Double standards

[funeralcrasher]

Citigroup grovels and begs, then receives $20,000,000,000 from taxpayers. No congressional hearings, no CEO frog march to Washington, little to no oversight, and virtually no Republican outrage.

Yep, free market capitalism at it's best.

And it's just the tip of the $700 billion dollar iceberg for the banking industry.

Comments

[pkbarbiedoll.livejournal.com]

It's insulting, really.

[johnbutler.livejournal.com]

What, did you two just change your minds?


"I am mostly pro-union, but here I have to agree with you. Union line workers average hourly wage of $75 is ridiculous (if I am to believe this statistic). The car companies have done plenty to shoot themselves in their collective feet, but excessive wages for workers haven't helped. This is just as bad as the CEOs raking in millions in salaries. "

"I'm a pretty much a radical unionist and I agree, the UAW is one of the most pampered, fucked up unions out there. It pretty much exists to support their huge non-rank and file administration."


Did something change? I say screw the UAW. No money without voided union contracts, period. You get paid when you make a product people want to buy, or you don't get paid.

So Terry, do you drive a GM or Chrysler car? Adria doesn't. Would either of you buy one to keep a union slug employed? I wouldn't.

[pkbarbiedoll.livejournal.com]

I wrote that based on misinformation. The $75/hr figure was erroneous - union auto workers make on average <$30 hr. Big difference in my opinion. No doubt an anti-union conservative put that number out to see if they could get any traction. I guess it worked for a while.

[pkbarbiedoll.livejournal.com]

If I were in the market for a new car - absolutely. I need a larger truck for my business and to the best of my knowledge, BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, and Audi don't make one.

I'm not pleased with the big 3 - few people are. But they are an important part of our economy and they have an opportunity to change and become innovators again. I believe they will do this with union workers - but I also believe UAW needs to sit down at the table and be willing to make some amends. That doesn't mean they should accept union-busting conservative columnists cries to work for toyota wages & benefits, but there is room for bargaining. A

[johnbutler.livejournal.com]

What, you don't like the Mercedes Sprinter? Sold here in the US as a Dodge or a Freightliner. Available as a full van you can stand up inside, or as a chassis cab. 3 liter diesel, relatively efficient for its class.

[pkbarbiedoll.livejournal.com]

that is about half the engine of what is needed to pull larger equipment.. at least the domestic manufacturers know how to build tough, reliable and heavy duty trucks. the rest will come with time.

[johnbutler.livejournal.com]

Well if you want to splurge, there's always the Unimog...

[terry-terrible.livejournal.com]

Actually, I don't drive any car right now. But if I were to buy a new car, my top three choices would be Ford or GM.

I do stand by my statement that the UAW is one of the more disfunctional unions. But on this issue I stand by it. The southern senators against this have singled out union workers on this period, if you read the actual texts of the speeches they gave on the floor last night they made it pretty clear that they were against the unions because they are unions.

Cutting worker salaries wouldn't have much of an affect on the big picture anyway since current payrolls eat up about %10 of a cost of new car. What's a bigger problem are the health care and pension cost which is whole other tangled mess all together.

[terry-terrible.livejournal.com]

P.S. If you don't believe this is strictly a union-busting strategy, read this talking points memo sent around the GOP Senate staffers yesterday:

http://thenewshole.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/12/12/1713569.aspx