What are your ideas for the auto bailout?

The Auto Industry shouldn't be bailed out. It should be deregulated to create competition. Currently, there are over 3000 pages of regulations specific to the manufacture of automobiles. Those regulations have inflated manufacturing costs to limit competition. Tax money should never be used to "bail out" a private business for any reason.

DO NOT bail them out.....companies MUST learn from their mistakes!!!! How about people like me who have managed to efficiently run their households (mortgage payments)? We will be the ones paying for ALL of the bailouts OUR Gov't issues.....Give US.....the responsible individuals who deserve a reward as much as these big entities who cant manage their own lunch money by allowing us NOT to have to pay 3, 4 or 5 months of mortgage payments.; this would sure be a stimulus pkg that all would enjoy!!!!!

Let 'em rot!

Toyota makes a good truck.

"Regulations" can add costs.  However, the automakers need to look at what is within their control - they have spent millions lobbying against higher mileage standards, and playing games with SUV's, pretending they are "trucks".  Automakers need to embrace higher mileage, innovation, and new creative ways.  I personally do not think they can do that, they are simply too big and bureaucratic (so are the unions, by the way!).  They need a radically new business plan, or need to go bust, so they can be broken up into small, nimble entities (same thing for the big banks, by the way - they are not too big to fail, they are too big to save!)

Let's see what would I want to see ...

1. A re-payment plan ... this is a loan NOT a gift!

2. All upper managment wages ($200,000 per year & up) are frozen until the company is back in the black or wages will be re-evalued at the 7-year anniversary of the loan. With a possible ceiling for the $500,000 and up salaries.

3. All production employees will be on swing shifts of 40 hours per week. 

4. Create part-time jobs of 15-20 hrs per week.  Put high-schoolers to work and stop paying large salaries to Administrative Asst. who only answer phones, do light typing, and file papers.  Good way to get kids in at the ground level.

5. Offer a package for employees who have been there over 16 years.  Give them a nice severance package (voluntary of course) - cut the overhead this way.  Get some entry level or apprentice employees for the positions at a lower wage.

6. Companies MUST get into "Green"  ... No more big, big gas guzzlers.  We want efficient cars that don't impact the environment in such a negative way.  Standardize also ...  Example every vehicle made from (say Ford) would ALL have the gas cap on the drivers side.  Example ALL vehicles must get a minimum of 25 miles per city.

Anyway, just some of my ideas ...

The "trickle-down effect could ONLY be successful if the ones with the money weren't greedy and were willing to share the wealth, spread it around, bring the everyday guy up to a better standard of living.  As you can see greed does = more greed and anyway they can get it. 

Political favors, a chalet for ski season in the Alps for the big CEO, game-hunting in Africa for another ... geezzz even George W. has paintings worth big $$ from Saudi Arabia!  I don't blame our government ... afterall they are made up of American citizens.  Anyone of us is capable of the same actions if given the chance.  I think we need to bring about change and a solution so these greedy Bast***s don't make even more money while the rest of us are looking at a (possible) future with food stamps.

** found on Snopes.com
$1m Estimated value of a painting the Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas, received from Prince Bandar, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States and Bush family friend.