The CoservativeXpress
March 30th, 2009, 12:34 am
Look, I've been against the auto industry bailout since the beginning (http://conservativexpress.blogspot.com/2008/12/auto-industry-bailout-will-only-prolong.html).
These companies DO NOT deserve tax payer money. These bailouts are nothing but attempts at nationalization which ooze socialism (http://conservativexpress.blogspot.com/2008/12/republicans-label-bush-bailout-as.html).
Politicians have benefited from Unions for decades. Placating union bosses has been a windfall campaign finance tactic for a number of members of Capitol Hill. And that is the real motivation behind trying to "save" Detroit.
Indeed, the economy has seen better times but Honda, Nissan and Toyota are not panhandling on the steps of the Capitol. Somehow, they are managing to build, sell and profit from selling cars in America.
The biggest reason these automakers are in trouble is simple: It costs the Big 3 an average of $30/Labor Hour (or 60%) MORE to produce a car than competitors like Nissan, Honda and Toyota who build cars in United States plants as well. At 40 hours per week, the average UAW member makes over $150,000 annually in benefits and compensation. Does anyone else think that's a bit much to screw some tires on a car?
What about the so-called "job banks" where laid-off UAW members can collect 95% of their income by doing nothing more than watch TV and drink coffee. The Big 3 will not discuss the exact details of these job banks, citing they are not public information.
How many businesses in this country would succeed by paying 60% more than a competitor to produce a product? How many would succeed by paying people who don't produce a single asset?
Certainly, Rick Wagoner has not performed well as the head of GM, but what gives the President the right to ask a private company executive to step down?
If GM's board of directors made this decision, I would have no problem with it. The Obama Administration is yet again over-flexing its political muscle with respect to private industry.
If Congress and The White House want to put stipulations and regulations on companies receiving Federal aid, fine. But no where in the Constitution does it grant the Executive Branch this kind of control and coercion over private industry.
Tim Geithner unveiled a plan (http://conservativexpress.blogspot.com/2009/03/never-let-crisis-go-to-waste-geithner.html) last week, designed to give Treasury Department the ability to take over financial institutions at the Secretary's choosing.
All of this continues the Obama Administration's war on Wall Street. It's a power grab to redistribute wealth, penalize the successful and establish a communistic "equality" among Americans.
Regulation = control and power.
Team "O" wants to destroy free market capitalism (http://conservativexpress.blogspot.com/2009/02/is-obamas-war-on-investors-real-is-it.html). There is ample proof (http://conservativexpress.blogspot.com/2009/02/obama-recession-todays-update-president.html)of Obama's war on investors. (http://conservativexpress.blogspot.com/2009/03/maximum-wage-crusade-war-on-wall-street.html) Welcome to The United Socialist States of America (USSA).
These companies DO NOT deserve tax payer money. These bailouts are nothing but attempts at nationalization which ooze socialism (http://conservativexpress.blogspot.com/2008/12/republicans-label-bush-bailout-as.html).
Politicians have benefited from Unions for decades. Placating union bosses has been a windfall campaign finance tactic for a number of members of Capitol Hill. And that is the real motivation behind trying to "save" Detroit.
Indeed, the economy has seen better times but Honda, Nissan and Toyota are not panhandling on the steps of the Capitol. Somehow, they are managing to build, sell and profit from selling cars in America.
The biggest reason these automakers are in trouble is simple: It costs the Big 3 an average of $30/Labor Hour (or 60%) MORE to produce a car than competitors like Nissan, Honda and Toyota who build cars in United States plants as well. At 40 hours per week, the average UAW member makes over $150,000 annually in benefits and compensation. Does anyone else think that's a bit much to screw some tires on a car?
What about the so-called "job banks" where laid-off UAW members can collect 95% of their income by doing nothing more than watch TV and drink coffee. The Big 3 will not discuss the exact details of these job banks, citing they are not public information.
How many businesses in this country would succeed by paying 60% more than a competitor to produce a product? How many would succeed by paying people who don't produce a single asset?
Certainly, Rick Wagoner has not performed well as the head of GM, but what gives the President the right to ask a private company executive to step down?
If GM's board of directors made this decision, I would have no problem with it. The Obama Administration is yet again over-flexing its political muscle with respect to private industry.
If Congress and The White House want to put stipulations and regulations on companies receiving Federal aid, fine. But no where in the Constitution does it grant the Executive Branch this kind of control and coercion over private industry.
Tim Geithner unveiled a plan (http://conservativexpress.blogspot.com/2009/03/never-let-crisis-go-to-waste-geithner.html) last week, designed to give Treasury Department the ability to take over financial institutions at the Secretary's choosing.
All of this continues the Obama Administration's war on Wall Street. It's a power grab to redistribute wealth, penalize the successful and establish a communistic "equality" among Americans.
Regulation = control and power.
Team "O" wants to destroy free market capitalism (http://conservativexpress.blogspot.com/2009/02/is-obamas-war-on-investors-real-is-it.html). There is ample proof (http://conservativexpress.blogspot.com/2009/02/obama-recession-todays-update-president.html)of Obama's war on investors. (http://conservativexpress.blogspot.com/2009/03/maximum-wage-crusade-war-on-wall-street.html) Welcome to The United Socialist States of America (USSA).