[meford4u]

If the two of you can't grasp the reality and understand what would happen to Southern Ontario, let alone most of the American midwest, if the car bailout didn't occur, then I am sorry but the economics of it all would be disastorous. Were not talking about layoffs, like they have done already in massive numbers at the Big Threee, but a collapse of one or more of the Big Three.

In Oakville and the surrounding area of Burlington, Hamilton, Milton, Mississauga, Brampton, I could go on, but Ford and Chrysler drive the economic engine for these communities. Just imagine if they weren't there anymore. In Oakville alone, to cover what Ford pays the township in land taxes, the average homeowner would have an increase of $875 per year without Ford. And that's just land taxes.
We also help employment by spending locally. We buy our clothes, feed our kids, I think the two of you get the point. Without these jobs, people would leave and yes, Oakville would become a ghost town.
So where does that leave us with the bailout? You think that money is yours? We pay huge amounts of income taxes as a workforce. Does that give us the right to expect that $$$. Of course not. But we pay into that cash cow of a government and if needed, we want something in return for our tax dollars as a trade organization. The bailout the government gives us will be paid back in income taxes before the end of our contract. If we went tits up, no income taxes and a long term hole in the income tax system would mean that somewhere, we all would suffer as taxes collected would definately fall.

As for living in the rat race, you have your choices and I have mine. I want a higher standard of living for my family and I work hard for it and my family enjoys the virtues of my hard work. Choices Adam, just choices.

As for telling me the great virtues of what you pay for off your paycheque, you told me that you paid for extra insurance coverage(everybody does that) and dental. Again, not much of an argument there. If your doctor/dentist charges above what your insurance company will allow, then you pay out of pocket, just like those of us in the union do. We will now be paying an additional $30/month for our benefits package. Do you have to pay anything every month for benefits, and not the benefits over and above what your employer provides you already as a base?

You guys argue so much for the hatred of the union. Why? In effect what they do for Ford/Chrysler/GM is have a system in place that negotiates for all the employees. Not one on one and would end up being a huge process. They certainly aren't the bullies anymore, God forbid. And you two make it sound like the unions asked for the bailout?