Reply #17: I think we should go ahead with a bailout [View All]

[blue_onyx]

The Big 3 did make a mistake by focusing only on SUVs. But there's a reason the auto companies focused on large SUVs....that's what people wanted. People act like the US auto companies just built these huge vehicles and forced them upon the unsuspecting public. Up until 2005, when gas prices really started to soar, the 3 US auto companies were indeed building what the public wanted. They do deserve blame for not foreseeing the changes that were ahead. It makes no sense why they neglected their small and mid-small cars...one would think a company would want to make sure ALL their products get funding and attention.

I think the politicians in Washington need to grow a backbone and increase the gas tax. The CAFE standards aren't working. We need to attack global warming from the demand side of things. It's just politically easier to force the auto companies to fix our environmental issues. Here's article from Nolan Finley of the Detroit News. He's a rightwing nutjob but he (for once) hit the nail on the head.

http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081116/OPINION03/811160306