Hoping to drum up public support for auto bailout

(NEWSCHANNEL 3) - There is a fair amount of debate as to whether the U.S. auto industry should receive a financial bailout, but some local auto dealers think the bailout is a good idea.

On Thursday evening, Newschannel 3 received an e-mail calling for people to sign a petition in support of a bailout.

Companies like GM are pushing for the bailout because they say they need the money to stay afloat and they hope the on-line petition to lawmakers will get them the money they seek, not as a bailout but as an investment in an industry that so many rely on.

Justin Tapper of Tapper Automotive in Paw Paw is on the front lines of the auto industry, as a dealer he's trying to sell cars in the toughest market he's seen in decades. While he's watched Wall Street and large investment banks get so much, he wonders why a flagship industry like the automotive industry has gotten so little.

"It's more just disappointing," Tapper said, "it's so clear to someone like myself where this money should go and it's not going there.'

The government is weighing legislation to help the auto industry, but Tapper is hoping that an e-mail petition will marshal support to push it through.

"The e-mail was basically to inform you, here's what's going on in the auto industry, here's what's going on with GM in particular, if GM fails the domino effect would take place," Tapper said.

The e-mail says that if GM were to fail, millions of jobs, not just at GM, would be lost. Local governments would lose tax base and auto industries here and abroad would fail or stop production.

Industry analyst George Erickcek from the W.E. Upjohn Instititute for Employment Research also knows West Michigan would be hit.

"We do have a lot of suppliers, first, second and third," Erickcek said, "and I'm afraid many of these will hurt."

Erickcek insists that GM's not going away, it could be restructured into a leaner, meaner GM, but Erickcek says "the real problem won't go away, that is the fact that you and I, and neighbors, are not buying cars."

Even if it is a temporary fix, the auto industry is looking for anything and the government is the only one that can give it, so dealers are hoping that Americans will send the e-mail petition along to lawmakers and make that happen.

"It's definitely just an easy way for somebody to say 'you know what, I am a concerned American, I'm concerned about America, here's my letter about how I feel,'" Tapper said.

To view the on-line petition, click the link here.