You are forgiven because you are correct. Too bad we can drill basic economic principles into the heads of those in D.C. Those who believe in their union, usually do so with religious fervor and therefore are unlikely to change. It is too bad the rank and file do not do what is necessary to marginalize these zealots.

My Christmas wish…common sense rains down from the heavens and affects (infects?) all those who desperately need it.

Well, this was completely predictable.

The White House joined the ranks of socialism in bailout out GM and Chrysler with taxpayer dollars provided the companies change their business model into something resembling a profitable company. One of th…..

Keep blowing…

On December 24th, 2008 at 4:18 pm, mattymatt10 said:

Are the UAW workers still getting money for being out?

I read somewhere, or maybe heard it on Rush, that they will indeed be paid even while the plant is closed.

Is this one of the “sacrifices” the UAW is doing? The msm sure seems to be giving that impression.

On December 24th, 2008 at 3:29 pm, WaterBoyz said:
So, Chrysler is shutting down for a month.

Are the UAW workers still getting money for being out?

I read somewhere, or maybe heard it on Rush, that they will indeed be paid even while the plant is closed.

Think of the UAW as a business which provides labor to car manufacturers. The UAW has priced their labor so high as to become uncompetitive. They are now reaping the benefits of what they have previously sown. To borrow an expression, their chickens have come home to roost. In a capitalist economy, this cannot last and will end in some fashion. Absent government intervention, this will happen. Absent-minded government intervention, this will continue with the taxpayers footing the bill. The UAW is killing the jobs it allegedly wants to protect by killing the company that provides them. They have only to look at the steel industry to see their future.

In a capitalist transaction there is a voluntary exchange of goods and services for the mutual benefit of both parties. There are two failures in regard to this principle. The first is the labor-management relationship mentioned above, and the second is in the producer-consumer relationship. Concerning labor-management, the exchange is not voluntary, nor is it mutually beneficial. The labor laws in this country insure the big three must deal with the UAW labor pool and not go elsewhere. I doubt that the manufacturers would voluntarily hire employees that cost as much and behave the way the union workers do. This is also not mutually beneficial, but parasitically beneficial. Labor is a necessity, but the only labor pool available is a parasite to the company. Labor becomes a necessary evil to be controlled, as opposed to a valuable asset to be nurtured and protected. The failure of the relationship to the consumer is being played out in the loss of market share. Ultimately, the consumers win. They take their money and purchase a car they think gives them what they want for the price they are willing to pay. If the American autos don’t give them what they want for the price they want they will buy a foreign car. The only way the government can alter this relationship is to place tariffs on the imports. This will then skew the voluntary part of the relationship.

The only solution lies in the free market. Unfortunately, this does not exist in America to the extent it needs to.

Apologies for practically writing my own blogpost

On December 24th, 2008 at 3:29 pm, WaterBoyz said:

So, Chrysler is shutting down for a month.

Are the UAW workers still getting money for being out?

Bah! Most large manufacturers close for 2 – 4 weeks at year end for yearly facilities maintenance, i.e. painting, re-sealing floors etc… things that normally can not be done during production times. They have tried to make a huge deal out of a customary yearly shutdown to scare unknowing people into thinking they are about to close their doors for good. And yes, during these shutdowns they will be paid.