President Bush today announced that Detroit would gain access to some of the TARP fund.  He is allocating $9.4 billion to GM and $4 billion to Chrysler.  The White House expects officials from GM and Chrysler to sign the papers this morning so they can gain access to the cash later today.

The loan terms are for three years, but if GM or Chrysler fails to present a viable plan by March 31 they’ll have to pay the loans back in full.  Just one of the conditions of the loan.  The automakers are going to have to renegotiate their union contracts and the contracts with any debt they owe.

On many occasions President Bush has said that he disagrees with a bailout, and that in times of good economic growth he wouldn’t approve any kind of bailout.  But during a recession it would be a mistake to let an employer of so many workers fail.

“Government has a responsibility to safeguard the broader health and stability of our economy,” he said. “If we were to allow the free market to take its course now, it would almost certainly lead to disorderly bankruptcy and liquidation for the automakers.”

“In the midst of a financial crisis and a recession, allowing the U.S. auto industry to collapse is not a responsible course of action,” Bush added.

There were rumors that Bush would only approve a bailout that consisted of a chapter 11 for GM/Chrysler.  The government would provide the two with debter in posession loans to go along with a structured bankruptcy filing.  It is unlikey that GM nor Chrysler would agree to such a deal and would try to raise cash to operate until President Elect Obama took office.

Terms and Conditions

The  terms of this loan are very similar to the bailout that failed to pass in the senate.  The executives at GM and Chrysler must agree to limit compensation (Chrysler’s Nardelli already makes $1 per year) and give up perks like corporate jets.  Both must also issue warrants, which convert into non-voting stock, to the government.

The automakers must also prove that they can be viable by March 31 and will have to submit plans by February 17.  The White House is suggesting that the automakers reduce their debt load by 2/3 and renegotiate their union contracts to be on par with the foreign automakers (who have no unions to deal with)  that they compete with.

Last week the senate denied the automakers a $14 billion emergency loan (it was actually coming out of the $25 billion loan that is already promised to them, but not being released) saying that the UAW is to blame because the UAW woudn’t make more concessions.  The stock market and the value of the dollar seem to be going up and down with the news as it comes out.  Bailout likely, stocks/dollar up - bailout fails, stocks/dollar down.  While the majority of people polled are against the auto bailout it would seem that our financial markets support it.

Originally the automakers wanted access to TARP, the $700 billion nest egg that congress set aside for banks if they wanted some of it.  TARP would’ve been easier if it were approved by the treasury a month ago.  Back then the treasury balked at the idea saying that TARP was only for financial institutions.

So congress went into action, held two sessions with the CEOs of Ford, Chrysler, and GM, and after many iterations finally had a plan that most of them agreed on.  They talked with the White House and made sure that the executive branch approved of the deal (really, the executive branch got what it wanted - they wanted the money to come out of the $25 billion loan that was already approved).  Then it breaks down in the senate.

What’s the President to do?  He already had the deal he wanted, then congress said no.  So now it looks like the treasury is going to reverse it’s stance on using TARP to help Detroit.  Why would the president do this?  I think it’s partially because there are no other options, but I also think it’s because he wants to remind congress who’s in charge.  Congress put all kinds of rules in place for TARP and the executive branch is basically ignoring them to help the ailing auto industry.

The senate didn’t pass the bailout legislation yesterday citing unwillingness of the UAW to take pay cuts to bring them inline with the Japanese automakers pay.  Nardelli sent a letter to his employees, here is what it said:

Dear Employees:

We are all obviously disappointed in what transpired in the Senate last night. While a majority of Senate members supported the bridge loan request (52 in total, including 10 Republicans), the required 60 votes necessary were not achieved. While concessions from all key constituents were a condition of the loan, attempts to negotiate specific industry cost concessions during Senate consideration failed, leading to the breakdown.

Despite this setback, we will continue to make our case in Washington that an immediate, short-term bridge loan is critical for Chrysler to survive the current financial crisis and is just as important to the health of the overall American economy. We also will continue our discussions with the White House and with the Treasury Department, and will continue to seek funding options for Chrysler and Chrysler Financial through existing programs including the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP).

To that end, we were pleased to see the commitment from the White House in the following statement released today:

“It is disappointing that while appropriate and effective legislation to assist and restructure troubled automakers received majority support in both houses, Congress nevertheless failed to pass final legislation. The approach in that legislation provided an opportunity to use funds already appropriated for automakers, and presented the best chance to avoid a disorderly bankruptcy while ensuring taxpayer funds go only to firms whose stakeholders were prepared to make the difficult decisions to become viable, competitive firms in the future.

Under normal economic conditions we would prefer that markets determine the ultimate fate of private firms. However, given the current weakened state of the U.S. economy, we will consider other options if necessary - including use of the TARP program — to prevent a collapse of troubled automakers. A precipitous collapse of this industry would have a severe impact on our economy, and it would be irresponsible to further weaken and destabilize our economy at this time.

While the federal government may need to step in to prevent an immediate failure, the auto companies, their labor unions, and all other stakeholders must be prepared to make the meaningful concessions necessary to become viable.”

I also want you to know that we are in on-going discussions with the presidential transition team, and key members of the incoming administration are aware of the importance of addressing the short-term and long-term viability of our industry and our company.

All of us can help with these efforts. First and foremost, we must eliminate every unnecessary cost in every aspect of our business. While a bridge loan is critical to manage through this financial crisis, we must continue to manage the factors under our control. Continued cost reduction is important to ensure the future viability of the company. At the same time, let’s not forget that we have a solid plan for recovery and viability, great products in our pipeline and the most dedicated people in the business. Let’s all maintain our commitment to each other to work toward a great future for our Company.

I also would encourage every U.S. employee to take a minute today and call the White House comment line at (202) 456-1111, or send a note to the White House at comments@whitehouse.gov. Voice your support for immediate action to assist Chrysler and the millions of Americans who depend on the automotive industry. Urgent action is needed to prevent the failure of this important industry that provides $293 billion in annual economic benefit to this country. Please tell your friends and family to do the same. Together, we will make our voices heard.

Thank you for your continued support.

Bob

Source: Allpar

Chrysler submitted their plan today to congress that outlines how it plans to become more healthy.  Chrysler has a good chance of going under without some kind of federal aid like it received in the early 80s.  In order to remain viable it is looking for $7 billion in loans, less than Ford and much less than GM.  The cost cutting measures Chrysler has already done are proving to be a big help right now, but the current recession coupled with the frozen credit markets are something that Chrysler did not have a plan for.  Here are the key points:

Mr. Chairman, members of the Committee, I appreciate this opportunity to address the current economic and financial crisis, the impact it is having on the automotive industry, and the need for immediate action.

During the 15 months I’ve been part of Chrysler, and since we’ve emerged as the first privately held American auto company in 50 years, I’ve been proud to work with a team of dedicated men and women determined to restore this 83-year old, iconic American brand to its rightful place in the automotive industry.

We are asking for assistance for one reason: to address the devastating automotive industry recession caused by our nations’ financial meltdown, and the current lack of consumer credit, which has resulted in the critical lack of liquidity within our industry.

With credit markets frozen, our customers – average working Americans – do not have access to competitive financing to purchase or lease vehicles…our dealers do not have access to market competitive funding to place wholesale orders for new vehicles…resulting in the constriction of cash inflows to auto manufacturers. At the same time, Chrysler has billions of dollars in cash payment obligations every month to pay wages, to pay suppliers, to fund health care and pensions, all in the range of $4 to $5 billion per month.

This crisis has already driven U.S. sales to a 25-year low. In 2008 alone, our volume domestically has dropped from 17 million units to 11 million – a 38 percent decline. That volume drop is more than the total U.S. sales of Ford and Chrysler combined.

Therefore without immediate bridge financing support, Chrysler’s liquidity could fall below the level necessary to sustain operations in the ordinary course. This would put at risk health care coverage for retirees, which is part of Chrysler’s nearly $20 billion total health care obligation, $2 billion in annual pension payments to our retirees and surviving spouses, approximately $7 billion in current payables, $35 billion in future annual supplier business, and 56,600 direct Chrysler employees earning $6 billion in wages.

Independent research firms have quantified the fallout of a domestic auto maker bankruptcy to the overall economy, and the impact is devastating: 2.3 – 3 million in lost jobs, $275-$400 billion in lost wages, and $100-$150 billion in lost government revenue.

But this is not a good option for Chrysler, and more importantly, for the auto industry or the broader economy – for the following reasons:

1. We believe that retail sales would be impacted materially as a result of declining consumer confidence, and we will be forced to heavily discount existing inventory to move our product.

2. Given our common supplier base - at Chrysler, 96 of our top 100 suppliers are common to Ford and GM - the bankruptcy of any one domestic automaker would place enormous pressure on the supply chain and, consequently, that company’s competitors.

3. Our factories would likely be idled for a significant period of time while we renegotiate contracts with each of our thousands of individual suppliers.

4. Restructuring and reorganization costs and expenses will be materially higher in connection with a Chapter 11 process: supplier and dealer support and marketing costs will increase, general economic dislocation will follow and significant fees and expenses will be paid to an army of bankruptcy professionals.

5. The overall amount and cost of financing the restructuring will be significantly higher in a Chapter 11 process than the working capital bridge we are requesting here today.

6. And finally, we cannot be confident that we will able to successfully emerge from bankruptcy.

That’s why as an industry we are requesting a $25 billion working capital bridge to survive this liquidity crisis. However, both our private equity owner and I believe that while the immediate bridge financing is critical, the long-term solution to the industry’s problems and challenges requires industry consolidation and cost rationalization to eliminate excess industry capacity and redundant costs.

I would expect Congress to insist that the American taxpayer be protected. We are willing to provide full financial transparency, and welcome the government as a stakeholder – including as an equity holder. We are fully prepared to comply with the current conditions and policies already put in place as mandated by the government, under the recently enacted Emergency Economic Stabilization Act.

Our private equity owner, Cerberus Capital Management, L.P., has made it clear that it will forgo any benefit from the upside that would, in part, be created from any government assistance that Chrysler LLC may obtain. The principal of Cerberus Capital has stated that he will enter into legally binding agreements requiring the contribution to the government of the General Partner’s future profits interest related to Chrysler LLC which he might receive if any are ever earned.

Immediately on the separating from Daimler in August 2007, and being new to the automotive industry, I recognized the need to question and sometimes challenge the status quo, and seek significant opportunities to improve performance throughout the business. We began an aggressive restructuring and transformation of our business as an independent American auto company.

During the first 60 days, we approved more than 400 line item design changes, representing an investment of half a billion dollars in improvements to our products’ reliability, durability, fit and finish, and consumer appeal. We offered our customers a lifetime powertrain warranty to build their confidence. Due to a focused product quality improvement effort during the past year, we’ve seen our warranty claim rates drop by
29 percent and the improvement trend continues.

We made tough decisions to reduce operating costs and adjusted production schedules immediately. We prioritized every product investment with a strong emphasis on improving energy security and environmental sustainability by introducing advanced powertrain technologies, while at the same time we discontinued four vehicle models. We also identified over $1 billion in non-earning assets to sell and we’re more than 75 percent toward achieving that goal.

Since 2007, Chrysler has reduced 1.2 million units of capacity, which represents over 30 percent of our previous installed capacity, and which resulted in the elimination 12 production shifts. Over the past 10 months alone, we’ve reduced our fixed costs by $2.2 billion, and unfortunately, by the end of the year, we will have furloughed over 32,000 employees. That is the most gut-wrenching part of this job, to see the effect on the lives of good men and women who lose their jobs through no fault of their own, but because of the actions the Company is forced to take in these difficult times.

We have increased our manufacturing productivity to equal Toyota as America’s most productive automaker in terms of hours of assembly per vehicle, and our recently negotiated labor agreement was an important step in making our cost structure more competitive with transplants by 2010.

To further enhance our product portfolio, support growth and improve our cost structure, we continue to aggressively pursue strategic alliances and partnerships with other companies. I believe more restructuring and consolidation is required for the industry to be viable in the long-run. We would welcome the opportunity to have an open discussion with the new Administration and Congress on a collaborative approach to restructuring that would ensure any Government resources invested in the industry are used efficiently and help achieve important national public policy objectives.

It is equally important that the lack of liquidity to provide loans and leases to customers and financing to dealers is addressed immediately. It is imperative that our affiliated financial companies receive access to competitive liquidity and financing capacity. They must in order to provide credit to our customers - average working Americans - and support wholesale orders from our dealers.

Historically, over 90 percent of all new vehicles were purchased or leased with financing assistance, and the lack of readily available financing has simply frozen sales. A perfect example of this consumer credit crisis is that 20 percent of our revenue disappeared overnight when our finance company was unable to offer leases. These sales literally vanished.

At Chrysler, 75 percent of our dealers rely on Chrysler Financial to finance their business, and 50 percent of all customers finance their vehicle purchases through the Chrysler Financial. Normally, these loans and leases are securitized and sold in the secondary market to generate fresh liquidity and financing capacity.

Today, there is virtually no secondary market, and therefore, no way to raise capital. Money is not available for dealers to finance their wholesale orders, invest in their facilities, and hire and train employees. Competitive loans for the average working American – our customers – are virtually nonexistent. This has directly and dramatically depressed vehicle sales, putting at risk not only auto manufacturers but also the widespread network of suppliers, vendors. In Chrysler’s case, 3,200 entrepreneurs…small businesses owners called dealers, and the approximately 140,000 people they employ in every state across the country. The National Automobile Dealers Association estimates more than 700 of them will go out of business by year end. If we don’t secure a bridge loan, all 13,600 dealers are at risk.

There are 4.5 million people depending on this industry, and without assistance, nearly three million of them could lose their jobs in the next 12 months, according to a research memorandum published November 4, 2008, by the Center for Automotive Research. Failing to act now will hurt many American families and undermine our country’s economic recovery, far outweighing the costs related to supporting an industry that touches every district in every state of the nation.

The crippling of the industry would have severe and debilitating ramifications for the industrial base of the United States, would undermine our nation’s ability to respond to military challenges and would threaten our national security. Chrysler has long contributed to our national defense. Our Jeep® was an indispensable part of our nation’s efforts in World War II and Korea.

Immediate financial assistance will serve the country and the economy directly in two key ways. First, the lifeblood of the U.S. economy will continue to flow. The industry will be able to continue to pay at its current levels $22 billion in annual wages to our employees, $13 billion in annual pensions to our retirees and surviving spouses, and meet our current commitment of $102 billion in healthcare costs to employees. We will continue to pay $156 billion annually to our suppliers and work to keep them strong by providing significant additional financial relief for distressed suppliers fighting to stay in business.

Second, America’s auto companies are investing in innovation. Capital investment in new technologies, improved operations, and future product will be able to continue, including a combined $12 billion in annual spending for research and development. As an industry, we are moving full speed ahead to make the transition to advanced propulsion vehicles that will help support national energy security and environmental sustainability goals.

Chrysler plans to emerge from the current downturn as a lean, agile company. We are, and will continue to be the quintessential American car company. Currently, 73 percent of our sales are in the U.S., 61 percent of our vehicles are produced in the United States, 74 percent of employees work in the U.S., 78 percent of our materials are purchased in the U.S. and 62 percent of our dealers are based in the U.S.

Today, Chrysler has a very strong pipeline, with a product renaissance for 2010. In September we revealed our ENVI electric vehicle program, and announced that we will begin producing one of these electric-drive models for North American consumers in 2010. This underscores our commitment to deliver environmentally friendly, fuel-efficient vehicles to customers, and to meet this social responsibility faster and more broadly than any other manufacturer.

Today we are asking you to help us bridge a chasm created by an unprecedented financial meltdown. We are also asking you to consider investing in a company that will deliver real results for the American taxpayer.

I recognize that this is not an insignificant amount of money. However, we believe this request is the least costly alternative considering the options we face… with less impact on human capital, and would provide stimulus, as opposed to further depress the economy.

Thank you very much.

Cerberus Capital Management LP, wading into the politics of a U.S. auto-industry bailout, would give up any profit on a future sale of Chrysler LLC should the company receive federal financial aid.

Chrysler also expects the U.S. government to take a stake in the company in any rescue, CEO Bob Nardelli said yesterday. Federal backing for a merger between Chrysler and General Motors Corp. was discussed before GM ended talks last week, people familiar with the matter said.

The no-profit pledge may help ease opposition in Congress to helping the industry, because Cerberus is a buyout firm. Cerberus founder Stephen Feinberg “has basically gone on record saying he would forfeit” profit from a sale under a bailout, Nardelli said at a conference in Palm Desert, California.

“This is a sign they need the money and are willing to do anything to get it,” said Dennis Virag, president of Automotive Consulting Group in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Taxpayers won’t want to let “a private-equity fund reap the profit,” he said.

Chrysler, which isn’t required to report financial results, has indicated it lost at least $1.08 billion in the first half. Cerberus acquired 80.1 percent of the automaker from Daimler AG in 2007 for a $7.4 billion investment, about a fifth of what the Germany company paid for Chrysler nine years earlier.

Source: Bloomberg

A few days ago the leaders of the three Detroit automakers sat down with Democratic leaders to discuss their dire situation.  It seems that they’ve done what they intended to do.  The leaders sent a letter to the treasury asking it to use part of the 700 billion bailout for financial institutions to help out GM/Ford/Chrysler.  However, given that GM has already asked the treasury and been told no, I doubt that this will work.  Still, it means that congress will probably do something, whether it be now or when Obama takes office.  The transcript of the letter is below:

Dear Secretary Paulson:

We are writing to request that you review the feasibility of invoking the authority Congress provided you under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) for the purpose of providing temporary assistance to the automobile industry during the current financial crisis. Under EESA, Congress granted you broad discretion to purchase, or make commitments to purchase, financial instruments you determine necessary to restore financial market stability. A healthy automobile manufacturing sector is essential to the restoration of financial market stability, the overall health of our economy, and the livelihood of the automobile sector’s workforce.

The economic downturn and the crisis in our financial markets further imperiled our domestic automobile industry and its workforce. On Thursday, we separately met with the leaders of the automobile industry, and its top union representative, to discuss the financial challenges confronting the industry and its workforce, and possible actions to address these challenges. We left the meetings convinced that our nation’s automobile industry - the heart of our manufacturing sector - and the jobs of tens of thousands of American workers are at risk. Friday’s news of the automobile industry’s record low sales figures only reaffirm the need for urgent action.

Were you to determine that the automobile industry is eligible for assistance under EESA, we would urge you to impose strong conditions on such assistance in order to protect taxpayers and maximize the potential for the industry’s recovery. An automobile industry that is forward-looking and focused on ingenuity, competitiveness, and the creation of green jobs for the future is essential to its long-term viability. Other taxpayer protections should mirror those required of financial institutions currently participating in the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP), such as limits on executive compensation and equity stakes to provide taxpayers a return on their investment upon the industry’s recovery. Any assistance to the automobile industry should reflect the principles contained in EESA that guard against the need to recoup costs to the taxpayers.

We must safeguard the interests of American taxpayers, protect the hundreds of thousands of automobile workers and retirees, stop the erosion of our manufacturing base, and bolster our economy. It is our hope that the actions that Congress has taken, and that the Administration may take, will restore the preeminence of our domestic manufacturing industry so that it can emerge as a global, competitive leader in fuel efficiency and in new and path-breaking energy-efficient technologies that protect our environment. We appreciate your serious consideration of this request, and look forward to your response.

Best regards,

NANCY PELOSI       HARRY REID
Speaker of the       House Senate Majority Leader

Source: AP