Sound Off: GM Asking For Another Bailout

General Motors is warning it could declare bankruptcy in days if it doesn’t get more cash. If GM declared bankruptcy, it doesn’t mean the company would go out of business. It would be able to reorganize. But those supporting another bailout say people won’t buy vehicles from a bankrupt company. GM wants another $16 billion from the government. What do you think? Should the government give GM another $16 billion? Would you buy a car from a bankrupt GM? Email us:soundoff@old.kxly.com

First you have to fix the problem the Government made. It costs a lot more money to make a car by the Big 3. Japan does not make cars in the USA they assemble them here. The Government lets Toyota Honda and Nissan assemble cars in the USA for a lot less money. One either take some major pay cuts to the employees of the big 3 or make the Japanese pay more to the workers who assemble there cars and trucks here, that includes insurance and pensions not just wages. -Stu (Newman Lake)

First, Government should not bailout private enterprise. Second, General Motors is negotiating with a Chinese Auto company to merge, that is what will keep me from ever buying another GM product. –John

Let them fail!! Enough is Enough! –RB(Newman Lake)

Some experts say “people won’t buy from a bankrupt company” — Evidently, people are not buying GM products anyway! -Dave

GMC has been givin enough money to get it’s act together. It is time that it rebuilds it’s company as the rest of us have to do when our cost get larger than our profit. –Bob

GM ignored the public for years when we want smaller more fuel efficient cars. It continued to build big gas hogging cars and trucks while Toyota and Saturn were turning out mileage cars and trucks. Let the CEO’s and the other over priced pay executives support GM. -Steven

I would buy a car from a “bankrupt” auto company, IF the car was a reasonable size (smaller) and got good gas mileage. And as long as they don’t screw their employees in the bankruptcy while they keep all their houses, bank accounts, retirement funds etc. -Alexandra

NO! Bailouts need to STOP! Throwing money at a problem will never solve the problem. Companies that make business mistakes need to fail just like we would fail if we made a bad financial mistake. Most often failure is temporary. A time to reorganize, restructure, and come out stronger for the experience. Whether a company fails completely or temporarily usually the result will be beneficial in the end. To someone at least. –Steve

The government shouldn;t have gotten involved in the first place, In any of the bail out issues. The bankrupy process is in place for a purpose. Let it happen PLEASE! –Nick

NO! I think it is time for businesses who do not have responsible fiscal management to pay the price. What are we teaching our youth as far as spending and responsible money management? If the government and other businesses can over spend, why can’t they spend what they want, when they want? We need to stop the spending out-of-control madness! It’s time businesses pay the price for their irresponsibility!! -Kathy

Experts say that some people won’t buy from a bankrupt company. Well– evedently, people are not buying GM”s anyway! -Dave(Spokane)

STOP BAILING OUT BIG COMPANIES!!!!!!! GIVE THE MONEY TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!!! WE WILL BAIL OUT THE COMPANIES BY PAYING THE MONEY TO THE BUSINESSES!!! IT IS TIME TO TAKE CARE OF THE PEOPLE THAT COUNT. THE GOVERNMENT IS GOING ABOUOT EVERYTHING ALL WRONG. –Darla

GM has many brilliant people on its staff. They (GM) should have seen the writing on the financial wall a long time ago. No they should not have $16.00 let alone $16 Billion. If they can reorganize, great. If they decide to make a reasonable car, it will be bought. Otherwise, GM may go the way of the Edsel. -Judy

It does not take a Harvard education to see that GM cannot manage it’s own business and that further funding this monolith is only throwing good money after bad. I would favor paying for Dr. Kavorkian’s services to finally put an end to this corporate fiasco. Would I buy a car from a bankrupt car maker? You bet. Ther is still good money in parts and they should always be available. –Dale

The market has spoken…we wouldn’t buy their crappy products, so their going to take our money anyway!!! This is just a total misuse of taxpayer dollars. Bankruptcy won’t stop people from buying GM. If that were the case, no one would be buying from them now. The world already knows that the company is bankrupt. Heck, GM has been announcing that bankruptcy is looming for the last year. What stops people from buying GM is their poor quality products and lack of perceived value in relation to the competition. The market has spoke, GM is not competative any more and throughing billions of tax payers dollars will not make them a more competative company, nor will it fix thier ineffiecencies, overhead, or poor quality products. –Richard

Is GM reaping what they have sown….check out info on the EV1 and the Tucker Torpedo. -Larry

There is an old phrase “What’s good for GM, is good for America”. Unfortunately, the inverse is also true. The difference between a recession and a depression could be the collapse of a major player in the economy, like GM. If GM is put into bankruptcy no one would want to buy a GM car. All the money the gov’t could have spent on a bailout would be a drop in the bucket on what they would have to spend on the newly unemployed, from many industries. Not just the auto sector. After all, they gave the banks 10 times that amount and didn’t even bat an eye. –Dave

Perhaps if GM and all the other major car companies had not spent decades using deceptive practices in selling their vehicles, such as padding interest rates, shifting amounts around on trade-ins and using “good cop/bad cop” techniques with scheming salesmen and their bosses, they would have warranted some respect and trust from consumers, resulting in more car sales. As far as I’m concerned, if these companies are going under, it is their own fault. Karma has circled around them for years and is now closing in to bite them on the butt. –Lynda

U said keep it short; Game over 4 GM……. However I’ve been Brand Loyal since 1964…. Yes! I’d Buy the very Last Unit….Cause 4+ decades dictate a quality product!!! –Shelden

No way should any more money go toward any bailouts, Tax dollars are not the answer to fiscal problems. Americans need to be self reliant in their problems not dependant on the taxpayers. Yes I would be the first in line to purchase a car or truck from GM not only would it be cheaper but probably better built as the workforce would have had a wakeup call due to restructuring. –Joe(Spokane)

What possible motivation would anyone have to buy a GM vehicle under its current corporate structure? We have already given the company billions, and now they say they need billions more or else. This is almost free market blackmail! How much do we have to give GM to prevent bankruptcy? All the bailouts seem to have two things in common: incompetent management and no end to the “demands” for more taxpayer $$. STOP THEM!!! –Joe

I have always felt they should have just claimed bankruptcy. And regroup. Chrysler did it way back and came back very strong, with a better car. It would also give them a chance to re-negotiate with the labor union. And keep cost down. Let get the people back to work then worry about buying new cars. -Brad(Kettle Falls)

Unless GM is prepared to have the books thoroughly checked over, and are prepared to account for how all of the government assistance will be used, I lean toward not doing it. -Ann

The problem is, if GM goes under you have people like me who have jobs that will be adversely effected by it. Having recently bought a house, I can’t lose my job at this point. -Storms(Spokane Valley)

NO, NO, NO MORE BAILOUTS! NO, NO, NO I WOULDN’T BUY THEIR CARS, CAUSE I CAN’T AFFORD THEIR HIGH PRICE TAGS THEY GOT ON THEIR CARS, BRING THEM PRICES WAY DOWN, PLEASE! –Connie

I won’t buy a car from GM now. I’m FED UP with all this corporate bailout crap. Why should government ( us tax payers) have to fix their problem. I say let them fail !!!!!!! It’s only through “real failure” that most learn any real lessons anyway. -Jennifer

Because it is an American company and Employees American people I would hate to see them go under. I haven’t owned a GM for over 20 years and won’t again. I have never bought foreign either. -Roger(Lewiston)

No WAY. If they gave each household in the US even 500 thousand dollars each with the some restrictions such as proof that all bills were paid off before spending any on frivolous things would be better I think the money would get into circulation alot faster. -Ron

Not only am I against giving those irresponsible money grubbers another cent but I definitely won’t buy a vehicle from a company that thinks the taxpayers should out and out give them money. Absolutely not. They think they’ve found the bottomless money pit and don’t want to take the time and energy to reorganize to save their company. I say pox on them. -MJ

No they should not get any more money but try to figure something else out. If their business is going downhill they should really look at their business then asking for more money. If the first bail out money did not work, what’s makes them think that they will be saved from bankruptcy. That is wasting bale out money. -Danielle

A Chapter 11 would be the best thing for the company. They could shake themselves free of that socialist trade unions, including the United Auto Workers, retool their plants for new and alternative energy vehicle conversions, and come back stronger than ever, but only if that’s the desire of the Executives and the shareholders. I would buy from them under those conditions, but not if it’s “business as usual.” –Mike(Spokane)

There is way to much at stake should GMC collapsed! They should be given the additional billions they need! Yes, I will still buy from GMC, as I buy American! Think of the ripple effect if GMC failed! It would be catastrophic! –Harold(Pullman)

This whole bailout thing has gotten way out of hand. Hundreds of billions of dollars going who knows where. Banks and auto makers demanding billions of dollars, or they will go out of business or bankrupt. The bottom line is that every WORKING PERSON is going to pay for the greed of all involved. I think our government is rewarding bad behavior. –Karb

Seems like people already aren’t buying GM cars and not many of any other manufacturer. Maybe it’s time to stop the bailouts and let companies fail or succeed on their own. -Rick

I don’t think that they have shown that they can survive even with another Bail Out. Time for the CEO’s and others to bite the bullet. It’s time for them to loose there jobs and let the Employees rebuild a better company. And yes I would purchase another GM product as long as it is not another Saturn. -Brad (Electric City)

No. Bankruptcy laws were designed to assist companies that were not making it, often for reasons beyond their control. We are such times. The Federal government has made a GRAVE mistake bailing out ANYONE. My children will not be able to sustain the debt, and Barack Obama and this Congress bear ALL the blame for this outrageous deficit. –Jim(Thompson Falls)