they aren't paying thier " Fair Share ".
Yep! It's a GLOBAL MARKEt we live in, and some products we want are going to be made overseas, but some can be made here and President Obama is trying to bring jobs back to the USA. Read this, PLEASE!
ECONOMY:
Obama: Term marked by high unemployment, a deep recession that began in previous administration and officially ended within six months, and gradual recovery with persistently high jobless rates. Unemployment rate jumped to 8.3 percent from 7.8 percent in February 2009, Obama's first full month in office, and has stayed above 8 percent ever since. The rate hit a high water mark of 10 percent in October 2009 and has dropped to 8.2 percent. Businesses have added jobs for more than two years straight. Obama responded to the recession with a roughly $800 billion stimulus plan that nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated cut the unemployment rate by up to 1.8 percentage points. Continued implementation of Wall Street and auto industry bailouts begun under George W. Bush.Proposes tax breaks for U.S. manufacturers producing domestically or repatriating jobs from abroad, and tax penalties for U.S. companies outsourcing jobs. Won approval of South Korea, Panama and Colombia free-trade pacts begun under previous administration, completing the biggest round of trade liberalization since the North American Free Trade Agreement and other pacts of that era.
Romney: Lower taxes, less regulation, balanced budget, more trade deals to spur growth. Replace jobless benefits with unemployment savings accounts. Proposes repeal of the (Dodd-Frank) law toughening financial-industry regulations after the meltdown in that sector. Proposes changing, but not repealing, the (Sarbanes-Oxley) law tightening accounting regulations in response to corporate scandals, to ease the accountability burden on smaller businesses. "We don't want to tell the world that Republicans are against all regulation. No, regulation is necessary to make a free market work. But it has to be updated and modern."
(Obama and Romney: Where they stand on the issues, By CALVIN WOODWARD | Associated Press • Published August 01, 2012)
Please! Do your own research. Read! Start thinking for yourself. Do NOT let Fox & Friends program you with more bullschMITT! Do not let your masters control you. Think for yourself for a change.
Disappointed in the Govt it's your own stupid fault of not looking at the build sheet on your vehicle when you bought it. The Silao, Mexico GM plant has been running since 1994 and the Ramos Arizpe, Mexico GM plant has been running since 1981. Look up some facts before you post! And yes America is better off now than when Bush gave his last speech 2 months before the 2008 election. If President Obama had some Republicans in Congress willing to work with him instead of against him he could have accomplished even more!
Romney would let Detroit go bankrupt, putting hundreds of thousands of us "little people" out of work.
Now THERE's compassion!
Romney and Ryan will make SURE the 1% (themselves) are taken care of - get rid of the capital gains tax,
privatize Social Security, and encourage the use of offshore tax havens!
Bankruptcy is a process. The way Obama "saved" the auto industry is also a process but it took all of the investors money to put into pension funds. There would be just as many jobs today if it went bankrupt. Maybe more.
It will take years, if ever, for the bad practice to fade enough for the stock to recover to the price that We the People of the United States recover the money spent. Most just face the reality that the "save" accomplished only two things. It spent a lot of taxpayer money and it delayed the inevitable. GM will go bankrupt but not before the election. Obama hopes that will save his job.
Wrong, near sea.
If Obama had followed Mitt the Twit's advice, America would no longer have an auto industry, or the industries that went with it.
Millions more would be out of work.
Facts are inconvenient for Republicans.
The bailout could have and should have been performed with more thought so taxpayers would not be out billions and billions. GM is in a far more competitive advantage then Ford as they have no debt, they are able to providing better warranty due to this, we can not have our Government picking winners and losers. The latest UAW contract agreed to increased the cost of an auto $300 to $500, it was right here on nbc to read, how nice of the UAW to overburden the same customers who saved them, thats the UAW for you. The bailout was the right time if the Gov was going to do it to rid GM of the Unions, we could be moving more auto factories back here had it been done right. Im not talking about slave wages, Im talking middle class wages just lower. We can not prop up middle class jobs that require very little skill. Meaning not $59 plus in wages and benefits and pension but more reasonable like $40 in wages and benefits and 401k.
More thought? Did Bush give "more thought" to TARP before bailing out Wall Street? It seems that they are doing quite well. But we'll shut down the auto industry because of the unions.
Yes more thought and I did not state "shut down the auto industry because of the unions" I mentioned getting the Unions out of the Bailed out companies, big difference, I want the Unions out so we can get more auto manufacturing back here. Im still talking living wages for middle class folks. I don't like the way wall street was bailed out either, I have excellent credit and my credit cards used to have very low interest, after the bailout my credit card rates increased a ton. Its good not to have much in balances but still the rates are crazy when the banks are getting hte money for near free. The whole system is rigged but I also know that our government is too big, too bloated and with 40% of it being in public sector Unions it only makes this country more uncompetitive on a globel level. We need to get the Unions out of the public sector and get rid of their pensions, move them to 401ks.
Why do people not understand that GM did declare bancruptcy? The same as Romney suggested. It is the same.
I believe you implied "shut the auto industry down because of the unions" by your handle dumba$$, or maybe you are referring to another UAW.
Lulu...it is not the same, so get it through your little pea brained heads! When the economy was tanking, the auto industry would have needed serious financing from banks in order to work its way through bankruptcy proceedings without shedding assets in order to pay for it. They certainly weren't earning any sales revenue by selling cars in the middle of a market free-fall, and banks were in just as bad of shape because of the gigantic bets they made on the sub-prime mortgage bonds and other derivatives that were also in free-fall. The house of cards was collapsing and the only group in the room with enough capital left to prop it up was the federal government...i.e. they provided bailout funding through the Fed in the form of TARP. In any other economic environment you might be able to make that argument, but during the crisis, it would have destroyed the American auto industry as we know it, and it certainly would have costs millions of people their jobs, beyond the millions of jobs already lost in the last few months of the Bush administration. Now you understand Lulu
@sleuth... Sorry you just resort to name calling. Just like most of you Dems who refuse to accept the reality of what is actually happening. If you only listen to MSNBC you get a very distorted view of the world. I know you would find difficulty in synthesizing numerous news sources, but it is the only way to learn the truth. Now you understand or perhaps you do not have enough brain power.
Insightful Lulu....sorry I hurt your feelings, but I call em' like I see em'.
BTW, I stopped doing other people's homework in Junior High. Do your own homework, or just keep your small minded conjectures to yourself.
Harbinger: No the auto industry would NOT have died. Ford and many other auto manufacturing plants didn't take bailouts and they are STILL doing fine. GM utimately did file banruptcy after they received the bailout money. Romney recommended they go bankrupt and neither Bush or Obama took his advice until after they realized Romney was right.
Keep dreaming Believe'n! You prove that being ignorant is a freedom we can still enjoy in our fine country!
4 more for 44!!!!
On November 18, 2008 Mitt Romney wrote an Op-Ed to the New York times under the title "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt"
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/opinion/19romney.html
Who was right, Romney or Obama? Why not ask a Republican!
~Republican Michigan Rep. Fred Upton, endorsing Romney and then disagreeing with him about the auto bailout which has been a major Romney attack point, WMUK Radio, February 2012
Do we mean workers at what was Mitt's dream to be Romney Motors or Bain Motors after their bankruptcy purchase of them?
So Obama caused tens of thousands to lose their jobs on the front end and...
All he did was postpone the inevitable.
Last I checked, GM and Chrysler were doing quite well. But no one blinked when Wall Street was bailed out.
Of course they are doing well, GM owns no debt, it was moved over onto the laps of the already overburdened taxpayers of the USA. And Chrysler really hasn't been a domestic manufacturer for the past decade. I don't beleive the wallstreet bailout was any better but its pointless to compare. Under your thinking, Im supposed to get a bailout as are millions and millions of others in this country.
Exactly
You idiots are still going round and round on your own delusional under-educated ferris wheel of republican bs. You both need to read the reports the Fed issued regarding the bailout, so you can understand where the real burden for tax payers was created....AIG. They were the ones that made the brilliant bet to insure against subprime mortgages....a bet that is still costing them money. The cost of bailing out GM was a fraction of the cost of bailing out AIG, Fannie, and Freddie....which we are still paying for. Then again you guys probably think we need less regulation on financial instruments, and that we also pay way too much in taxes. Sorry, but you can't have it both ways. We either need to deal with the debt and "too big to fail" institutions, or you guys need to agree that the last recession was indeed good for America as it proved everything was working just as it should: low tax rates and low regulatory oversight = good for America. Which is it?
Republicans have always hated people who work for a living.
Their constituency is the 1% who make their money through inheritance and drawing interest on that inheritance.
Wow!! On election day then, would you expect Stinky (aka BO) to get 99% of the vote? I work for a living. I'm not in a union and would never ever ever buy union made goods and services (whenever possible). Stinky's folk are the ones that live in daddy's basement (if they know who daddy is), unions, and the other motivationally impaired.
Hey!! Bet you like the Kennedys!! Did you know that they got their money because Grandpa was a major drug cartel leader? YES HE WAS!!! The rest of the Kennedy Klan made their money through inheritance and drawing interest on that inheritance. Can you name ONE Kennedy that actually has ever "worked"?
Why Stinky Hisself has never had a real job! In fact, many people fail in their first REAL job, just like Stinks has at His.
Watched Obama's Speech a few hours ago - right on the point - Let's send the Governor of Ohio and all other GOP governors packing - Once again I said this before and I'll say it again - If Romney and his puppet Ryan get in watch out - YOUR TAXES WILL GO UP AND YOU WILL HAVE NO HEALTH CARE - Hope you all got this message!! Oh and 1 more thing - KEEP OBAMA IN OFFICE!!!!! Do not let the GOP right wing nitemare LIES fool you!!
Prove your response.
Lulu....easy
Willard Myth Romney: Where are the tax returns?
Lyin' Ryan: Called out by your very own Fox for lying through his teeth during his acceptance speech.
PROOF, PROVEN, PROVED....done and done. Next question please!
Sleuth is another left wing Obama ass kisser. Let me help you, dip @!$%#. Romney is rich. You don't nee to see his tax returns to know that, ass wipe. And there's no law requiring him to show your stupid ass what you wouldn't understand anyway. So whine about something else. America needs a leader, not a celebrity in the White House. Obama had his 15 minutes of fame and screwed the country. We don't need or want his BS act anymore.
Further to my previous comment - Romney and Ryan will also:
Make you homeless
Extend the war for the next 30 or more years. He will also revoke Obama's previous orders to send troops home and also call up and send more troops to aggreviate the situation I would not take the chance to find out what the future will bring - Do the RIGHT THING - KEEP PRESIDENT OBAMA IN OFFICE!!!
What an ass. Try to talk about real ideas.
Ditto Lulu...you haven't had a real idea yet!
I just watched the Toledo speech. He laid out his reasoning with solid facts, unlike the crazy blather of the Vulture and Voucher. This is an easy choice.
4 more for 44
Obama/Biden 2012 - Romney/Ryan 1040
How many shares of GM currently and how many when the Government releases the remaining? Just wondering, thanks!
What are you 4 years old? Can't you actually make an argument or comment without having to resort to childish jibber, (vulture-voucher). It will be nice to have grown-ups back in the White House again come November. Romney/Ryan 2012. Pay attention when they move in, you might learn something.
BTW: To see Articles I have posted to the Newsvine, click on either of these links below,
September 2012 or August 2012
Lighten-Up Francis (amerigal) Not everything needs to be stupid boring serious. Loosen your girdle and have a little fun.
Finally the President is sounding like a Democrat instead of a me-tooer. Let's hope he doesn't forget win he gets his second term.
Yes, Obama took my tax dollars to pay off his union debt with a bailout of the UAW. That used to be called the Chicago Way. Now Chicago and Illinois are facing massive debt and the inability to pay pensions for teachers and other public employee unions. Guess what! Even the newspapers are calling for the decertification of the Chicago Teachers Union!
Im with ya Jamie, we do not want our household income going towards supporting Unions as we know for fact, Unions support and vote for the Democrats and We do not believe in the Democratic agenda. Now the States controlled Democrats are thinking of putting the funding of the teachers Pensions back into the local districts. I say great, now I get to pay more for teachers so they can retire after only 25-35 years while Me and the wife work till we are 70 or death. How nice of the teachers to overburden my household when we do not and will not have kids. Now for those that may reply, get this, im not saying i will not pay any into public education, what, Im saying is cant me and the wife have half of the $150,000 we will pay into the local school district over the term of our 30 year mortgage so we can retire 2 years earlier? I want those who have em, to pay a bit more for them, thats all.
Yeah, I want to go back to Happy Daze, too, Romney. Women have gotten so uppity! LOL Republicans want to go backwards. No thanks.
Number of GM shares your currently own and how many you plan to purchase when the Government releases the remaining shares? Just wondering, thanks!
Me, I own none and never will.
President Obama said "the auto industry built that". No they didn't. WE THE TAXPAYERS BUILT THAT. Remember Mr. Obama. It was our millions of dollars you so generously handed away to your union buddies. They certainly didn't get there on their own, they lined up for a handout.
I am still in shock and numbness at the republican right, screaming and shrieking that the President hasn't fulfilled his promises, well folks Boehner and McConnell made sure of that. It also appears to me that most republican posters are itching with glee to see the Auto Industry go belly-up so that they can have some sort of bragging rights. Forget the folks who depend on those jobs and the communities that the workers support, just let'em go bankrupt. Amazing. Then vilify those that have the least in our society as moochers, hand-outers, parasites, lazy, scum, no account "little people" and its all their fault that American elites nurture Vulture Capitalists, tough too bad, suck it up. Wasn't it cheney that said deficits didn't matter, well I guess they mattered 3 1/2 years ago when a Black Man won the Presidency. I just don't understand why these same posters want and expect instant turn around from 8+ years of catastrophic economic policy, and an obstructionist congress. Who owns romney and what will do to repay the big bucks put into his campaign, the man is spineless and who will whisper policy in his good ear and romney won't be able to say no because they own him.
Obama 2012
Number of GM shares you currently own and how many you plan to purchase when the Government releases the remaining? Just wondering, thanks!
You must have an awfully short memory. Barack Obama had both houses of Congress for the first 2 years of his Presidency and got EVERYTHING he wanted. He has no one to blame for this miserable economy than himself. Come November it will be nice to have grown-ups back in the White House, instead of the sniveling, blame everyone else for his failure Obama.
makes me sick, we own 760 shares, and plan on buying more, we buy American made products when we can find them, I want to starve the Chinese Communist regime, so I've stopped shopping for bargains in Walmart, you might want to do the same, or maybe not they're non-union sweatshop workers. The President had a filibuster proof congress's for exactly 4 1/2 months, that all changed when Kennedy died and Scott Brown was appointed, check your facts, google it. Girl, perfect elephant tool.
Obama 2012
skyparrot, Its good to see someone who actually puts their money where their mouth is in supporting what they believe in. I buy USA as well but try not to support Union as I know for fact Unions support and vote for Democrats and I can not support an agenda I do not believe in. I find the same items at Walmart as I do at other stores, but what I buy more then anything at Walmart is food because they still sell it cheaper then most and Im talking about the same brands you find at every other store be it Union or non-Union. I never see any of the workers at Walmart chained down, not sure which Walmarts you went to and I see they atleast employ some elderly folks who may not get jobs elsewhere. In fact, twice I was shopping at the Lockport Walmart in IL to see the local fire dept shopping for their food, yes, Union firemen paying for their food at Walmart with the trucks right out side. On my honor I have no reason to lie, same as checking a local school district parking lot, postal office lot and even police dept and you will see right there just how many Public sector Union employees of this country do not even support their own bothers and sisters in the Unions. The Unions should address this problem before expecting non-Union workers to purchase their products.
UAW: Good point. Ha ha, you caught the Union firemen.
GM alive alright, on the backs of Chinese slave labor at American workers expense.
First, I want to say that I respect your right to your opinion, and I hope you will respect my right to mine. I am sure that a few people will not agree with me, but I would be a coward if I thought my grandchildren's future was in danger and I did not say anything about it. "If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything."
36 years ago I registered to vote as an Independent. It has worked out well for me because I vote for people, not parties. I look for sensible, human, intelligent, compassionate, competent people who have shown that by what they do, not what they say. It is about looking at the facts, the results, the outcomes, and not blindly following a "party" which wants to tell me what to do. I, like you, cherish the freedom to choose for myself. I cherish the fact that we live in a country that was founded from the burning desire to NOT let someone else tell you how to think, feel and believe.
It seems to me that our political parties have become just that. From what I see and hear, there are folks in every party who will blindly vote for the person who wears their party badge – right or wrong, productive or destructive – sensible or ridiculous. You can't observe politics without getting a choking dose of the ridiculous. The nauseating ridiculousness is what prompts me to say what I have to say.
Today, I am looking at the facts, outcomes, results, directions, what people say and what they have or have not done. Do politicians, presidents, "public servants" have an obligation to be responsible? Accountable for what they do? Has it all become a big game? A popularity contest? Us versus them? That's a bunch of crap, not a responsible government.
To me, our current president and administration feels like "the man behind the curtain" in The Wizard of Oz….saying a lot of pretty things, flashing a lot of lights and colors…pretending to do something about problems…but it is just an illusion.
We have had 4 years of "Game Show Solutions" to serious problems. I am so sick of it. Examples:
Situation: Serious economic problems in our country and reckless national debt:
President's solution: "I know! Cash for Clunkers will fix everything! (Or, at least it will distract everyone from the real problems!)"
Situation: The real problems did not go away. National debt is frightening and threatening our security as a nation:
President's solution: "I know, we'll print billions of dollars of play money and make everyone think that fixed everything and made the real problems go away."
Situation: Only one third of the "Stimulus" money went toward jobs. No one can say into whose pockets the rest went:
President's response: "I know, let's wave around the left hand with the thumb on top of the fist (like a good Harvard-trained public speaker) and say something about "green energy" and "solar panels" and "bringing the troops home" and people will be so excited about all those key words that no one will notice what happened to the stimulus money." (It worked.)
Situation: China owns a good part of our country. The national debt puts our children and grandchildren and our continuing economy in jeopardy. It is actually conceivable that the great USA could follow Greece and Italy into an economy that was unthinkable in the past:
The President's response: "I know! We'll talk about "healing the planet" some more. Everybody wants to heal the planet, don't they? Not to mention, people loved that line the first time! We'll add in something about pity for the middle class, too. Then, people will assume we might do something to help the middle class. By the time they figure it out, we will be re-elected and we're home free!"
Situation: There are still not enough jobs. People who worked hard all their lives are losing their homes and waiting in lines at food banks:
President's response: "I know! We'll blame it on someone else! We'll say that we have 'just started fixing this' and need four more years to actually begin doing something. That way no one will notice that we actually haven't got a clue so we haven't done anything so far."
Personally, I am tired of it. Silliness is as silliness does. We have a Saturday Night Live President but as long as he keeps throwing the popular terms around and talking about topics that people like to hear, no one notices the country going to hell in a hand basket. Talk, talk.
I am disappointed by the series of nonsensical "solutions," the national sadness and hopelessness in some of the upcoming generation, the projection that my children's generation will be the first one in America to be less educated and less prosperous than the previous generations.
When I think of 4 more years of President Obama, I envision the "Biff" government of "Back to the Future II" – the streets are on fire, the place is trashed. I hear a flushing sound….the country that changed the world…swirling down the drain.
I'm an independent voter and I'm voting for Mitt Romney. He actually has endless experience in making things work, bringing about success in multiple arenas…not just talking about pretending to make things work. We desperately need a president who has the knowledge of how to make things work and the courage to act. One who will stop the endless, meaningless chatter…and DO something.
The most sensible statements I have heard in years were the following from the RNC:
"Tonight I'd ask a simple question: If you felt that excitement when you voted for Barack Obama, shouldn't you feel that way now that he's President Obama?" Romney said. "You know there's something wrong with the kind of job he's done as president when the best feeling you had, was the day you voted for him."
"This president can ask us to be patient. This president can tell us it was someone else's fault. This president can tell us that the next four years he'll get it right," Romney said. "But this president cannot tell us that you are better off today than when he took office. America has been patient. Americans have supported this president in good faith. But today, the time has come to turn the page."
"President Obama promised to slow the rise of the oceans and to heal the planet," Romney said, "My promise is to help you and your family."
You, Ms Katie, are just the type of simple-minded voter the Republicans love. Simple-minded and uninformed.
Katie: Well thought out post and all very true.
bajangirl: Katie is not simple-minded and uninformed because I suspect you might be speaking about yourself. We STILL have millions of people unemployed and underemployed and without hope. Simple-minded would be someone voting for another 4 years of the same. Romney will get people back to work which is the most critical issue facing this country. We can't afford another 4 years.
Bush signed TARP, as well as, the Bail-Out of GM which at the time was only $17 Billion placed in a working escrow. Obama signed the checks and over saw the administration of the funds, as well as, the re-structuring of GM.
With $50 Billion in their pocket in 2009, GM closed 13 plants, including the one in Janesville, laid off 21,000 workers. These plants were not of Obama's approved re-structuring plan for GM.
Investing in China was. They opened 11 new plants, and hired 35,000 Chinese.
Those GM Chinese cars have been imported for a year now.
If we give $50 Billion to a failing car company, is it not reasonable to have them use those funds to keep plants open here and not closed them like the one in Janesville?
We should exporting cars to China, not importing them
Why are so many here oblivious to the facts? Why do they want taxpayer money to support China?
Glad you supported GM getting U.S. taxpayer dollars? Want to see GM survive, prattling on how America needs an auto industry?
Instead we get this, GM plans to shift overseas production:
General Motors Corp. will shift more production of vehicles bound for the U.S. market to China, Mexico, South Korea and Japan, but will keep total imports at roughly one-third of all sales here.
In a confidential 12-page presentation to members of Congress, obtained by The Detroit News , GM said it will boost U.S. sales of vehicles built in those four countries by 98 percent -- or about 365,000 vehicles -- while shrinking production in Canada, Australia and European countries by about 130,000 vehicles.
GM started importing vehicles made in China in 2011, reaching 51,546 vehicles in 2014. Imports from South Korea to the United States will jump from 36,967 vehicles in 2010 to 157,126 in 2014.
GM's plan to import more vehicles from low-wage countries raises questions about whether it should beef up its foreign operations as it is relying on federal money to stay afloat. It also puts the automaker at odds with the United Auto Workers, which is trying to protect U.S. jobs amid a dramatic restructuring of the domestic auto industry.
GM has faced strong protests from the union that its turnaround plan unfairly targets U.S. workers and plants for cuts. GM plans to trim 21,000 hourly workers and close 13 of its 47 U.S. plants by the end of 2010 as part of a tougher recovery plan sought by President Obama's auto task force. It will close three more U.S. plants by 2014.
UAW legislative director Alan Reuther wrote a letter to Congress:
Unfortunately, the restructuring plan closed of 16 manufacturing facilities in this country, including the one in Janesville Ryan mentioned. This resulted in the direct loss of 21,000 jobs.
The ripple effect at suppliers, dealers, and other businesses will cost tens of thousands of additional jobs, devastating numerous communities across the United States.
Incredibly, between 2010-2014 GM's restructuring plan also called for a 98% increase in the number of vehicles it will be importing into the United States from Mexico, Korea, Japan and China, with the number of imports from these countries increasing from 371,547 to 736,743. As a result, the share of GM's sales in the U.S. market that will be imported from these countries will increase from 15.5% to 23.5%. The overall number of vehicles GM will be importing in 2014 represents the production of four assembly plants, the same number that GM plans to close in the United States.
Who else says @!$%# 'em? Let them be liquidated in bankruptcy, save the UAW pensions and health care and let's be done with this Benedict Arnold corporation. Why are we pouring U.S. taxpayer money into some labor arbitraging behemoth? Let's just kill this globalization that just bit them but they want to do it again monstrosity and start over.
Here's William Greider at The Nation:
So this is how the auto bailout will work. American taxpayers pump tens of billions into rescuing General Motors from bankruptcy. Then GM pays us back by shipping more jobs overseas--the equivalent of four assembly plants. The federal money will directly subsidize more imports from abroad, enabling GM to double its car production in Mexico, South Korea and China and selling the cars into the US market.
Can someone explain how this is in our national interest? If that is the best deal Obama's auto czars can come up with, then this angry taxpayer says: laissez-faire--let GM go down. Better to settle for bankruptcy court than provide public financing to further the destruction of US manufacturing.
Oh yeah, GM's claim they are not using taxpayer funds is pure bull@!$%#. Without those funds they would already be in bankruptcy. There are previous reports of GM using our taxpayer dollars for operations in Brazil.
Over two years ago, we left Iraq, and we are on track to leave Afghanistan.
33,000 troops will come home this month. That's 33,000 out of harm's way. Tell me that is a bad thing.
starderup: No it's not a bad thing to bring our troops home. Let's just hope they can find jobs and take care of their families. We have millions of people still unemployed and underemployed so where these troops are going to find work is the big question.
Obama is bringing troops home but I guarantee you they will be going back to fight Iran because of the instability Obama's policies have created in the Middle East. No need to argue about it, just watch and see what happens. Our allies have just about given up on Obama and the US AND THAT IS NOT A GOOD THING!
As I recall it was under President's Bush's watch that our economy was brought to the brink of another depression and all the tarp, bailouts, stimulus plans, bailing wire and duct tape that were necessary to keep us from falling into the financial abyss were pretty much drastic measures for drastic times. Our economy during the Bush years was one big bubble driven by everyone living off their credit cards and flipping their houses while we spent billions on wars while borrowing to fund them. Our health system is a joke, we get less bang for the buck than countries we deem socialist but seem to realize health care shouldn't be something that only the rich can afford and have found a way to keep cost down so that their citizens can actually get health care without having to sell their souls. While Mr. Obama may not have been able to magically transform our current rich get richer system into jobs for everyone at least his policies seem to reflect that he knows the middle class needs to be strengthened and the answer isn't to just deregulate and let the market place decide the winners and losers because we had that under Bush and it that trickle down mentality doesn't work unless you like being trickled upon.
Bob, the problem I have with Obama is the middle class folks he always mentions are public sector workers. You know the police, firemen and teachers, yes they are needed middle class jobs but they are not revenue generators, when we overcompensate them via wage, benefit and pensions it overburdens the true taxpayers of this country. Now Im not saying I want to bring them down to slave wages like most all Unions will tell you, what I want for them, they would still be middleclass and not overburden the already unfunded pension funds. One of the biggest problems is the areas that suck up most of the resources of this workers are the struggling low income areas of this country who cant not cover these folks expenses. These folks are retiring after only 25-35 years of work while a majority of the folks responsible to cover their costs are having to work 35-50 years or until retirement or death. Does not seem fair to me, all I have to do is look at the Illinois school district website to see most all districts show teachers making anywhere from $15k to $20,000 more annually then the average household family making in that district. I see a similar issue with the UAW whos jobs were saved, they had to make minimal sacrifices and we saved many of their jobs. Our Gov is too big, too bloated, too overcompensated, too slow reacting and too resistant to change and with 40 % of it being Unionized it does nothing but put the USA in its current position of having difficulty competing on a globel scaling for the long term. All I have to do it check my property tax bill from 5 years ago, it was around $5700 or so and is currently $7400. A majority of the increase is because of the demands the Public sector Union contracts called for. Sorry, we President Obama to realize that only 15% of the workforce is in a Union and the majority of the suffering middle class people are not in a Union and that Unions increase the cost of each and every single product, service and tax we purchase or pay. It really is that simple, its now about slave wages, it about fair wages, for some that means sacrifices and it really should start with the public sector workers who have continues to receive wage, benefit and pension increases over the past decade while the true taxpayers incomes have suffered.
UAW makes me sick - The UAW guys will argue with you until it brakes the countries back, and then we are all in deep doo!