But, the government may get paid back, which means in the long run the auto industry bailout might have saved a lot of jobs at very little cost to taxpayers.  The new CEO of GM is already planning an IPO to raise money to begin repaying the bailout money.  If the company can sustain its profitability, this bailout might actually be seen as a smart move. 

Of course, we will most likely never see the kind of jobs we had before - but that was part of the reason the companies had such troubles.  A leaner car company that can make a profit, is certainly better than no car company at all.

Best,
Robert A. Franco
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