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Automakers pitch Congress anew on rescue

I'm glad they showed up by car this time, they really need to work on their w"e're poor" acting. From what I understand the first time they went to talk to congress about a bailout the CEO's flew by private jet ($20,000.00 flight cost).

I like how they've "humbled" themselves. But, seriously guys, you need some hubcaps. You don't need to humiliate ALL Americans by being so ridiculous.

We need to bail out these auto makers. This is no time to be stingy and idealistic. It is time to step up and help others who are less fortunate by giving the Big 3 access to tax-payer funding for a short time. If we do not, catastrophic job losses will result and foreign corporations will step in and buy up these companies.

Take a little pride in being an American! Write your Congressman and encourage them to support a bailout for the auto manufacturers!

Why burden that tax payers so that the Unions of the big 3 can pay their employees $150,000 a year? These Union Employees (non-managment) have no college education and make $75 per hour. At Toyota the total compensation package is only $41 per hour for non-managment employees.

Detroit Dave, do we need this as bad as we needed to buy the bad paper with the 700 Billion? These companies should go through bankruptcy and work there way back.

Yes call your Congressman and tell them we cannot spend our way out of debt. Can we do that in our lives? No, so why does the government think more debt will fix this problem?

These companies need to reduce expenses and fix themselves. How about selling off your private jets for a start and reducing pay to the top dogs. No sense in punishing employees and taxpayers by layin off an insane amount of employees and make taxpayers fork out the cash for a temp fix. Make these multimillion dollar executives fork out their own cash, sell off their estates and Bentley's and then maybe the government and the American people will think about a bailout.

Why not the automakers? Why do they even need to provide a plan. Wall Street didn't have a plan, How did the AIG guys arrive in Washington? What restructuring where they forced to do? What new business plan did they have to produce, what cuts where their executives taking in their bonuses? By the way, how do you get a bonus for managing a company that is losing money? AIG has already been back for a second round of bailout money. I would personally say what is going on with the automakers is grandstanding by congress. Oh and by the way my belief is no money should be spent on bailouts, if we believe in capitalism, then lets be capitalists, a real capitalist wouldn't bail anyone out.

we should walk( including these low paying jobs )

I don't understand the comment that customers would not buy from a bankrupt car company. The airlines went bankrupt and people still flew on them. How in the world do they make that assumption and claim?

Bush gave Citi severl bunches of billions without much of a blink. Could it be because Citi is controled by the Saudis they get bailout?

When all is said and done the execs will be back to their seven figure salaries and the US autoworker will be thankful for $7 hr. Oh heck....why not just hire "guest" workers.

For years, the Big 3 have subsidized their money-losing car lines with the high-profit SUV and pick-up lines that they sold. When people stopped buying the high-profit models, they got into trouble. Labor costs doomed them from the start. If they all go into bankruptcy, they could get the huge monkey off of their backs, that are the money-losing union contracts. Only then will they return to profitability.

For the government to throw money at them would be a total waste of taxpayer dollars. Let the free market do the job it does best. The strong will survive; the weak will go by the wayside, much like the Studebaker.

This makes total sense! Let's bail out these guys who come asking for $25 billion private jets and then come and ask for $34 billion driving hybrid cars. So since you come asking in an environmentally friendly vehicle we'll give you an extra $9 billion. Makes sense to me. That extra $9 billion is "in case" we overbudget and need it.

Yeah that makes sense.

What about a budget! Do these guys not need to budget and realize that you can't spend more than you make, especially $34 billion more than you make!

Makes sense to bail these guys with taxpayers money so they can turn around and charge us an arm and a leg for a new vehicle when we are the ones who kept them from bankruptcy. Biting the hand that feeds does not apply here.

Makes sense that millions are losing/have lost/or are about to lose their jobs and houses but these guys are more important than any of them.

Where's my bailout? My bailout is only to pay my house and my cars. It's only going to be less than $250k.

It makes sense to bail these guys out! (I am being sarcastic)

If we had a little more pride in our country we wouldn't be in this situation. America makes great vehicles. Why not buy American??? I am a GM fan and will always be one. The vehicles I own are as good or better than any out there. Lets support the companies that helped to make this country great.

We need to help the Big 3 car companies and then we need to support them by buying American.

Give them the money. I like my Ford.

................ sorry about the long pause, but I had to stop laughing. Were you being sarcastic?
The "less fortunate"? Are you talking about those making millions, fly in corporate jets and driving free cars? Or are you talking about the overpaid union workers who even get paid when laid off? I really don't think you are talking about single mothers with kids in the hospital.

Detroit has been out of control for decades; even my considerable lifetime. They need to face reality and make the sacrifices needed: cut back hard and deep at all levels. Go to court to get the union contracts nullified - there are plenty enough "less fortunate" to fill the job ranks. If bankrupcy is necessary, then joing the thousands of small businesses in the same boat. If selling out to more efficient companies is the last chance then americans will probably have better cars to buy.
This is a pitch to grab a large chunk of the tax payer based bailout.
I'm one of may thousand of small businessmen who have been shut down due to the economy. I don't hear of anyone talking about a bailout for the little guy.

In today's economy buying a new car is the least of my worries. I am worried about keeping my job, keeping my house, and providing for my family. Buying an overpriced NEW car is the least of my worries.

Maybe Big Auto needs to cut all the tax payers a break on the prices since they have the AUDACITY during these scary times to ask for our tax dollars to bail them out! Shoot 90% of us could use a "bailout" but the Big 3 want to use MY tax dollars to bail THEM out. Wow, that's a lot of nerve.

Every car I have owned has been a Chevy or Ford, but I don't blame people for buying the "other" cars. Big Auto hasn't never looked out for me so I don't see why I should give them any of my tax money.

If those multi million dollar ex`s would take a pay cut lik the ceo did and work for a dollar a year they would not need to be bailed out.. When you buy from them ,they dont give a darn how much they over charge for a car as long as they can get thier salary..

As owners in the Big 3, the American people will now have to do our part to support our nation. The next time you need to buy a new car, make sure it is a Ford, GM, or Chrysler family product!! It doesn't matter what you do for a living, your 401K and our economy depend on our largest export and GDP producing product - cars & trucks.

The Big 3 have made the critical changes necessary, and more will come, but the help we need is now from us. It isn't 1970, 1980, or 1990 anymore - Ford products are equal quality to the best in the world and the Fusion is on the cover of Consumer Reports' current auto issue. Fuel mileage is not significantly different between new Asian and new American cars either.

If you say buy American you are saying I want to pay for some redneck who graduated high school to make $150,000 per year and overpay for a vehicle that cannot be produced as well as foreign because the money for R&D is spent on rediculus salaries for Union Workers.

Not just the execs, but the autoworkers need to take a paycut. I understand the workers earn $81/hour ("idiotic" said $75, so somewhere in that range) and when not working get up to 95% of their salaries. No wonder they are asking for $34 billion.