New GM Poll: Most Americans Support an Auto Industry Bailout
Poll results released by General Motors today clearly indicate that the majority of Americans think the government should provide bailout loans to the auto industry and that without those loans the “Big 3″ (GM, Ford, and Chrysler) will go bankrupt.
In a random survey of 804 American adults conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates and commissioned by General Motors (PDF), there is broad support for bailing out the the American auto industry — and even broader support of President-elect Obama’s plans to make sure “the American automobile industry continues to be able to operate.”
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Some key findings:
- 55% of people surveyed said that the government should intervene and help the Auto Industry with loans. Only 30% said the government shouldn’t intervene, and 15% were unsure.
- Interestingly enough, when the question was “Do you agree with Obama’s plans to provide economic assistance to the auto industry?”, the number agreeing rose to 64%.
- 60% of Americans believe that without help, the auto industry will go bankrupt.
- 55% of Americans think that providing bailout money to the auto industry is “just as important” as providing it to the banks.
- Most people agree that the manufacturing base provided by the US auto industry is key to the US’s national security.
The survey also finds that the majority of Americans think that if the Big 3 were to go bankrupt, the US economy would likely fall into a depression.
Well, this is an amazingly sore topic with many of our readers, but I’m wondering what your reactions to this are? Are you one of the silent minority that feels we should just take our lumps and pony up to rescue the industry? If we do, do you think we should attach conditions on to that money? Should we force the auto industry to start making more plug-in, clean diesel or CNG vehicles?
Or do you think we should let them go bankrupt so that a new era of auto manufacturers can take over? Come on folks, if you’re an American it’s your money. So you’re vested in this decision whether you want to be or not.
Source: GMfactsandfiction.com
Image Credit: Photo Mojo’s Flickr Photostream under a Creative Commons License
I am unsure how this poll was done, but I have yet found anyone for the GM bailout. Most say heck no, not just no. Thinking about bailing out GM makes me ill. Please count my VOTE as NO! to bailing out GM.
Paying these execs a dollar a year is overpayment. I think we should get a refund of the money payed to them over the last 10 years. Where is all the profit from the past 30 years? And one thinks that a 30 billion loan is gonna be payed back, no way. It is money down a rat hole. As far as loosing 3 million jobs, that is car salesman talk. Most of us Americans are not just gonna sit on our arsh. On top of all this, it is gonna take 2 plus years just to sell the cars we have built, much less build more!
I too conducted a poll and 100 said this comment rocks. I suspect my poll was about as impartial as the GM one.