B. Higgens, your plan is interesting but OBVIOUSLY RIDICULOUS. It's a nice idea to have everyone start from zero again but that is not how it happens or will happen. There were plenty of rich folks during the depression who preyed on the rest  by basically holding the gold and making the rules. Get the facts straight and then come post again.

I bought 10,000 GM shares last week......If I lose it,it wont really hurt me but the stock will go up again people......and then I will make a profit.

Don't discount the obvious and take a moment to look at it.

The reason they do not want employees to purchase stock is that it is prime opportunity to become an employee owned company.

If just about every employee had a vote in who should be CEO and board members how strong do you think the company would be.

Look at Google and like kind. You now longer can operate a successful company using a business model that is "management to employee based" thus creating a disconnected hierarchy.

Actually, GM does NOT have a "fully funded employee pension plan". With the erosion of the value of it's investments, the GM Pension Plan is seriously underfunded. GM's Defined Benefit Retirement Plan is presently underfunded by approx. $4,000,000,000 (4 Billion Dollars). GM is certainly not alone with this problem. The following is a list of large defined benefit plans which are seriously underfunded;Ford $12.6 Billion Unisys $1 BillionGoodYear Tire & Rubber $2.2 BillionBrunswick $300 millionThese numbers were as of November 5, 2008.This is a moving target based upon the daily change in values. When the investment markets recover, and they will someday, gains in the market values help reduce the underfunded liability.Another very interesting measure is the total amount of the promises made under these retirement plans verses the market value of the companies making these promises. GM Total Pension Obligations $96.2 Billion, GM's company value $3.1 BillionFord's Pension Obligations $63.5 Billion, Ford's company value $4.6 Billion. It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT for all to understand that the pension obligations are backed by assets held in trust for future beneficiaries of the retirement plans. The information above DOES NOT mean that since GM is only worth $3 billion and they promised $96.2 billion that the rest of the money they have promised will not be paid. This is merely comparing the value of GM today to the pension obligations which they owe to all due money in their defined benefit pension plans.I make this point to simply address the comments made by others that GM's pension is fully funded. In reality, with the dramatic decline which has taken place in the investment markets, which has wiped out trillions of dollars of value, few defined benefit pension plans are presently "fully funded".FYI, there are two major types of retirement plans many workers participate in. They are the the Defined Benefit type of plan, which is where you work for 25 years and then you get a specific amount of money each month for the rest of your life. This is the older style retirement plan and I doubt few workers under age 40 will ever have this style of retirement benefit. This is the style of plan where the responsibility for the future income payments to employees and retirees is the responsibilty of the sponsoring employer.The second common type of retirement plan is the Defined Contribution style of plan, which are commonly known at 401(k) plans, 403(b) plan, 457 Plans a/k/a Tax Sheltered Annuities (which some teachers, some municipal workers, some hospital workers, some police and fire workers, etc. have). This is where the amount you contribute is determined and limtied to a percentage of your pay and hopefully matching contributions and profit sharing contributions from employers go into your account and the results of the investments you pick determine how much (or now sadly how little) you will have when you retire.

So There!   And......So Their!  (just for good measure)

For all of you who don't want to "bail out" the Big Three, you need to consider the alternative.  Millions of jobs of individuals who will not be able to buy the services or products that YOUR company provides, which will in turn lead to YOUR company downsizing, and put YOUR job at risk.  But then you could drive your Toyota's to the unemployment line and at least you wouldn't break down on the way!  I also don't understand when a government LOAN became a BAILOUT.  Oh well, you are probably the same people who put nothing down on your house and got a VHA or FHA mortgage.  Nothing wrong with the government helping you, but it's a sin when they try to help millions others keep their jobs!  Do your research before you form an opinion based on myths and hype!

Bust the union, do we really need to pay a person $30 to tighten a screw.

 Bailing out the big 3 is insane. These parasites have fed from the rest of us long enough!!!  Why should the rest of us that are making a much smaller income weaken ourselves to give to them. Their other AMERICAN COMPETITORS are costing their companies as much as 30.00 per hour less Hmmm...  I say let them chop wood or freeze to DEATH. Thats how the free market works ,DETROIT!!!  The little people should unite NOW.

The Glass Cieling flew in on a million dollar wing and a prayer (No plan). Now driving back to DC together in a Toyota.

Why shouldn't GM employees use their pensions to invest in and save GM. Employees and the union should be the first to protect their jobs. No they want tax payers to bail them out and protect their  pensions while our 401K and retirement plans have totally gone down the tubes. I had to provide for my own retirement and have lost everything but union members think tax payers should  protect union member pensions. Why can't tax payers retirement they worked so hard for be protected before they have to protect someone else's. I realize the Democrats will protect the union and sell the tax payers down the sewer to protect those who always votes and  contributes to their party. I haven't been able to purchase a new vehicle in twenty years but understand why, when the price of new vehicle must include all those CEO perks and bonus's plus employee salaries, pay when not working, Insurance, 4pension  and free Viraga.  If GM, the Unions and Union members can't save GM on their own without government bailout they all should go down the tube together and leave us taxpayers alone.