This was an editorial in today’s Democrat and Chronicle.  The unions have become far too powerful in this country.  70 years ago, when no regulations were put in place to protect the worker, they were necessary.  Now, they are a main reason why corporations like General Motors are going down hill as fast as they are.  The only true way for General Motors and Ford to be successful is to vastly scale back health care and pensions for retirees.  Before one bolt is put into a GM car, the first $3,000 of the car is for pension and health care costs.  How can they succeed?  They can’t.  Companies like Toyota and Honda, who have no overhead costs, and a product viewed by many as superior, are in much better position to handle these hard economic times.  If GM were to simply slash the prices of their vehicles, they would not be making enough money on each car due to the high overhead of pensions and health care.

Let’s be honest here, does a company like GM, truly owe the retirees free health care and a pension?  NO.  All GM owes its’ employees is a paycheck at the end of the week.  The retirees were given that while they worked there.  This sense of entitlement by union leaders is sickening.  The fact that they continue to preach to the American public that they “deserve” free health care and a pension can only infuriate a person who has worked all their life, saved their own money for retirement, and continues to work for a company who assists them in paying for health care costs.  I truly feel “middle Amercia” has no sympathy for this group.

In terms of the $25 billion bailout for the car industry, where would that money go?  Would it basically be the taxpayers keeping GM afloat and pay the salaries of the workers?  The Federal Government cannot force the American public to purchase, in my opinion, a lesser quality vehicle from GM over Toyota.

Does anyone else think Obama and Pelosi will dip into Social Security to fund all these bailouts?