Debate grows over bailing out GM

Much of Darrell McNair’s business is tied to General Motors, but he joined a growing chorus that says Congress shouldn’t just turn over billions of dollars to the automaker.

Any aid from Congress should include a restructuring of GM or the automaker will burn through the money and come back for more, said McNair, who owns Nescor Plastics Corp., which employs 100 in Mesopotamia and Champion.

GM should describe how it will build the energy-efficient vehicles that will sell in the future, he said. McNair noted that GM in recent years focused on trucks and sport-utility vehicles because those were profitable, but rising gas prices sapped demand for those products and left the automaker with financial losses.

He added that he thinks GM and the United Auto Workers will have to agree on wage and benefit concessions if they want federal help.

Read more in Saturday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com