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• Saturday, December 13, 2008 07:09 AM

  Putting country first?

  First of all, the bailout is meant to get us through the recession, helping keep the auto co.'s in business at least until then. If they fail then, it would be bad for the economy, but if they fail now it would be catastrophic. The senators trying to bust the unions won't even support their own, and the country's, economic self-interest. Anyway, there's plenty of time for Detroit to fail after the recession. But, the Republican strategy is to help cause our economy to tank, then blame Dems.

  Second, I see little in the way of evidence for claims that UAW workers make way more than non-union workers in the U.S. UAW makes about $55/hr., including benefits, and non-union make about $45/hr. UAW has made significant concessions and in the future will be equivalent to non-union.

  http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/10/do-uaw-workers-make-73-an-hour-does-it-matter/

  http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=1026e955-541c-4aa6-bcf2-56dfc3323682

  Third, the Republican senators are singling out the unions for busting, although as pointed out earlier, the bailout is about saving the U.S. economy not about busting the unions. Busting the unions through denying a bailout will seriously damage the U.S. and world economy. The senators are acting distinctly unAmerican for ideological reasons. Sometimes I wonder if Shelby is a registered lobbyist for the Japanese govt. They would sacrifice all of us, and themselves, because of their manic hatred of unions.

  Well, looks like Bush will come to the rescue anyway and use TARP.

  —bbrock Read bbrock's other letters
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