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Breakdown (Do we bailout the unions as payback for them buying the presidency for $400,000,000?)
Jewish World Review ^ | 111108 | Cal Thomas

Posted on 11/11/2008 5:04:58 PM PST by Fred

Remember when Democrats lamented the growing budget deficit and spoke of the burden our children and grandchildren would face if we didn't put our fiscal house in order? That was when Republicans ran the federal government and Democrats opposed tax cuts. Now that Democrats are about to be in charge, concern about the deficit has disappeared and spending plans proliferate, even though the national debt passed $10 trillion in September and we added another $500 billion last month.

The latest, but by no means the last supplicant at the public trough, is the auto industry, which wants a bailout to save jobs because its cars are not selling. There is a reason for that and it can be summed up in five words: The United Auto Workers Union (UAW).

Half of the $50 billion the auto industry wants is for health care for its current and retired employees. This is the result of increasing UAW demands, strikes and threats of strikes unless health care and pension benefits were regularly increased. While in the past UAW settled for some benefit decreases while bargaining with the Big Three U.S. automakers, according to the Wall Street Journal in September of 2006, "on average, GM pays $81.18 an hour in wages and benefits to its U.S. hourly workers." Those increased costs, including the cost of health care, were passed along to consumers, adding $1,600 to the price of every vehicle GM produced. In February 2008, after General Motors offered buyouts to 74,000 employees, the Center for Automotive Research estimated the average wage, including benefits, for current GM workers had dropped to $78.21 an hour. New hires pulled down a paltry $26.65. GM, now facing a head-on collision with reality, has taken an important first step toward fiscal

(Excerpt) Read more at jewishworldreview.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: 111th; aflcio; automakers; bailout; bailouts; bho2008; calthomas; cardcheck; chicagomob; chrysler; congress; democrats; detroit; economy; environmentalists; ford; fordmotor; generalmotors; gm; harryreid; hoffa; honda; leak; nissan; obama; pelosi; reid; seiu; taxes; teamsters; toyota; uaw; unions
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1 posted on 11/11/2008 5:04:58 PM PST by Fred
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To: Fred

Just give everyone $100K and be done with it!


2 posted on 11/11/2008 5:06:21 PM PST by chaos_5
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To: Fred

The answer would be a resounding “Yes we can!”, and it will begin with a $25 Billion Dollar deposit from Uncle Sam directly into the coffers of the UAW.

The top of the slippery slope...


3 posted on 11/11/2008 5:07:15 PM PST by Bean Counter (Stout Hearts.....)
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To: chaos_5

Yeah, give me 100K and I’ll buy a new vehicle.


4 posted on 11/11/2008 5:08:21 PM PST by TribalPrincess2U
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To: chaos_5
UAW chief urges $25 bln in U.S. auto health care support (Union bailout-payback for $400,000,000)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2127523/posts

Who's your DADDY Obama??

Youtube The One on Card Check
5 posted on 11/11/2008 5:09:17 PM PST by Fred (The Democrat Party is the Nadir of Nihilism and BO is a WHINING marxist)
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To: Fred

Bailout the unions? Kick them out to either Canada or Mexico.


6 posted on 11/11/2008 5:09:37 PM PST by wastedyears (Every FReeper is on Obama's Black List. He will try to have us all "taken care of." Mark my words)
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To: Fred

“on average, GM pays $81.18 an hour in wages and benefits to its U.S. hourly workers.”

And we taxpayers, who make a fraction of that outrageous wage, are supposed to pick up their fat health care and retirement tab. Why didn’t these cretins save some of their extravagant paychecks for their own health care and their retirement? Every politician who votes for this scandalous bailout should be tarred and feathered.


7 posted on 11/11/2008 5:11:34 PM PST by kittymyrib
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To: Fred

It’s not the unions in Washington begging for help. Also, it was Henry Ford that started the higher wage format for workers, not the unions.

In spite of the MSM’s portrayal of workers, it has not always been, and many jobs are not, easy. Standing in one spot for 8-12 hours per day is rough on the body.


8 posted on 11/11/2008 5:13:18 PM PST by madison10
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To: Fred

Hey, Obama is just paying off his “debts”. Quid pro quo.


9 posted on 11/11/2008 5:14:36 PM PST by khnyny ("The demagogue is one who preaches doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots.")
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To: chaos_5
Dems are now worried about all the "other" businesses that would be hurt by failure of one of the big three. Parts suppliers, local economies...

Sounds like trickle down to me. Didn't think Dems believed in trickledown.

10 posted on 11/11/2008 5:15:33 PM PST by gov_bean_ counter ( Sarah Palin is America's Margaret Thatcher; Obama is America's George Galloway.)
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To: Fred

NO!!!


11 posted on 11/11/2008 5:15:40 PM PST by Shyla
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To: chaos_5
"Just give everyone $100K and be done with it!"

You probably were trying to make a funny when you wrote that; but, in the long run it would be more profitable to simply buyout the GM workforce and start all over. That presumes that the rank and file are as ignorant as they seem to be.

12 posted on 11/11/2008 5:16:11 PM PST by An Old Man
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To: Fred

GM has great cars and trucks...
but if they sell out to the government, there is absolutely no way I will ever buy one.

That goes for any bank or other private enterprise now to be owned by the government.

I refuse to participate in Socialism.


13 posted on 11/11/2008 5:18:29 PM PST by Safrguns
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To: chaos_5
Dems are now worried about all the "other" businesses that would be hurt by failure of one of the big three. Parts suppliers, local economies...

Sounds like trickle down to me. Didn't think Dems believed in trickledown.

14 posted on 11/11/2008 5:18:53 PM PST by gov_bean_ counter ( Sarah Palin is America's Margaret Thatcher; Obama is America's George Galloway.)
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To: chaos_5
Dems are now worried about all the "other" businesses that would be hurt by failure of one of the big three. Parts suppliers, local economies...

Sounds like trickle down to me. Didn't think Dems believed in trickledown.

15 posted on 11/11/2008 5:19:52 PM PST by gov_bean_ counter ( Sarah Palin is America's Margaret Thatcher; Obama is America's George Galloway.)
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To: Fred

Unions will eventually destroy the U.S. auto industry. The auto workers unrealistic wage and benefits demands have already crippled their companies abilities to be competitive.

I am firmly against any bailout of the big three.


16 posted on 11/11/2008 5:23:44 PM PST by volunbeer (Dear heaven.... we really need President Reagan again!)
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To: Fred
They can have a bailout under the following conditions:
—They agree with the UAW to become non-union facilities immediately.
—They offer to reimburse myself and millions others, for all the unnecessary repairs that we loyal American car buyers have had to make the past 20 years.
17 posted on 11/11/2008 5:24:46 PM PST by HereInTheHeartland (I can't wait for January 20, 2013")
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To: madison10

I grew up in P’burgh, my Dad worked in a steel mill for 40 plus years. This was also tedious work and their reward is that most of the mills are gone. The answer seems clear, figure it out, move the plant or shutdown.


18 posted on 11/11/2008 5:27:20 PM PST by mortal19440
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To: Fred
Another Freeper posted the chart so I found the article and it was very interesting as it points out what is the heart of the matter for labor:

Interesting article on the woes of the Big 3.

click here for full article.

Transformational UAW Deal? Accept Professors' Pay

According to Forbes:

Labor cost per hour, wages and benefits for hourly workers, 2006.

Ford: $70.51 ($141,020 per year)

GM: $73.26 ($146,520 per year)

Chrysler: $75.86 ($151,720 per year)

Toyota, Honda, Nissan (in U.S.): $48.00 ($96,000 per year)

According to AAUP and IES, the average annual compensation for a college professor in 2006 was $92,973 (average salary nationally of $73,207 + 27% benefits).

Bottom Line: The average UAW worker with a high school degree earns 57.6% more compensation than the average university professor with a Ph.D. (see graph above, click to enlarge), and 52.6% more than the average worker at Toyota, Honda or Nissan.

Many industry analysts say the Detroit Three, and especially Ford, must be on par with Toyota and Honda to survive. This year's contract, they say, must be "transformational" in reducing pension and health care costs. What would "transformational" mean? One way to think about: "transformational" would mean that UAW workers, most with a high school degree, would have to accept compensation equal to that of the average university professor with a Ph.D.

19 posted on 11/11/2008 5:28:04 PM PST by engrpat
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To: mortal19440

“The answer seems clear, figure it out, move the plant or shutdown.

I would like to see them survive. But they need to dump the unions, which is probably impossible.

I just can’t believe that we can’t build a better car than Japan. By we, I mean GM/Ford, as we all know that many Japanese brands are built here. But they are still Japanese brands with profits going there.


20 posted on 11/11/2008 5:31:07 PM PST by HereInTheHeartland (I can't wait for January 20, 2013")
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