2008-11-20

 

The Big 3 Auto Makers

Just some thoughts...on the Big 3:

I haven't heard anybody bring up this point:

I think the Big 3 should shut their doors for the months of December and January.

1) This would free them of two months salaries (one for this year and one for next).
2) There is a back up at dealers. The factories can't keep making vehicles if dealers aren't selling them.
3) This two month shutdown would give them and congress time to sort things out.

Also, if we loaned the Big 3 $100m, and they paid it back, plus you add the tax receipts for all of those workers (and you didn't have to pay those same workers unemployment insurance; what was the tax receipts of all of the Chrysler workers for the past 30-years since their bailout?), wouldn't that be positive? The loan would have to come with conditions: 1) that strict mileage and alternate fuels be produced, and 2) a comprehensive health care, pension, and salary package be negotiated with Congress.

If all of the Big 3 manufacturers (plus maybe all of the domestic truck makers), and all of the dealers, and all of suppliers joined together, in one big CO-OP pool for health care, wouldn't that be of benefit? You make all these workers receive their preventive and normal health care to the CO-OP paid doctors and clinics. The CO-OP would pay for scholarships for health care workers to go to school and in return those students would have to work at the CO-OP's clinics for a period of time (say 10 years). These scholarships could go to foreign students who would be willing to work for less (but more than in their home country), and it would help solve a shortage in the health care industry demographics going forward.

Are these auto workers willing to work for less? Isn't a job paying $40.00, $30.00, or even $20.00 an hour better than no job at all? I think so. The UAW needs to step-up with some big concessions to save some jobs (even at lower wages) here.

Question: Would the Big 3 be in the spot they are in today if the mortgage meltdown-credit crisis had not occurred? And since the politicians let the credit crisis happen, they also have a responsibility to help these companies back to square.

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