Local Car Dealers React to Possible US Automaker Bail Out

On the heels of a bailout for financial institutionsthe big 3 American automakers will go before congressional committees this week to ask for a $25 billion government loan.

But is this bailout the best solution? The answer may depend on where you work.

Sturdy cars made right in here in America helped drive the country through the great depression.But now the companies who made those cars Ford, Chrysler and General Motors are asking for help from the government.An automaker study found if the big 3 go under 3 million jobs will be lost in the first year.

When we caught up with Tim Kelly from Kelly GM he was just finishing an email to Senator Bob Corker to tell him about the misconceptions behind this bailout.

"These are extraordinary times what essentially has to happen is that they need a bridge to get them through in the same way that a lot of financial companies have had," said Kelly.

But a lot of consumers - and congressmen are skeptical.

USA Today's auto industry reporter Sharon Silke Carty outlined 5 issues automakers must compromise on to save their companies before they can get any bailout money.

1.Pay workers less. Right now you pay several thousand dollars on a new car for unions alone.

2.Pay auto executives less. Remember, just a few weeks ago they came to Washington asking for money in private jets.

3. Set their sights on the future, by making more green, fuel efficient cars.

4. Find a way for southern congressman, who are benefiting from foreign companies moving in, to see Detroit's side of the picture.

5. Close some dealerships. A recent survey found Ford had twice as many dealerships in the country as Toyota. But Toyota outsold Ford by 8 to 1.

Many say cutting the amount of dealers won't help.

"Dealerships are not a cost to the manufacturers. We buy all of their cars. We are the customer of the manufacturer just as much as a consumer is our customer. So reducing the number of dealerships won't help in any way," said Kelly.

Even foreign automakers say if they don't want to see the big three go under because that would be bad for business.

"Toyota does not want the big 3 to go under. There's too many jobs at stake and there's a cycle of life that counts on that part of the economy," said Salesman Patrick Shadrick from

Experts say federal, state and local governments could lose $156.4 billion if the big 3 don't survive. But others opposed to a Big 3 bailout wonder . Where does it all end?

Many dealers we spoke with say they have seen a steep decline in sales. Today Ford and Toyota released their latest numbers. Ford is down 31%. Toyota is down 34%.