Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt Herring
Otto -
I'd love to see those guidelines be in place should a bailout occur but what most everyday citizens don't realize is that almost half of the money given to these companies would go to covering employee costs and not for research/development/technology....When a private company is given government/taxpayer money it's a recipe for destruction. Some call it socialism. It will happen...and 5, 10, 20 years from now we'll find out just how corrupt this whole deal is.
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He who pays the piper calls the tune. Any taxpayer bailout of Detroit should be specifically contingent on modernization and improvement of Detroit products, starting with better fuel economy as an adjunct to national security. Everybody on this website knows that major improvements can be had for cheap, starting with better aerodynamics and properly inflated tires.
In recent weeks, we've seen how even a slight decrease in fuel demand can trigger a major decrease in fuel price. (I know that it's not quite that simple, as other factors have also contributed to downward fuel prices.) Lower fuel prices are tantamount to a major economic stimulus, and also keep the wolf from the airlines' door. Yours and mine, too.
Fact is, no country can survive (esp. in first world status, let alone superpower status) without a stout industrial base, industrial skillsets, and proper financing. Detroit has screwed the pooch with sloppy design and execution. We all know that. Surely, Detroit knows that, too. It should not take much persuasion to get them to clean up their act, for everybody's sake in addition to their own sake. Strings attached to a bailout seems the perfect timing and opportunity to effectuate such much needed change.