Why should the taxpayers subsidize GM and others? Government need only raise the mpg bar — the manufacturers will either sink or swim.

Why subsidize a company that shpped jobs overseas, built crappy product and refused to build any fuel efficient cars for the US market? Obamma should tell him to snivel for money from the Mexican, Chinese or Indonesian governments where they invest more heavily factories and infrastructure.

The government should not raise the MPG bar….bring the government into the debate only brings more problems. Where “sink or swim” comes into play is the consumers fed up with buying autos that dont give decent gas mileage and the natural cycle of capitalism causes manufactures to either change or go out of business. Thus sink or swim through the wonder of a capitalistic marketplace. The government should not get involved with MPGs…it will never stop. The government rarely solves things by mandating.

well, based on the last 7 years, the only thing government is good for is incompetence and deception. too bad we couldn’t hook up a pipe to to w’s mouth and use all of that bs to fertilize iowa.

Raiseing mpg standards are a start, I say if ANY taxpayer money gets spent on the clowns from Detroit there should be a rider that KEEPS JOBS IN THE USA. They got what they wanted with the death of the UAW, now it is time for them to bring the jobs home and let some of the folks in the auto manufacturing areas have some corn in their pockets too,you cant ship all jobs overseas and expect that a Democratic house and senate will just start choking up money like bush did to big oil.

Ahh, Obama. Trying to get SOMETHING positive to add to his resume. He has passed nothing. Here is the tiny litte stuff he has done:
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He sponsored S.CON.RES.53: A concurrent resolution expressing the sense of Congress that any effort to impose photo identification requirements for voting should be rejected.
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In 1999 he was the only Illinois State Senator to vote against a bill barring early release for (criminal) sex offenders.
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He voted against filtering pornography on school and library computers and he voted for sex education for kindergarten children through the 5th grade.
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Also, in 2001, he voted “present” on a bill to keep pornographic book and video stores and strip clubs from setting up within 1,000 feet of schools and churches.
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He has accomplished NOTHING. We know nothing about Obama, and that scares the hell out of me. Who is Obama? We don’t know.

Japan’s government funded the Prius, Jim Press said so. Look at the wealth it brings to Japan. The US government should do the same.

CP9204, Perhaps you should look as to the amount of subsidy the Japanese automakers get from their government. How they the automakers(japanese) lobby on both side of the pacific. They wrap themselves in the american flag by building factories in the US(southern states) where they pay the workers a fraction of what GM pays. Toyota does not build the Lexus in the US because it is a “special” car. The japanese auto workers get pensions from their government so until this playing field is leveled please do not make any comparison. The japanese slowly got their foot in door with below par but economic cars in the 70’s and 80’s. Now they command the market because they enjoyed a large profits and put some of the profits into quality not because they wanted to but because it was a planned operation to overtake the American Auto Industry and it was done with the help of their government. I worked for Lam Research, manufacturer of plasma etching systems, for 7 years and I was involved with a joint venture between TEL(Tokyo Electronic Limited) and Lam Research. The product was called a Rainbow it was supposed to signify a pot of gold on both side of the pacific. As soon as TEL felt confortable with the amount of knowledge they acquired from the venture, they broke their relationship. As a result they paid Lam a royalty for 5 years, now they are Lam biggest rivals. When Lam sell a machine to a japanese company, it is required by law that the machine has about 20% japanese components whereas the converse is not true. They, the japanese play with different rules. Did you know that there are bars in Japan that display signs in their windows that say:”No Americans allowed!!! Just how far do you think that would go in the US!!! And don’t get me started on the electronic and video issues where the japanese either stole or copied the american patents because these patents where not registered overseas. By the way did you hear the latest where Toyota will rebadge some of their vehicles as Oldsmobile because GM either they did not trademark the name or allowed it to expire!!!

Nothing but canned crap from obama. Wagoner could have had him on the mat with the next round. The O guy is ignorant and arrogant and just wants to be somebody. Wagoner - have a talk with someone that matters.

Wagoner already has his hand out to the next president, who is obviously interested in improving America’s standing in the world ecologically

Sam, Lexus is also built in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. Yes, it is special.
And there’s good reason why it’s not built in the US.

US Mazda6 is built in Ford’s factor in Michigan. Same car for European market was made in Japan. And it was better built and more reliable. Do the math.

Somebody correct me if I’m way off track, but isn’t the American government in about the same shape as the American auto industry?

>Why should the taxpayers subsidize GM and others? Government need only raise the mpg bar — the manufacturers will either sink or swim.<

Because Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and just about every foreign company gets govmnt aid in one form or another. The USA is the only country that doesnt. Its high time we did-NOW

not to make this a political forum but…… Brass monkey this is what Obama has done, dont just read ur neo conservative right winged blogs all the time.

ills / Amendments Passed

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S.AMDT.1041 to S.1082 To improve the safety and efficacy of genetic tests.
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S.AMDT.3073 to H.R.1585 To provide for transparency and accountability in military and security contracting.
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S.AMDT.3078 to H.R.1585 Relating to administrative separations of members of the Armed Forces for personality disorder.
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S.AMDT.41 to S.1 To require lobbyists to disclose the candidates, leadership PACs, or political parties for whom they collect or arrange contributions, and the aggregate amount of the contributions collected or arranged.
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S.AMDT.524 to S.CON.RES.21 To provide $100 million for the Summer Term Education Program supporting summer learning opportunities for low-income students in the early grades to lessen summer learning losses that contribute to the achievement gaps separating low-income students from their middle-class peers.
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S.AMDT.599 to S.CON.RES.21 To add $200 million for Function 270 (Energy) for the demonstration and monitoring of carbon capture and sequestration technology by the Department of Energy.
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S.AMDT.905 to S.761 To require the Director of Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Education to establish a program to recruit and provide mentors for women and underrepresented minorities who are interested in careers in mathematics, science, and engineering.
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S.AMDT.923 to S.761 To expand the pipeline of individuals entering the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields to support United States innovation and competitiveness.
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S.AMDT.924 to S.761 To establish summer term education programs.
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S.AMDT.2519 to H.R.2638 To provide that one of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used to enter into a contract in an amount greater than $5 million or to award a grant in excess of such amount unless the prospective contractor or grantee certifies in writing to the agency awarding the contract or grant that the contractor or grantee owes no past due Federal tax liability.
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S.AMDT.2588 to H.R.976 To provide certain employment protections for family members who are caring for members of the Armed Forces recovering from illnesses and injuries incurred on active duty.
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S.AMDT.2658 to H.R.2642 To provide that none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used to enter into a contract in an amount greater than $5,000,000 or to award a grant in excess of such amount unless the prospective contractor or grantee makes certain certifications regarding Federal tax liability.
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S.AMDT.2692 to H.R.2764 To require a comprehensive nuclear threat reduction and security plan.
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S.AMDT.2799 to H.R.3074 To provide that none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used to enter into a contract in an amount greater than $5,000,000 or to award a grant in excess of such amount unless the prospective contractor or grantee makes certain certifications regarding Federal tax liability.
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S.AMDT.3137 to H.R.3222 To provide that none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used to enter into a contract in an amount greater than $5,000,000 or to award a grant in excess of such amount unless the prospective contractor or grantee makes certain certifications regarding Federal tax liability.
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S.AMDT.3234 to H.R.3093 To provide that none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used to enter into a contract in an amount greater than $5,000,000 or to award a grant in excess of such amount unless the prospective contractor or grantee makes certain certifications regarding Federal tax liability.
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S.AMDT.3331 to H.R.3043 To provide that none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used to enter into a contract in an amount greater than $5,000,000 or to award a grant in excess of such amount unless the prospective contractor or grantee makes certain certifications regarding Federal tax liability.
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Senate Resolutions Passed:
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S.RES.133 : A resolution celebrating the life of Bishop Gilbert Earl Patterson.
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S.RES.268 : A resolution designating July 12, 2007, as “National Summer Learning Day”.

Other Bills Introduced

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S.J.RES.23: A joint resolution clarifying that the use of force against Iran is not authorized by the Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against Iraq, any resolution previously adopted, or any other provision of law.
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S. 453: Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2007. The Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2007 (H.R.1281), (S.453), would establish criminal penalties for acts of voter deception. Those who knowingly disseminate false information with the intention of keeping others from voting would face up to five years in prison under the legislation. The Act was sponsored by Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) and 60 cosponsors in the House, and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and 15 cosponsors in the Senate. (20 Cosponsors)
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S. 2030: A bill to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require reporting relating to bundled contributions made by persons other than registered lobbyists. (1 Cosponsor)
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S. 2111: Positive Behavior for Effective Schools Act. A bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and schools to increase implementation of early intervention services, particularly school-wide positive behavior supports. (3 Cosponsors)
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S. 2066: Back to School: Improving Standards for Nutrition and Physical Education in Schools Act of 2007. A bill to establish nutrition and physical education standards for schools.
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S. Con. Res. 46: A concurrent resolution supporting the goals and ideals of Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month
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S. 2044: Independent Contractor Proper Classification Act of 2007. A bill to provide procedures for the proper classification of employees and independent contractors, and for other purposes. (6 Cosponsors)
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S. 2519: Contracting and Tax Accountability Act of 2007. A bill to prohibit the awarding of a contract or grant in excess of the simplified acquisition threshold unless the prospective contractor or grantee certifies in writing to the agency awarding the contract or grant that the contractor or grantee has no seriously delinquent tax debts, and for other purposes.
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S. 2433: Global Poverty Act of 2007. A bill to require the President to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to further the United States foreign policy objective of promoting the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme global poverty, and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of people worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, who live on less than $1 per day. (9 Cosponsors)
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S. 2330: Veterans Homelessness Prevention Act. A bill to authorize a pilot program within the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development with the goal of preventing at-risk veterans and veteran families from falling into homelessness, and for other purposes. (1 Cosponsor)

^ What is all that ****.

well now we know who is voting for who

I’m not going to read all that, royalss. I need to be spoonfed in small amounts. Obama finally had one good idea as opposed to the thousand bad ideas I have heard from him, but now seeing this large list of crap, well now I just hate Obama even more. But yeah, subsidize the car companies.

The government needs to mind their own gdamn buisiness. I like how they can tell the auto companies what to do but not the oil companies, apparantly the oil companies are paying our govt good. Obama is a piece of $H!T. Mcain sucks too. We’re really free aren’t we? I feel so free when my only 2 choices are a dying old man and a racist @$$ muslim. If I wanted a black president, I would vote for Bill Cosby and we could all share the pudding.

If the government is going to mandate corporate economy numbers, they should ‘maybe’ be responsible to help find the technology to meet those goals. But I take exception to the accusation that GM does nothing to make quality, fuel efficient vehicles AGAIN. If you would do your homework, you would see that GM is among the world leaders in fuel economy. For example, the new Malibu does better than the Accord. Class by class, GM is either a leader or among them.

But tie it to a resolution keeping jobs in this country? GREAT IDEA!

^^^ Exactly, the government mandates $H!T they don’t even take responsibilty in doing. That’s like a boss that doesn’t know $H!T but makes his employee’s do things he “knows can be done” but doesn’t know where to start if he was to do it.

johnnycanuck, you are incorrect here, comisabi. American government still can collect zillions on taxes from Japanese manufacturers. Don’t forget, that most of Jap cars sold in US are designed and build in US for US market. Even is only(!) 12-14 million cars will be sold in US this year vs. 16 last year, there is a lot of income tax dollars associated with building those cars and other taxes our government gets. Our lovely congress still has zillions to waste on examining the cause of rising oil prices, building bridges to nowhere and subsidizing corn production for E85. 300 million people generate a lot of taxes, no matter what cars they will drive.

Japanese government does subsidize research, just like American government does. And all industries are beneficiary of that research. Fuel cell engines have been used in space program for 30+ years and were developed on US taxpayers dime. Honda used US know how to build functional fuel cell car (albeit expensive one); GM spend its money on bonuses to Putz@xyunya and Wagoner plus their sidekicks. It was definitely meeting of the minds: one non-achiever complaining to another.

Royalss, those are not things Obama did, those are things he voted for.

Want to know what a senator who supports Obama lists as Obama’s accomplishments on national TV in an interview? Take a minute and watch him discuss it ….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6-6bDDfTLU

Give me a break! The US auto manufactures are slugs! I work in a service dept of an American auto manufacturer and let me tell you the product is CRAP. They did nothing to TRY to make fuel efficient cars, they concentrated on trucks and SUV’s and that is the sad fact. At least two of them build many fuel efficient cars in Europe and only now when they cant sell their 6,000 lb rolling pieces of crap do they consider bringing them to the US because the product they have in the pipeline here is zilch. Yes the Japanese and the German governments supplement their auto industries, but at least they DID and DO use it to come up with new fuel saving and safety technologies. I only know that for the 25 years that I have worked as a tech and in service management that the US auto makers only concern for the last 10 years was to build bigger and ship as much as you can offshore. Now some of you think this should be rewarded by subsudies? Not a chance.

CP, I call BS on your statement. If you really did work in a service dept, you would know the real story, not some pop culture idea of the truth.

Mayer, you took the words out of my mouth!

cp92804 is full if ****. If he truly were a dometic tech and now service manager and what he says was true then he would be a happy camper as he would be pulling in boatloads of money come payday. Just another hater of America.
BTW-is it me or it the same thing that the America haters on here whom like to bash GM for being global and building some vehicles in other countries as is Japanese Manufactures building cars in countries other then Japan. Toyota and Honda do not build cars on U.S. soil because they like us, it’s because we are the one’s that buy the cars that are only sold here and it is cheaper then shipping it across the ocean. Building a Tundra in Japan would be kinda bad business when it is only marketed in North America.
KITKO-if what you say is true then explain the top quality Honda’s built in America. By the way, name one Canadian auto company? That’s what I thought.

injunraiv, what is your version of the truth? In my book the stock of GM is $11/share. 2 years ago I bought it at 28 and sold at 37. That’s the truth. What product line GM or Ford has to offer? Two regurgitated sedans from European subsidiaries? What new engines were produced? What new factories were opened or technologies introduced? There was 6 speed auto developed between GM and Ford and Hybrid Transmission developed by GM, M-B-Chrysler, BMW. The family of inline 6-5-4 engines is officially dead. There is 1 (one) 4 cylinder engine in GM arsenal (and one from Opel 1.8L in Astra) slew of V6 & V8. What they’ve been thinking for the past 5 years?