by emersonbiggins » Tue 28 Oct 2008, 17:05:35
Let's see:
Government owns:
bad mortgages - check
bad banks - check
bad car loans - check?
How long until we go ahead and formally adopt the hammer and cicle for our national symbol?
(emphasis mine)
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')reasury working on aid for GM, Chrysler merger
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. government is considering direct financial assistance to facilitate a possible merger between General Motors Corp (GM.N) and Chrysler LLC, a private sector source familiar with Treasury discussions told Reuters on Monday.
The Treasury Department is weighing aid of at least $5 billion, which could include capital injections and government purchases of bad auto loans, according to the source, a financial policy executive who spoke anonymously because the discussions are private.
Emergency financing, at least initially, most likely would be focused on GM and Chrysler and not Ford Motor Co (F.N), which is struggling but still better off financially than its U.S. rivals, the source said.
A Treasury decision could come this week, the source said.
Separately, the Wall Street Journal reported the Energy Department is working to release $5 billion in loans to GM to help it finance the merger. The money, according to the report citing a person familiar with the matter, would come from $25 billion in financing approved by Congress last month to help domestic manufacturers make more fuel efficient cars.
An Energy Department spokeswoman said it would be "premature to estimate" a timetable for approving loans. Detroit and its allies in Congress have been pressuring the Bush administration to expedite the money, which regulators have said may not be available for six to 18 months.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said officials the Treasury, Energy, and Commerce departments have been in contact with automakers about help -- emphasizing the loan program for fuel efficient cars and the potential for Treasury to buy up bad car loans to spur new lending and jump-start
Domestic manufacturers are burning through cash and their performance outlook has worsened. On Monday, Moody's Investors Service downgraded GM's credit rating on continuing liquidity concerns.
GM shares fell 8.4 percent on the New York Stock Exchange.
Yahoo