Saving the US Auto Industry

[Griff]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Ain't it grand? I suspect much more of this bail-out piñata is going to keep the rich kids rich.

That's the plan. Saving banks did little else. We just had to be convinced that we live in a special new economy.

It looks like the gascar bailout is not happening for now. The GOP Senate doesn't want to subsidise unions, but the candy machine will probably be broken by the new Congress.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

I vote for Jay Leno.

I vote for Click and Clack, The Tappet Brothers.

[TheMercenary]

http://boortz.com/nealz_nuze/2008/12...surprised.html

Did you know that your Senators and your Congressmen are getting a $5,000 raise on January 1st?

That must be for all of the great work that they have done spending your tax dollars and putting your grandchildren on the hook for trillions and trillions of dollars.

.. how many of you out there who own your own business are giving $5,000 cost of living adjustments to your employees right now? How many of you have worked for years without a raise that won't even keep up with inflation? Or a raise at all?

Congress is getting one....all thanks to your tax dollars.

[lookout123]

We'll just call that their morality bonus. I'm sure they deserve it.

[glatt]

And pretty much every one of them could make more in private practice.

[lookout123]

In the short term or what they'll make over the next 25 years?

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by glatt

And pretty much every one of them could make more in private practice.

I am not sure of the point, but don't you think a raise at this point is in bad taste considering the current state of affairs?

[glatt]

I'm just saying I don't think they are overpaid. $169,300 a year is not a lot for someone in that type of position.

Edit: It's a 2.95 % raise. Even I got a bigger raise than that this year.

Edit again: And consider that every one of them has two residences to maintain. One in DC and one in their home jurisdiction.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by glatt

I'm just saying I don't think they are overpaid. $169,300 a year is not a lot for someone in that type of position.

Agreed. But I do think they need to consider that they serve at the will of the people, for the people. They can reap their bennies upon exit from the Congress where they gain their popularity and can become rich later, after service. I would suggest that all levels of government, including retirement, and the military, forgo any cost of living increases or raises until things smooth out in a few years. JMHO

[lookout123]

Very few of those guys are there for the annual salary, I think. The perks package might be attractive though.

How many terms do they have to serve before they qualify for retirement?
How's that medical plan?
How about travel fees?
OooohOoooh, and speaking fees after they're ousted?
Book advances?
Lobbiest jobs?

And those are just some of their legal sources of income.

[xoxoxoBruce]

"That type of position"? What is comparable, Al Capone? No wait, he worked full time.

[lookout123]

Originally Posted by glatt

I'm just saying I don't think they are overpaid. $169,300 a year is not a lot for someone in that type of position.

Edit: It's a 2.95 % raise. Even I got a bigger raise than that this year.

But there are an awful lot of voters who took massive payCUTS this year. Eh, I don't really blame anyone for taking more money, it just seems like a pretty dumb move when the clamoring is about poor american, unemployment, and a soaring deficit. Yet more good PR work from the men and women in DC.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by lookout123

Very few of those guys are there for the annual salary, I think. The perks package might be attractive though.

How many terms do they have to serve before they qualify for retirement?
How's that medical plan?
How about travel fees?
OooohOoooh, and speaking fees after they're ousted?
Book advances?
Lobbiest jobs?

And those are just some of their legal sources of income.

Yes, there are lots of perks. But those perks don't pay the bills until after they leave congress. They make about the same as a junior level lawyer at a big firm, but have to maintain two residences.

I've got a much bigger problem with CEO salaries that are hundreds or thousands of time greater than the national average than I have with these guys who make three or four times the national average.

[Shawnee123]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Agreed. But I do think they need to consider that they serve at the will of the people, for the people. They can reap their bennies upon exit from the Congress where they gain their popularity and can become rich later, after service. I would suggest that all levels of government, including retirement, and the military, forgo any cost of living increases or raises until things smooth out in a few years. JMHO

I will go along with that once a worker on a GM assembly line agrees to give up some of their 70 bucks an hour as a small sacrifice for saving their own jobs and livelihood. That's approximately 145 grand a year some of them make for the responsibility of putting a nut on a bolt. And in the grand scheme, aren't the wages of lower and higher level workers at GM, the subsequent failed business model, the domino effect of all the related businesses failing a huge part of our financial crisis in the first place?

Public service perhaps shouldn't make a billion dollars an hour, but the wages shouldn't be so low as to preclude anyone from ever even considering it as a viable employment option. As it is, the responsibilities they have are not really in line with what high level executives are paid. Small sacrifice for the greater good.

Exactly what selfish GM should do. Given the choice of sacrificing a bit (and still making a wage most of us will never ever see, even those of us in professional positions) or just letting the whole thing fall apart resulting in much worse economic conditions, the choice seems to be "fuck it...let it fall apart. I won't give up NUTTIN'."

I find this attitude puke-worthy.

[classicman]

FWIW - I'm looking at a decrease in income of about 30% for '09. My salary hasn't been increased in 4 years although that is not abnormal in sales. If I want a raise, I have to sell more.