Brief profile of the charmed American autoworker
Producing and assembling cars in this country can be a very lucrative profession. Many insiders have blamed the union system for the fallout of the Domestic auto-industry. The economic fallout is beginning to hit autoworkers, but it won’t affect them like it hits those in other industries. The UAW has set up a golden platter of benefits and protections for the members of its union. I’m glad we have these men and women in the factories to make our cars. It’s a physical job…but these aren’t neurosurgeons.
Here are some tasty morsels to chomp on next time you hear another news story about the auto crisis:
1) Unionized members make an average of $24-30 an hour (you do the math). Not too shabby.
2) In GM’s case: The combined “legacy” benefits (pensions, insurance, retiree benefits, etc) equates to nearly $70 an hour. Not an actual rate, but an overall analyst driven calculation of what “total” labor and current retiree benefits is costing GM. Workers are not getting paid $70 an hour as some stories suggest.
3) In the early 1980’s, the UAW created a program called “job banking” which pays at least 90% of a laid off autoworkers salary until the union can find them a new position elsewhere. The job banking practice was implemented as a way for autoworkers to “absorb the punch” when automated, robotic technology was introduced on the assembly line. The terms and conditions vary by automaker, because each labor contract is different. GM factory workers who get laid off start out at “sub pay,” in which they receive unemployment benefits, and GM pays the difference, up to most of their salary, for 48 weeks. After that, laid-off employees go into the jobs bank, which averages almost $62,000 a year — plus benefits, without reporting to work. In the meantime, the company tries to find them jobs elsewhere. That sucks!
4) In 2005, nearly 12,000 autoworkers were drawing a full salary without ever setting foot in an auto plant. Most simply had to show up at a local union hall and hang out.
5) Over the last 15 years, nearly 83,000 autoworkers have lost their manufacturing job, however, 91,000 new positions were created in other states.
6) Delphi, the parts wing of GM, declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1999 because UAW would not agree to a wage cut.
Interesting information and compelling reasons why these men and women so cherish their jobs. With the onset of the government bailout, many of these perks are changing or going away. Late last year, the GM job bank program was suspended (actually the UAW allowed it to be suspended, hmm) due in part to the auto crisis. The union provides a very secure blanket of protection over its workers and gives them tremendous incentive not to leave. In the same light, the UAW is doing a horrible disservice for this population of workers. This is all they have ever known considering most autoworkers never leave the industry and retire with healthy pensions. Sadly, this causes a career black hole that provides an illusion that every other American worker has these same benefits and freedom of labor expression. Autoworkers will become lost in a corporate world that does not look out for them. They have skills on the assembly line- but where will those skills be transferred? Many of them will find good work in certain trades or other manufacturing capacities, but nothing with the same “bling bling” of the auto assembly line. With the reality of the disappearing job bank system- this will be a shocker for many leaving the union. To a degree, the auto worker has become easy pickings for ridicule and scorn. The general public has become aware of how well they are paid and the security of employment they are offered – and to a degree – are jealous.
Despite a loss in members, the UAW is still a $2 billion dollar organization with approx. 550, 000 due paying members. They have some nice assets too.
The Black Lake Country Club and Reuther Center is a $33 million dollar golf course and retreat owned and operated by the UAW. The course itself is $6 million dollars. The UAW is losing money on this forested beauty every year as more members leave the union. I truly hope our bailout funds keep this course afloat, being a golfer, I’d love to play it someday… but not for $33 million bucks.
Pretty isn’t it? I heard they’re hiring part time caddies with benefits and life time pension.
I should have been an autoworker.
A very basic breakdown of stimulus plan – part deux
No one is going to lead their local economics club in a lecture about the stimulus after reading this breakdown, but in the spirit of bar talk it will at least make you sound like you know what you are talking about. So read it, yawn, read it and yawn. I believe it is a two yawn breakdown, but for fast readers it may only be a one.
Here you go -
Taxes:
The recovery package has tax breaks for families that send a child to college, purchase a new car, buy a first home or make the ones they own more energy efficient.
Millions of workers can expect to see about $13 extra in their weekly paychecks, starting around June, from a new $400 tax credit to be doled out through the rest of the year. Couples would get up to $800. In 2010, the credit would be about $7.70 a week, if it is spread over the entire year.
The $1,000 child tax credit would be extended to more low-income families that don’t make enough money to pay income taxes, and poor families with three or more children will get an expanded Earned Income Tax Credit.
Middle-income and wealthy taxpayers will be spared from paying the Alternative Minimum Tax, which was designed 40 years ago to make sure wealthy taxpayers pay at least some tax, but was never indexed for inflation. Congress fixes it each year, usually in the fall.
First-time homebuyers who purchase their homes before Dec. 1 would be eligible for an $8,000 tax credit, and people who buy new cars before the end of the year can write off the sales taxes.
Homeowners who add energy-efficient windows, furnaces and air conditioners can get a tax credit to cover 30 percent of the costs, up to a total of $1,500. College students — or their parents — are eligible for tax credits of up to $2,500 to help pay tuition and related expenses in 2009 and 2010.
Those receiving unemployment benefits this year wouldn’t pay any federal income taxes on the first $2,400 they receive.
___
Health insurance:
Many workers who lose their health insurance when they lose their jobs will find it cheaper to keep that coverage while they look for work.
Right now, most people working for medium and large employers can continue their coverage for 18 months under the COBRA program when they lose their job. It’s expensive, often over $1,000 a month, because they pay the share of premiums once covered by their employer as well as their own share from the old group plan.
Under the stimulus package, the government will pick up 65 percent of the total cost of that premium for the first nine months.
Lawmakers initially proposed to help workers from small companies, too, who don’t generally qualify for COBRA coverage. But that fell through. The idea was to have Washington pay to extend Medicaid to them.
COBRA applies to group plans at companies employing at least 20 people. The subsidies will be offered to those who lost their jobs from Sept. 1 to the end of this year.
Those who were put out of work after September but didn’t elect to have COBRA coverage at the time will have 60 days to sign up.
The plan offers $87 billion to help states administer Medicaid. That could slow or reverse some of the steps states have taken to cut the program.
___
Infrastructure:
Highways repaved for the first time in decades. Century-old waterlines dug up and replaced with new pipes. Aging bridges, stressed under the weight of today’s SUVs, reinforced with fresh steel and concrete.
But the $90 billion is a mere down payment on what’s needed to repair and improve the country’s physical backbone. And not all economists agree it’s an effective way to add jobs in the long term, or stimulate the economy.
___
Energy:
Homeowners looking to save energy, makers of solar panels and wind turbines and companies hoping to bring the electric grid into the computer age all stand to reap major benefits.
The package contains more than $42 billion in energy-related investments from tax credits to homeowners to loan guarantees for renewable energy projects and direct government grants for makers of wind turbines and next-generation batteries.
There’s a 30 percent tax credit of up to $1,500 for the purchase of a highly efficient residential air conditioners, heat pumps or furnaces. The credit also can be used by homeowners to replace leaky windows or put more insulation into the attic. About $300 million would go for rebates to get people to buy efficient appliances.
The package includes $20 billion aimed at “green” jobs to make wind turbines, solar panels and improve energy efficiency in schools and federal buildings. It includes $6 billion in loan guarantees for renewable energy projects as well as tax breaks or direct grants covering 30 percent of wind and solar energy investments. Another $5 billion is marked to help low-income homeowners make energy improvements.
About $11 billion goes to modernize and expand the nation’s electric power grid and $2 billion to spur research into batteries for future electric cars.
___
Schools:
A main goal of education spending in the stimulus bill is to help keep teachers on the job.
Nearly 600,000 jobs in elementary and secondary schools could be eliminated by state budget cuts over the next three years, according to a study released this past week by the University of Washington. Fewer teachers means higher class sizes, something that districts are scrambling to prevent.
The stimulus sets up a $54 billion fund to help prevent or restore state budget cuts, of which $39 billion must go toward kindergarten through 12th grade and higher education. In addition, about $8 billion of the fund could be used for other priorities, including modernization and renovation of schools and colleges, though how much is unclear, because Congress decided not to specify a dollar figure.
The Education Department will distribute the money as quickly as it can over the next couple of years.
And it adds $25 billion extra to No Child Left Behind and special education programs, which help pay teacher salaries, among other things.
This money may go out much more slowly; states have five years to spend the dollars, and they have a history of spending them slowly. In fact, states don’t spend all the money; they return nearly $100 million to the federal treasury every year.
The stimulus bill also includes more than $4 billion for the Head Start and Early Head Start early education programs and for child care programs.
___
National debt:
One thing about the president’s $790 billion stimulus package is certain: It will jack up the federal debt.
Whether or not it succeeds in producing jobs and taming the recession, tomorrow’s taxpayers will end up footing the bill.
Forecasters expect the 2009 deficit — for the budget year that began last Oct 1 — to hit $1.6 trillion including new stimulus and bank-bailout spending. That’s about three times last year’s shortfall.
The torrents of red ink are being fed by rising federal spending and falling tax revenues from hard-hit businesses and individuals.
The national debt — the sum of all annual budget deficits — stands at $10.7 trillion. Or about $36,000 for every man, woman and child in the U.S.
Interest payments alone on the national debt will near $500 billion this year. It’s already the fourth-largest federal expenditure, after Medicare-Medicaid, Social Security and defense.
This will affect us all directly for years, as well as our children and possibly grandchildren, in higher taxes and probably reduced government services. It will also force continued government borrowing, increasingly from China, Japan, Britain, Saudi Arabia and other foreign creditors.
___
Environment:
The package includes $9.2 billion for environmental projects at the Interior Department and the Environmental Protection Agency. The money would be used to shutter abandoned mines on public lands, to help local governments protect drinking water supplies, and to erect energy-efficient visitor centers at wildlife refuges and national parks.
The Interior Department estimates that its portion of the work would generate about 100,000 jobs over the next two years.
Yet the plan will only make a dent in the backlog of cleanups facing the EPA and the long list of chores at the country’s national parks, refuges and other public lands. It would be more like a down payment.
When it comes to national parks, the plan sets aside $735 million for road repairs and maintenance. But that’s a fraction of the $9 billion worth of work waiting for funding.
At EPA, the payout is $7.2 billion. The bulk of the money will help local communities and states repair and improve drinking water systems and fund projects that protect bays, rivers and other waterways used as sources of drinking water.
The rest of EPA’s cut — $800 million — will be used to clean up leaky gasoline storage tanks and the nation’s hazardous waste sites.
___
Police:
The stimulus bill includes plenty of green for those wearing blue.
The compromise bill doles out more than $3.7 billion for police programs, much of which is set aside for hiring new officers.
The law allocates $2 billion for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant, a program that has funded drug task forces and things such as prisoner rehabilitation and after-school programs.
An additional $1 billion is set aside to hire local police under the Community Oriented Policing Services program. The program, known as COPS grants, paid the salaries of many local police officers and was a “modest contributor” to the decline in crime in the 1990s, according to a 2005 government oversight report.
Both programs had all been eliminated during the Bush administration.
The bill also includes $225 million for general criminal justice grants for things such as youth mentoring programs, $225 million for Indian tribe law enforcement, $125 million for police in rural areas, $100 million for victims of crimes, $50 million to fight Internet crimes against children and $40 million in grants for law enforcement along the Mexican border.
___
Higher Education:
The maximum Pell Grant, which helps the lowest-income students attend college, would increase from $4,731 currently to $5,350 starting July 1 and $5,550 in 2010-2011. That would cover three-quarters of the average cost of a four-year college. An extra 800,000 students, or about 7 million, would now get Pell funding.
The stimulus also increases the tuition tax credit to $2,500 and makes it 40 percent refundable, so families who don’t earn enough to pay income tax could still get up to $1,000 in extra tuition help.
Computer expenses will now be an allowable expense for 529 college savings plans.
The final package cut $6 billion the House wanted to spend to kick-start building projects on college campuses. But parts of the $54 billion state stabilization fund — with $39 billion set aside for education — can be used for modernizing facilities.
There’s also an estimated $15 billion for scientific research, much of which will go to universities. Funding for the National Institutes of Health includes $1.5 billion set aside for university research facilities.
Altogether, the package spends an estimated $32 billion on higher education.
___
The Poor:
More than 37 million Americans live in poverty, and the vast majority of them are in line for extra help under the giant stimulus package. Millions more could be kept from slipping into poverty by the economic lifeline.
People who get food stamps — 30 million and growing — will get more. People drawing unemployment checks — nearly 5 million and growing — would get an extra $25, and keep those checks coming longer. People who get Supplemental Security Income — 7 million poor Americans who are elderly, blind or disabled — would get one-time extra payments of $250.
Many low-income Americans also are likely to benefit from a trifecta of tax credits: expansions to the existing Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit, and a new refundable tax credit for workers. Taken together, the three credits are expected to keep more than 2 million Americans from falling into poverty, including more than 800,000 children, according to the private Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
The package also includes a $3 billion emergency fund to provide temporary assistance to needy families. In addition, cash-strapped states will get an infusion of $87 billion for Medicaid, the government health program for poor people, and that should help them avoid cutting off benefits to the needy.
A budget breakdown of the February 2009 stimulus plan
The Stimulus Plan: A Detailed List of Spending
by Michael Grabell and Christopher Weaver, ProPublica – February 13, 2009
| Program | Funding |
|---|---|
Accountability |
$323,500,000 |
| Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General | $22,500,000 |
| Department of Commerce – Office of Inspector General | $10,000,000 |
| National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – Office of Inspector General | $6,000,000 |
| Department of Justice – Office of Inspector General | $2,000,000 |
| NASA – Office of Inspector General | $2,000,000 |
| Defense Department – Office of Inspector General | $15,000,000 |
| Department of Energy – Office of Inspector General | $15,000,000 |
| Department of the Treasury – Inspector General for Tax Administration | $7,000,000 |
| General Services Administration – Office of Inspector General | $7,000,000 |
| Recovery Act Accountability and Transparency Board | $84,000,000 |
| Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General | $10,000,000 |
| Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General | $5,000,000 |
| Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Inspector General | $15,000,000 |
| Environmental Protection Agency – Office of Inspector General | $20,000,000 |
| Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General | $6,000,000 |
| Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General related to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology | $17,000,000 |
| Department of Education – Office of Inspector General | $14,000,000 |
| Corporation for National and Community Service – Office of Inspector General | $1,000,000 |
| Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General | $2,000,000 |
| Government Accountability Office salaries and expenses | $25,000,000 |
| Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General | $1,000,000 |
| State Department – Office of Inspector General | $2,000,000 |
| Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General | $20,000,000 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General | $15,000,000 |
Aid to People Affected by Economic Downturn |
$36,910,807,000 |
| Rural Housing Service insurance fund program account – direct loans and unsubsidized guaranteed loans | $11,672,000,000 |
| Rural community facilities program account | $130,000,000 |
| Special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children (WIC) | $500,000,000 |
| School lunch programs for schools in which at least 50% of students are eligible for free or reduced price meals | $100,000,000 |
| Food bank commodity assistance program | $150,000,000 |
| Temporary increase in benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps) | $19,900,000,000 |
| Food distribution program on Indian reservations | $5,000,000 |
| Agricultural disaster assistance transition – Federal Crop Insurance Act | |
| Farm operating loans | $173,367,000 |
| Direct farm operating loans | $20,440,000 |
| IRS health insurance tax credit administration | $80,000,000 |
| Emergency food and shelter | $100,000,000 |
| Bureau of Indian Affairs job training and housing improvement programs | $40,000,000 |
| Indian guaranteed loan program | $10,000,000 |
| Community service employment for older Americans | $120,000,000 |
| Extra funding for state unemployment insurance | $150,000,000 |
| State re-employment services for the jobless | $250,000,000 |
| Child care assistance for low-income families | $1,651,227,000 |
| Child care assistance for low-income families through state programs | $255,186,000 |
| Child care assistance for low-income families to improve infant and toddler care | $93,587,000 |
| Community Service Block Grant Program | $1,000,000,000 |
| Social Security Act funding | 50,000,000 |
| Social Security Administration processing of disability and retirement workloads | $460,000,000 |
Aid to State and Local Governments |
$58,355,000,000 |
| State administrative expenses to carry out increase in food stamp program | $295,000,000 |
| Economic development assistance programs | $150,000,000 |
| Violence against women prevention and prosecution programs | $225,000,000 |
| Office of Justice Programs state and local law enforcement assistance (Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants) | $2,000,000,000 |
| State and local law enforcement assistance grants to improve criminal justice systems, assist crime victims and mentor youth | $225,000,000 |
| Southern border and high-intensity drug trafficking areas | $30,000,000 |
| ATF Project Gunrunner | $10,000,000 |
| State and local law enforcement assistance to Indian tribes | $225,000,000 |
| Crime victim assistance | $100,000,000 |
| Rural drug crime program | $125,000,000 |
| Internet crimes against children initiatives | $50,000,000 |
| Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grants | $1,000,000,000 |
| Justice Department salaries and expenses for administration of police grant programs | $10,000,000 |
| Community Development Financial Institutions Fund for financial assistance, training and outreach to Native American, Hawaiian and Alaskan native communities | $100,000,000 |
| Local and state fire station upgrades and construction | $210,000,000 |
| Disaster assistance direct loans may exceed $5,000,000 and may be equal to not more than 50% of local government annual budget if the government lost 25% or more in tax revenues | |
| State Fiscal Stabilization Fund to avoid cutbacks and layoffs (82% must be used for education while 18% may be used for public safety and other government services. The latter part may be used for repairs and modernization of K-12 schools and college and university buildings.) | $53,600,000,000 |
Business |
$870,000,000 |
| Rural Business – Cooperative Service: rural business program account | $150,000,000 |
| Small Business Administration salaries and expenses, microloan program and improvements to technology systems | $69,000,000 |
| Surety bond guarantees revolving fund | $15,000,000 |
| Small business loans | $636,000,000 |
Education |
$48,420,000,000 |
| State grants for adult job training | $500,000,000 |
| State grants for youth job training and summer employment opportunities | $1,200,000,000 |
| Dislocated worker job training | $1,250,000,000 |
| YouthBuild program for high school dropouts who re-enroll in other schools | $50,000,000 |
| Job training in emerging industries | $250,000,000 |
| Job training in the renewable energy field | $500,000,000 |
| Head Start programs | $1,000,000,000 |
| Early Head Start program expansion | $1,100,000,000 |
| Education for the disadvantaged – elementary and secondary education | 10,000,000,000 |
| Education for the disadvantaged – school improvement grants | $3,000,000,000 |
| Education impact aid | $100,000,000 |
| School improvement programs | $650,000,000 |
| Innovation and improvement of elementary and secondary schools | $200,000,000 |
| Special education funding under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act | $12,200,000,000 |
| Pell grants for higher education | $15,840,000,000 |
| Institute of Education data systems | $245,000,000 |
| Institute of Education state data coordinators | $5,000,000 |
| Dislocated worker assistance national reserve | $200,000,000 |
| School improvement grants awarded based on the number of homeless students identified in a state | $70,000,000 |
| Student aid administrative costs | $60,000,000 |
Energy |
$41,400,000,000 |
| Energy efficiency and conservation block grants | $3,200,000,000 |
| Weatherization Assistance Program (increases maximum income level and maximum assistance) | $5,000,000,000 |
| State energy program | $3,100,000,000 |
| Advanced batteries manufacturing, including lithium ion batteries, hybrid electrical systems, component manufacturers and software designers | $2,000,000,000 |
| Modernize electricity grid | $4,400,000,000 |
| Electricity grid worker training | $100,000,000 |
| Fossil energy research and development | $3,400,000,000 |
| Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund | $390,000,000 |
| Department of Energy science programs | $1,600,000,000 |
| Advanced Research Projects Agency | $400,000,000 |
| Innovative technology loan guarantee program | $6,000,000,000 |
| Western Area Power Administration construction and maintenance | $10,000,000 |
| Bonneville Power Administration borrowing authority | $3,250,000,000 |
| Western Area Power Administration borrowing authority | $3,250,000,000 |
| Leading edge biofuel projects | $500,000,000 |
| Federal building conversion to “high-performance green buildings” | $4,500,000,000 |
| Energy efficiency federal vehicle fleet procurement | $300,000,000 |
Health Care |
$18,830,000,000 |
| Indian Health Service information technology and telehealth services | $85,000,000 |
| Indian health facilities | $415,000,000 |
| Grants for public health centers | $500,000,000 |
| Construction, renovation, equipment and information technology for health centers | $1,500,000,000 |
| National Health Service Corps funding | $75,000,000 |
| Addressing health professions workforce shortage | $425,000,000 |
| National Institutes of Health grants and contracts to renovate non-federal research facilities | $1,000,000,000 |
| National Institute of Health grants and contracts for shared resources and equipment for grantees | $300,000,000 |
| National Institutes of Health fund to support scientific research | $7,400,000,000 |
| National Institutes of Health Common Fund | $800,000,000 |
| National Institutes of Health renovations of high-priority buildings at the Bethesda, Md., campus, and at other locations | $500,000,000 |
| Comparative effectiveness research | $300,000,000 |
| Comparative effectiveness research by the National Institutes of Health | 400,000,000 |
| Comparative effectiveness research by the Department of Health and Human Services | $400,000,000 |
| Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology | $1,680,000,000 |
| National Coordinator for Health Information Technology’s regional or subnational efforts | $300,000,000 |
| Department of Commerce health care information enterprise integration activities related to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology | $20,000,000 |
| Department of Health and Human Services computer and information technology security | $50,000,000 |
| Department of Health and Human Services Prevention and Wellness Fund | $1,000,000,000 |
| Prevention and Wellness Fund immunization program | $300,000,000 |
| Prevention and Wellness Fund evidence-based clinical and community-based prevention strategies | $650,000,000 |
| Prevention and Wellness Fund reduction in incidence of health-care-associated infections | $50,000,000 |
| Rehabilitation services and disability research | 540,000,000 |
| State grants for rehabilitation services and disability research | $18,200,000 |
| Rehabilitation services in independent living centers | $87,500,000 |
| Rehabilitation services for older blind individuals | $34,300,000 |
Other |
$2,147,000,000 |
| Census Bureau programs | $1,000,000,000 |
| Digital-to-analog television converter box program | $650,000,000 |
| President shall establish arbitration panel under FEMA public assistance program to expedite recovery efforts from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita | |
| Requirement that Department of Homeland Security uniforms be manufactured and sewn together by U.S. fabric and apparel companies | |
| National Endowment for the Arts grants | $50,000,000 |
| Department of Labor salaries and expenses | $80,000,000 |
| Additional awards to existing AmeriCorps grantees | $83,000,000 |
| AmeriCorps program salaries and expenses | $5,200,000 |
| AmeriCorps program administrative costs of expansion | $800,000 |
| National security trust appropriation | $40,000,000 |
| Social Security Administration health information technology research | $40,000,000 |
| Filipino World War II veterans compensation | $198,000,000 |
Science and Technology |
$13,142,000,000 |
| Farm Service Agency salaries and expenses to maintain and modernize the information technology system | $50,000,000 |
| Distance learning, telemedicine and broadband program | $2,500,000,000 |
| National Telecommunications and Information Administration – broadband technology opportunities program | $4,690,000,000 |
| National Institute of Standards and Technology scientific and technical research and services | $220,000,000 |
| National Institute of Standards and Technology construction of research facilities | $360,000,000 |
| National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration operations, research and facilities | $230,000,000 |
| National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration procurement, acquisition and construction | $600,000,000 |
| NASA science | $400,000,000 |
| NASA aeronautics | $150,000,000 |
| NASA exploration | $400,000,000 |
| NASA cross agency support | $50,000,000 |
| National Science Foundation research and related activities | $2,500,000,000 |
| National Science Foundation education and human resources | $100,000,000 |
| National Science Foundation major research equipment and facilities construction | $400,000,000 |
| National Science Foundation – Office of Inspector General | $2,000,000 |
| Veterans Affairs for hiring and training of claims processors | $150,000,000 |
| Veterans Affairs information technology systems | $50,000,000 |
| State Department technology security upgrades | $252,000,000 |
| U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) technology | $38,000,000 |
Transportation and Infrastructure |
$98,325,000,000 |
| Agriculture buildings and facilities and rental payments | $24,000,000 |
| Agricultural Research Service buildings and facilities | $176,000,000 |
| Natural Resources Conservation Service watershed and flood prevention programs | $290,000,000 |
| Watershed rehabilitation program | $50,000,000 |
| Rural Utilities Service water and waste disposal program account | $1,380,000,000 |
| Defense Department facilities operation and maintenance, Army | $1,474,525,000 |
| Defense Department facilities operation and maintenance, Navy | $657,051,000 |
| Defense Department facilities operation and maintenance, Marine Corps | $113,865,000 |
| Defense Department facilities operation and maintenance, Air Force | $1,095,959,000 |
| Defense Department facilities operation and maintenance, Army Reserve | $98,269,000 |
| Defense Department facilities operation and maintenance, Navy | $55,083,000 |
| Defense Department facilities operation and maintenance, Marine Corps Reserve | $39,909,000 |
| Defense Department facilities operation and maintenance, Air Force Reserve | $13,187,000 |
| Defense Department facilities operation and maintenance, Army National Guard | $266,304,000 |
| Defense Department facilities operation and maintenance, Air National Guard | $25,848,000 |
| Army research development, test and evaluation | $75,000,000 |
| Navy research development, test and evaluation | $75,000,000 |
| Air Force research development, test and evaluation | $75,000,000 |
| Defense-wide research development, test and evaluation | $75,000,000 |
| Defense Department medical facilities repair and modernization including energy efficiency | $400,000,000 |
| Corps of Engineers investigations | $25,000,000 |
| Corps of Engineers construction | $2,000,000,000 |
| Corps of Engineers – Mississippi River and tributaries | $375,000,000 |
| Corps of Engineers operations and maintenance | $2,075,000,000 |
| Corps of Engineers regulatory program | $25,000,000 |
| Corps of Engineers formerly utilized sites remedial action program | $100,000,000 |
| Bureau of Reclamation water and related resources, including inspection of canals in urbanized areas | $900,000,000 |
| Central Utah Project water programs | $50,000,000 |
| California Bay-Delta restoration | $50,000,000 |
| Non-Defense environmental cleanup | $483,000,000 |
| Defense environmental cleanup | $5,127,000,000 |
| Federal buildings and courthouses | $750,000,000 |
| Border stations and land ports of entry | $300,000,000 |
| Department of Homeland Security headquarters consolidation | $200,000,000 |
| Customs and Border Protection non-intrusive inspection systems | $100,000,000 |
| Customs and Border Protection tactical communications equipment and radios | $60,000,000 |
| Border security fencing, infrastructure and technology | $100,000,000 |
| Land border ports of entry construction | $420,000,000 |
| Immigration and Customs Enforcement tactical communications equipment and radios | $20,000,000 |
| Transportation Security Administration checked baggage and checkpoint explosives detection machines | $1,000,000,000 |
| Coast Guard shore facilities and aids to navigation facilities | $98,000,000 |
| Coast Guard alteration of bridges | $142,000,000 |
| FEMA public transportation and railroad security | $150,000,000 |
| FEMA port security grants | $150,000,000 |
| Bureau of Land Management maintenance and restoration of facilities, trails, lands, abandoned mines and wells | $125,000,000 |
| Bureau of Land Management construction of roads, bridges, trails and facilities, including energy efficient retrofits | $180,000,000 |
| Wildland fire management and hazardous fuels reduction | $15,000,000 |
| U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service maintenance and construction on wildlife refuges and fish hatcheries and for habitat restoration | $165,000,000 |
| U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service roads, bridges and facilities, including energy efficient retrofits | $115,000,000 |
| National Park Service facilities and trails | $146,000,000 |
| Historically black colleges and universities preservation | $15,000,000 |
| National Park Service road construction, cleanup of abandoned mines on parkland and other infrastructure | $589,000,000 |
| U.S. Geological Survey facilities and equipment, including stream gages, seismic and volcano monitoring systems and national map activities | $140,000,000 |
| Bureau of Indian Affairs construction of roads, schools and detention centers | $450,000,000 |
| Superfund site cleanup | $600,000,000 |
| Leaking underground storage tank cleanup | $200,000,000 |
| Clean water state revolving fund grants | $4,000,000,000 |
| Safe drinking water capitalization grants | $2,000,000,000 |
| Brownfields projects | $100,000,000 |
| Diesel emission reduction grants and loans | $300,000,000 |
| Forest Service road, bridge and trail maintenance; watershed restoration; facilities improvement; remediation of abandoned mines; and support costs | $650,000,000 |
| Wildfire mitigation | $500,000,000 |
| Smithsonian Institution repairs | $25,000,000 |
| Construction, renovation and acquisition of Job Corps Centers | $250,000,000 |
| Social Security Administration’s National Computer Center replacement | $500,000,000 |
| Military construction, Army – child development centers and warrior transition complexes | $180,000,000 |
| Military construction, Navy and Marine Corps – child development centers and warrior transition complexes | $280,000,000 |
| Military construction, Air Force – child development centers and warrior transition complexes | $180,000,000 |
| Military hospital construction and energy conservation investments | $1,450,000,000 |
| Military construction, Army National Guard | $50,000,000 |
| Military construction, Air National Guard | $50,000,000 |
| Family housing construction, Army | $34,507,000 |
| Family housing operation and maintenance, Army | $3,932,000 |
| Family housing construction, Air Force | $80,100,000 |
| Family housing operation and maintenance, Air Force | $16,461,000 |
| Temporary expansion of military homeowner assistance program to respond to mortgage foreclosure and credit crisis, including acquisition of property at or near military bases that have been ordered closed. | $555,000,000 |
| Veterans Affairs hospital maintenance | $1,000,000,000 |
| National Cemetery Administration for monument and memorial repairs | $50,000,000 |
| State extended care facilities, such as nursing homes | $150,000,000 |
| State Department diplomatic and consular programs for domestic passport and training facilities | $90,000,000 |
| International Boundary and Water Commission – Rio Grande levee repairs | $220,000,000 |
| Additional capital investments in surface transportation including highways, bridges, and road repairs | $1,298,500,000 |
| Administrative costs for additional capital investments in surface transportation | $200,000,000 |
| Capital investments in surface transportation grants to be awarded by other administration | $1,500,000 |
| Federal Aviation Administration infrastructure | $200,000,000 |
| Grants-in-aid for airports | $1,100,000,000 |
| Highway infrastructure investment | $26,725,000,000 |
| Highway infrastructure investment in Puerto Rico | $105,000,000 |
| Highway infrastructure funds distributed by states | $60,000,000 |
| Highway infrastructure funds for the Indian Reservation Roads program | $550,000,000 |
| Highway infrastructure funds for surface transportation technology training | $20,000,000 |
| Highway infrastructure to fund oversight and management of projects | $40,000,000 |
| High speed rail capital assistance | $8,000,000,000 |
| National Railroad passenger corporation capital grants | $850,000,000 |
| National Railroad passenger corporation capital grants for security | $450,000,000 |
| Federal Transit Administration capital assistance | $6,800,000,000 |
| Public transportation discretionary grants | $100,000,000 |
| Fixed guideway infrastructure investment | $750,000,000 |
| Capital investment grants | $750,000,000 |
| Shipyard grants | $100,000,000 |
| Public housing capital improvements | $3,000,000,000 |
| Public housing renovations and energy conservation investments | $1,000,000,000 |
| Native American housing block grants | $510,000,000 |
| Community development funding | $1,000,000,000 |
| Emergency assistance for the redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed homes | $2,000,000,000 |
| Additional capital investments in low-income housing tax credit projects | $2,250,000,000 |
| Homelessness prevention and re-housing | $1,500,000,000 |
| Assistance to owners of properties receiving section 8 assistance | $2,000,000,000 |
| Grants and loans for green investment in section 8 properties | $250,000,000 |
| Lead hazard reduction | $100,000,000 |
File under AWESOME – McCaskill Proposes Compensation Cap For Private Companies Getting Federal Dollars
Yep, the awesomeness meter just went to eleven. Senator Claire McCaskill (D-Mo) just dropped a bomb on CEO’s and other executives who work for companies asking for or using bailout money. I do not know yet whether I love it, or hate it, because I just got the news via email from a friend, but I can tell you I love Congress actually dropping a bomb like this on the floor. It makes C-SPAN must see t.v.
Here is the rest of the story directly from Senator Claire McCaskill’s website.
Under Bill No Employee Could Make More than President of the United States
Outraged by the latest news stories about corporate luxuries afforded by the very same companies that took public money and assistance in recent economic emergency packages, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today took to the senate floor to introduce new legislation that would prevent company executives receiving federal assistance from receiving compensation totaling more than the salary of the President of the United States.
“Going forward if you want taxpayers to help you survive, if you want the people at your financial institution to have a job tomorrow, then you’re going to have to limit everyone’s pay at your company to the same salary that the President of the United States makes,” said McCaskill from the Senate floor. “Now once they’re off the public dole, once the taxpayers aren’t footing the bill, then it’s not as much our business what they get paid. But right now they’re on the hook to us. And they owe us something other than a fancy waste basket and $50 million jet.”
Under Cap Executive Officer Pay Act of 2009, no employee of any private company that accepts federal dollars because of the economic downturn would be able to make more than the President on the United States – approximately $400,000 a year – until the company is no longer reliant on federal dollars. According to the bill, compensation would include salary, bonuses, and stock options.
And here is the video of the Senator on the floor
Clark Griswold has a message for the United States government and the powers that be
Merry F'ing Christmas and Happy Holidays - Government A'holes
Clark Griswold had it right on the money, he was not talking about the financial bailout money Congress gave to virtually every bank in the land, but he might as well have been. I think if Clark was talking about the bailout this is all he would have had to change.
Hey! If any of you are looking for any last-minute gift ideas for me. I have one……..Congress, the President, the Federal Reserve, my leaders, right here tonight.
I want them brought from their happy holiday slumber over there on Pennsylvania Avenue with all the other rich people and I want them brought right here, with a big ribbon on their head, and I want to look them straight in the eyes and I want to tell them what a……..
- cheap
- lying
- no-good
- rotten
- four-flushing
- low-life
- snake-licking
- dirt-eating
- inbred
- overstuffed
- ignorant
- blood-sucking
- dog-kissing
- brainless
- dickless
- hopeless
- heartless
- fat-ass
- bug-eyed
- stiff-legged
- spotty-lipped
- worm-headed
- sack of monkey shit…….
……They ARE! Hallelujah! Holy shit! Where’s the Tylenol?
Why you ask would Clark Griswold be so pissed at Congress, the President and the Federal Reserve? Well the answer my friend is blowing in the wind. Yep that really unkind and nasty wind that blows from the backside of the financial world. Here is the story about how your money is being spent, and how grateful everyone is for you spending your hard earned money to keep them in business.
WASHINGTON – It’s something any bank would demand to know before handing out a loan: Where’s the money going?
But after receiving billions in aid from U.S. taxpayers, the nation’s largest banks say they can’t track exactly how they’re spending the money or they simply refuse to discuss it.
“We’ve lent some of it. We’ve not lent some of it. We’ve not given any accounting of, ‘Here’s how we’re doing it,’” said Thomas Kelly, a spokesman for JPMorgan Chase, which received $25 billion in emergency bailout money. “We have not disclosed that to the public. We’re declining to.”
The Associated Press contacted 21 banks that received at least $1 billion in government money and asked four questions: How much has been spent? What was it spent on? How much is being held in savings, and what’s the plan for the rest?
None of the banks provided specific answers.
“We’re not providing dollar-in, dollar-out tracking,” said Barry Koling, a spokesman for Atlanta, Ga.-based SunTrust Banks Inc., which got $3.5 billion in taxpayer dollars.
Some banks said they simply didn’t know where the money was going.
“We manage our capital in its aggregate,” said Regions Financial Corp. spokesman Tim Deighton, who said the Birmingham, Ala.-based company is not tracking how it is spending the $3.5 billion it received as part of the financial bailout.
The answers highlight the secrecy surrounding the Troubled Assets Relief Program, which earmarked $700 billion — about the size of the Netherlands’ economy — to help rescue the financial industry. The Treasury Department has been using the money to buy stock in U.S. banks, hoping that the sudden inflow of cash will get banks to start lending money.
There has been no accounting of how banks spend that money. Lawmakers summoned bank executives to Capitol Hill last month and implored them to lend the money — not to hoard it or spend it on corporate bonuses, junkets or to buy other banks. But there is no process in place to make sure that’s happening and there are no consequences for banks who don’t comply.
“It is entirely appropriate for the American people to know how their taxpayer dollars are being spent in private industry,” said Elizabeth Warren, the top congressional watchdog overseeing the financial bailout.
But, at least for now, there’s no way for taxpayers to find that out.
Pressured by the Bush administration to approve the money quickly, Congress attached nearly no strings on the $700 billion bailout in October. And the Treasury Department, which doles out the money, never asked banks how it would be spent.
“Those are legitimate questions that should have been asked on Day One,” said Rep. Scott Garrett, R-N.J., a House Financial Services Committee member who opposed the bailout as it was rushed through Congress. “Where is the money going to go to? How is it going to be spent? When are we going to get a record on it?”
Nearly every bank AP questioned — including Citibank and Bank of America, two of the largest recipients of bailout money — responded with generic public relations statements explaining that the money was being used to strengthen balance sheets and continue making loans to ease the credit crisis.
A few banks described company-specific programs, such as JPMorgan Chase’s plan to lend $5 billion to nonprofit and health care companies next year. Richard Becker, senior vice president of Wisconsin-based Marshall & Ilsley Corp., said the $1.75 billion in bailout money allowed the bank to temporarily stop foreclosing on homes.
But no bank provided even the most basic accounting for the federal money.
“We’re choosing not to disclose that,” said Kevin Heine, spokesman for Bank of New York Mellon, which received about $3 billion.
Others said the money couldn’t be tracked. Bob Denham, a spokesman for North Carolina-based BB&T Corp., said the bailout money “doesn’t have its own bucket.” But he said taxpayer money wasn’t used in the bank’s recent purchase of a Florida insurance company. Asked how he could be sure, since the money wasn’t being tracked, Denham said the bank would have made that deal regardless.
Others, such as Morgan Stanley spokeswoman Carissa Ramirez, offered to discuss the matter with reporters on condition of anonymity. When AP refused, Ramirez sent an e-mail saying: “We are going to decline to comment on your story.”
Most banks wouldn’t say why they were keeping the details secret.
“We’re not sharing any other details. We’re just not at this time,” said Wendy Walker, a spokeswoman for Dallas-based Comerica Inc., which received $2.25 billion from the government.
Heine, the New York Mellon Corp. spokesman who said he wouldn’t share spending specifics, added: “I just would prefer if you wouldn’t say that we’re not going to discuss those details.”
The banks which came closest to answering the questions were those, such as U.S. Bancorp and Huntington Bancshares Inc., that only recently received the money and have yet to spend it. But neither provided anything more than a generic summary of how the money would be spent.
Lawmakers say they want to tighten restrictions on the remaining, yet-to-be-released $350 billion block of bailout money before more cash is handed out. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said the department is trying to step up its monitoring of bank spending.
“What we’ve been doing here is moving, I think, with lightning speed to put necessary programs in place, to develop them, implement them, and then we need to monitor them while we’re doing this,” Paulson said at a recent forum in New York. “So we’re building this organization as we’re going.”
Warren, the congressional watchdog appointed by Democrats, said her oversight panel will try to force the banks to say where they’ve spent the money.
“It would take a lot of nerve not to give answers,” she said.
But Warren said she’s surprised she even has to ask.
“If the appropriate restrictions were put on the money to begin with, if the appropriate transparency was in place, then we wouldn’t be in a position where you’re trying to call every recipient and get the basic information that should already be in public documents,” she said.
Garrett, the New Jersey congressman, said the nation might never get a clear answer on where hundreds of billions of dollars went.
“A year or two ago, when we talked about spending $100 million for a bridge to nowhere, that was considered a scandal,” he said.
GM and GMAC are no longer relevant – No more bailout money, please
GM Sucks
I think the title pretty much sums up the point of this article, but for the sake of those who do not immediately agree with me I will expand on the subject just a tad.
This weekend I went to look for a new vehicle, and I was shocked at how out of touch General Motors (GM) is with the WORLD and the LITTLE PEOPLE who buy their vehicles.
You see GM has been pushing their smart lease program for the last 20 years, and for many of us the program worked just fine. We would buy a vehicle, make payments for 3 or 4 years and then return the vehicle for a new one, and that is exactly what we have done for the last 12 years. Unfortunately, GM has chosen to eliminate their program, and to add insult to injury they have chosen to beat the crap out of the customers who need to turn in their vehicles virtually assuring no one will want to buy from them again.
To save you some time here is a little information you might want to consider if you are going to GM to buy a new vehicle. GMAC is not writing loans for vehicles, so if you have had a GMAC loan for quite some time your payment history and loyalty will not mean a thing to anyone. Their are no leasing options or smart buy options, so you will have to purchase the vehicle to keep. Which means that ugly GM car will be yours for the foreseeable future and the only way to get out of it is to sell it for a loss, because no one wants a used GM car. Now if you go and buy a Lexus, Toyota or Mercedes you can turn around and sell it in 3 years, and not take a total bath, but that is just not the case with GM.
Why you say? Because GM cars are horrible. All you have to do is take a trip across the road and you will find really smart cars at Toyota, Lexus and Mercedes, and by smart I do not mean hybrid, I simply mean cars that are made for people who drive them. They include features you want in your vehicle, and they are RELIABLE. The only vehicle I would consider buying at GM now is a truck, but the truly sad part, is even their trucks leave much to be desired these days. In fact if you have seen a Chevy truck commercial with Howie Long lately then you know their new campaign is about making fun of really cool features on other models, like a tailgate step, heated steering wheel and GPS. You see their trucks do not come with these things, so if you like them you are according to Chevy a wimp. I guess I am a wimp, because I like trucks that will last for at least 250,000 miles and I like to use a step to get into the bed of the truck, if it is available.
Face it, the economy is in bad shape, GM and Congress would like you to believe their problems are based on Union salaries or other financing problems, but after this weekend I can assure you the problem is GM. GM has no foresight, and is completely oblivious to the changes that have taken place in America over the last 8 years. For example, they do not seem to care where they place their car chargers or how you play your music and most importantly they simply do not care how long your car will operate without problems. These are just a few of the items GM has clearly no interest in addressing, and in today’s information at your fingertips world that is just no longer going to fly.
I know GM is planning on asking Congress for additional bailout money in March, but I for one say let it fail, and maybe, just maybe someone will take the helm who understands it is time to make great vehicles, care about the customers and not just continue doing the same old thing over-and-over-and-over again.
Porn industry Kings want U.S. citizens to bend-over and stimulate them
Well that is not good for the economy, right?
Larry Flynt (the “Hustler” guy) and Joe Francis (the “Girls Gone Wild” dude) are asking the government for a $5 billion bailout, claiming the adult entertainment industry has taken a huge shot to the face because of the downturn — citing the fact that XXX DVD sales are down 22% from a year ago.
“With all this economic misery and people losing all that money, sex is the farthest thing from their mind,” Flynt says. “It’s time for Congress to rejuvenate the sexual appetite of America.”
Of course it’s a publicity stunt, but Joe Francis actually plans on heading to DC — not that he’ll get in the door anywhere. That being said, if we’re talking about avoiding systemic economic risk, the last thing California needs is massive unemployment in the San Fernando Valley.
Just yesterday we wondered how a porn-investing hedge fund could possibly produce 50% returns in this environment. All indications are that the sin business is as dead as any other.
(Source TMZ)
Part 2 – Seriously are we just this stupid? Auto bailout on hold because of lawsuit that reduces emissions
Welcome to the jungle
The proof is in the pudding….
Here is the latest information about the auto industry bailout, and you will see the hurdle is still the California emissions. UNBELIEVABLE… Get over it already. We should not let the auto industry regulate air quality. If they need citizens money, then they should put citizens health and air quality higher on their list of priorities.
Here is a snippet of the current conversations on the hill.
—-Efforts by the Bush administration and congressional Democrats to fashion a government rescue of the foundering American auto industry hit other snags on Wednesday, including a dispute over the precise wording of the bill. That led the House and Senate to put forward competing versions of the legislation.
The last-minute disagreement centered on a SINGLE WORD — with the Senate bill requiring the automakers “to comply with all applicable FEDERAL fuel efficiency and emissions requirements” and the House bill referring to “all applicable fuel efficiency requirements,” which would include state emissions rules that the automakers oppose.
Nuff said, it is a scam and we are putting up with it. Way to go lobbyists, and Andy Card…..
Car and smoke
Seriously are we just this stupid? Auto bailout on hold because of lawsuit that reduces emissions
Welcome to the jungle
I will try to keep this post from becoming another rant, but it will be difficult. My frustration over the corruption and inbreeding in Washington is reaching an epic level. There is no way I can give this topic its due, but I will provide you with an overview, and then encourage you to do you own research on the specific topics.
Here we go. The auto bailout is a small amount of money, in fact, $15,000,000,000 looks like a large number, but in reality it is less than one months interest on the National Debt and it equates to 0.0008% of the nations GDP and less than 1 month worth of revenue for Toyota, so all-in-all it is a relatively small number from a national perspective. If, you further take into account that the U.S. government and tax payers have a better than 50/50 chance of getting their money back on this transaction it really becomes a no-brainer that we should keep the industry afloat.
Now I am not saying the current plan is good or bad, what I am saying is something needs to be done, and the U.S. has the resources to assist if it so chooses, and letting the automakers fail entirely is not a viable option.
Ok, now on to the real point of this piece. CORRUPTION, INBREEDING and SELF-INTEREST are running a muck in Washington this week, and in typical fashion the press is glossing over the real juice, because it will bore the average reader, so here is the boring juice for you to consume.
The primary stumbling block on the latest bailout proposal is not about the dollar amounts or really even a car czar, the real stumbling block at this point surrounds a little known lawsuit (little known to the average joe) between the auto manufactures and the State of California. The Auto industry wants California to overturn its agenda to force auto manufactures to produce zero emissions vehicles, if they want to sell vehicles in California. The auto industry sees this agenda as a direct threat to their industry, and to the ancillary businesses that service automobiles in the aftermarket.
Here is a little history for review – The California Air Resources Board (CARB) was founded in 1967, in response to California’s air being worse than that of the other 49 states combined [Shnayerson, p. 50]. After the federal government enacted the Clean Air Act in 1970, California was the only state allowed to regulate its own emissions. In 1990, impressed by the GM Impact, CARB ruled that each of the seven biggest carmakers — the largest of which was GM — would need to make 2% of its fleet emission-free by 1998, 5% by 2001, and 10% by 2003. In response to this rule GM produced the EV1, GM believed the EV1 would be a total failure, and therefore California would voluntarily remove this emissions free cap requirement. Unfortunately for GM and other manufactures the EV1 was a huge success and it scared the crap out of them.
Luckily though the auto manufactures had an ace up their sleeve in the name of Andrew Card. You see George W. Bush’s original Chief of Staff Andrew Card was the chief lobbyist for the auto industry in Washington, and his primary responsibility was to overturn the California initiative. So when Andy was appointed to man the right ear of the most powerful man on earth he convinced him to use his new muscle to push for a repeal of this mandate and it worked, sorda. You see California caved in on the emissions free mandate, but it then passed a law requiring a 25% reduction in emissions instead of emissions free. This seems like a cave-in and a rational person would think everyone would call this a win, but no. The auto industry was not happy, so they sued the State of California to overturn the law, and this lawsuit is the basis for the stumbling block we see today.
The Democrats have stipulated that in order to receive the $15 billion bailout the auto industry has to drop the lawsuit against California and any other states that are trying to curb emissions. One could take the point of view that forcing them to drop the lawsuit is fair, because none of the bailout money should be spent suing the citizens that provided them with the funds, but no, the Republicans do not see this as a reasonable request. In fact, one might say they see the lawsuit as a good thing, and several key members of the Republican party have stated flat-out that forcing an end to the lawsuits is a “deal killer”.
Now I ask you, do the Republicans who view this as a “deal killer” have your best interest at heart, or do they have the best interest of their lobbyist friends at heart?
Emissions control is a good thing. Forget the environmental effects and just think of it as a way to help people breath in the future. Whether you believe in global warming or not you must believe in an individuals right to breath clean air, and cars pollute the atmosphere, so making them pollute less is a good idea.
In closing, it does not matter to me whether you are for the bailout or against it, but please keep an eye on the corruption taking place in Washington, and please let your Senators and Congress Person know how you feel about them keeping a lawsuit moving forward with your money.
Car and smoke
Senators, can we make this discussion quick please? My private plane is idling
“Yes, that’s correct – we need about $25BILLION to get us through until February 2009.”
“Yes, we probably will be back in January asking for more.”
In case you missed yesterday, the Big Three Auto Execs faced a tough battering of facts and questions yesterday when asking Congress for a portion of the bailout package to help their companies. It’s great they showed up together – three companies, one cause – in unity – all of them flying in their companies’ private luxury jets to DC – to ask for more money, presumably just enough to refuel the jets to get them back to their ski lodges in Colorado or for one of them home to Seattle.
“We want to continue the vital role we’ve played for Americans for the past 100 years, but we can’t do it alone,” GM’s Rick Wagoner told the Senate Banking Committee. And they certainly can’t lead their companies back to success by flying commercial. I mean come on, have you even BEEN on a flight from Seattle to DC? It takes like 5-6 hours and first class is soooo crowded. Did you know that not only do the coach passengers walk right past you to get to their benches, but you actually still have to sit next to someone in first class? Thats just not for me, man.
Ford’s Alan Mulally laments that they’ve had to lay off 51,000 employees in the past several years, but not to worry, they’ve kept their fleet of EIGHT jets. In fact, on Tuesday alone they had three operating at any given time in places like Los Angeles, Nebraska and DC. Because we all know – when flying to Nebraska you really gotta go private, its scary out there.
Just another example of these guys being so out of touch that just don’t get it. I can’t even force myself to call them “business leaders” anymore. These types of actions just don’t deem them worthy of being a leader.
Heard It In A Bar RSS Feed- Brittany Murphy’s death is troubling March 11, 2010Not that it’s another tragic celebrity death, not that it’s another young life taken so early…these are all troubling and sad in their own right. It’s another tragic case of someone getting caught up in the web of drugs…the legal type! It truly saddens me that so many of these stars seek out more and more prescription [...] […]kansasview
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- Come on ABC…Lambert only kissed another guy, big deal March 11, 2010What’s wrong ABC? You can’t allow a very flamboyant and talented singer on GMA? However, you have prime time shows that openly display homosexual men/women and sometimes they kiss! Brothers and Sisters, Modern Family, Grey’s Anatomy, they all have gay characters who quite frequently engaged in PDA. Granted, these are actors but there is […]kansasview
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- Brittany Murphy’s death is troubling March 11, 2010
