# Car Czar! **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [December 9, 2008, 7:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-czar/23185 "2008-12-09T19:55:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 8:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-czar/23185/21 "2008-12-12T20:53:54Z")
The official reason given for the senate not passing the bill was that the condition was an immediate concession in wages and benefits by the UAW. The UAW president said he would only agree to wage cuts when the existing labor contract runs out in 2011!! The concessions requested were a rollback to Honda, Toyota, Nissan wages and benefiots; not Macdonald wages!! So you could say the Gettelfinger bears sole responsibility for sinking this deal. Last night the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW)president vehemently said that wages are not the issue and he would not acceed to any rollbacks.The Canadian government has publicly stated that there would be no bailout of the Canadian Big 3 without union wage and benefit reductions. A local comedian compared the CAW to some wild animals “who eat their young”. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-czar/23185/22 "2008-12-12T21:57:35Z")
We went through this in the steel industry. Most of the workers currently employed in auto plants may not have an immediate incentive to agree to wage and benefit cuts. They might be better off retiring, or think they are. We had two mills within the plant close because the USW locals wouldn’t grant work rule concessions to reduce labor costs. There were no discussions about pay cuts or lost benefits; just a reduction of staff by using repairmen rather than electricians, mechanics, oilers, hydraulics, pneumatics, roll dressers… There were also unneeded jobs in manufacturing. If older workers are indifferent to the plant’s continued operations, that would be a huge problem. BTW, eventually the USW came around, at least at the plant I used to work in. They are one of the most efficient steel mills in the world and are fully capable of competing with anyone. They are on their 3rd owner since the original company dissolved in bankruptcy. Is this a template for things to come? Double BTW, I heard on the news this afternoon that the Bush Administration is considering using some of the wad the banks are entitled to for the Beg 3. ---
**Author:** ![hallkbrdz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/46a35a/32.png) [@hallkbrdz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hallkbrdz)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 10:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-czar/23185/23 "2008-12-12T22:56:50Z")
Right… What industry will pick our pockets next? The Govt. is us (you and me) - remember? The new US polices are more socialist than what Chinese are now doing (lower taxes, less Govt. control). This is nuts! ---
**Author:** ![bscar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bscar/32/34_2.png) [@bscar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bscar)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2008, 2:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-czar/23185/24 "2008-12-13T02:12:19Z")
But how will those bank execs take their million dollar vacations if the government dips into their funds? ---
**Author:** ![djackson34](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@djackson34](https://community.cartalk.com/u/djackson34)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2008, 3:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-czar/23185/25 "2008-12-13T15:28:59Z")
I second and third the motion to make Tom and Ray the Car Czars. The good Lord knows that we really need at least two Car Czars, because everyone knows the big three auto makers CEOs don’t know their hind end from anything else in this world. They believe we should plow ahead making big, tall, fat SUVs, and that’s all they believe in, with all of their stupid, stupid little brains. Doug, Knoxville, Tennessee ---
**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2008, 3:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-czar/23185/26 "2008-12-13T15:43:23Z")
Are You Kidding? “Govt. doesn’t do everything so bad. We are still here after nearly 2 1/2 centuries.” Even a cursory examination of history will show that the very reason we are still here is precisely that our government hasn’t done much, except to protect our country from foreign threats, operate a national judicial system (protecting the Constitution, and maintaining National Monuments. That is what our government is for. Period. Only in recent history has our government been trying to be everything to everybody and I’m afraid we’re heading into a death spiral. Some of our Washington elite even want to open up the Constitution for some “tweaking”. Ignorance of history is a dangerous thing, just look at the last election! ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2008, 3:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-czar/23185/27 "2008-12-13T15:44:37Z")
Fear not! GM is about to roll out a new 361 hp V-8 Pontiac. Because, as we all know, gas prices will never go up again! ---
**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2008, 3:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-czar/23185/28 "2008-12-13T15:48:12Z")
You Are Correct “The new US polices are more socialist than what Chinese are now doing (lower taxes, less Govt. control). This is nuts!” It’s only getting worse. Look at California. They are cutting edge socialist! ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2008, 4:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-czar/23185/29 "2008-12-13T16:30:10Z")
Hey, there are people who can afford to waste the Earth’s precious natural resources! ---
**Author:** ![dagosa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dagosa/32/9837_2.png) [@dagosa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dagosa)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 3:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-czar/23185/30 "2008-12-16T03:44:46Z")
They’re going to make what ever they think will sell…looking for the next “Mustang/Camaro”.It’s next week’s bottom line. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 10:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-czar/23185/31 "2008-12-16T22:52:24Z")
“But how will those bank execs take their million dollar vacations if the government dips into their funds?” They’ll set up another Ponzi scheme! [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-czar/23185.md?page=1)