UAW Was 'Solely' to Blame for Collapse of Auto Industry Bailout Negotiations, Says Sen. Coburn

No, I don't think you can say it is all their fault...
But then you have people come here and say that they can take NONE of the blame.
When an "employee hour" of work at a Toyota plant cost the company $47 an hour but costs $69 an hour at a GM plant, how in the hell can you not put any of the blame on the union.
Now yes, if American car makers didn't produce complete crap in the 70's and 80's maybe they woudn't be outsold by foreign cars...even though sincee 2003 American cars have been rated at equal or higher quality than most foreign cars.
Most people here still believe we make crap and they are going to buy the "better made" foreign models.
You have to take both sides into consideration.
If you are intellectually honest you can not put ALL the blame on a "poorly run company."
The fact an American plant cost $22 an hour more employee has to count for something...

What do we do about the car industry?

Okay, you tell me what you think.

I keep hearing that it is the incompetent CEO's that are to blame...there is truth to that, but if you look at the top ten cars bought in America the "big three" own a majority of the top ten.
How on earth can you completely ignore their other costs...the costs that the foreign companies do not incur.
BOTH need to be looked at.
I don't how just giving a company money, when we know that they lose money on every car they sell is a wise choice.
The other problem is that I don't think it is fair to take away some one's pension. You promised it to them, and you can not take it away. Now, I can see some percentage cut, but then what is the percentage?
I guess I would sell it like this: Workers either take a 15% decrease in pay or a 100% decrease...retired workers take a 25 or 30% cut in benefits or 100%.
I think the numbers can be worked with, but if you do not even LOOK at that, there is NO WAY you can solve the problem.
Because like I said, you can't make money when you lose money on every car you make right off the assembly line.

MPS contract aims to improve hiring

Good.
It's not going to work, but it's nice to see MPS freeing itself, atleast a little, from the terrible union rules that send good, young teachers to the suburbs.

Budget short of two-thirds ed funding

Madison - Despite Gov. Jim Doyle's public - and repeated - promises that his budget proposal would pay for two-thirds of public education costs, an analysis released today showed that it falls short of that goal.
In a 624-page summary of the budget that Doyle gave legislators last month, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau said the state would pay 65.3% of public school costs in the year that begins July 1, and 65.5% of those costs in the following year.
Because public schools cost about $9 billion every year, each 1% equals about $90 million - money that is tight as legislators begin the process of reviewing Doyle's budget and drafting changes to it. Legislators will act on their version of the budget over the next three or four months.

All you liberal teacher union types are flat out suckers. You stand up for this filthy Governor, then you take it and take it from him and ask for more. It is scary that people that are this stupid to trust Doyle teach our children...