"Indiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock revealed this week that his state's police and teacher pension funds have lost millions of dollars in the Chrysler `restructuring.' Indiana's State Police Fund and Major Moves Construction Fund, which finances roads and bridges, together lost more than $1 million. And the Teacher's Retirement Fund 'suffered, at a minimum, a loss of $4.6 million due to the action of the Federal government,' reports Mr. Mourdock. Far from being speculators, these funds represent retired public employees, including cops and teachers. The funds paid a premium to buy 'secured' status, only to discover that they were politically outranked by the United Auto Workers in the White House hierarchy. `In the past, to be secured meant an investor was first in line in the event of a bankruptcy and `non-secured' creditors would receive value after secured-creditors were paid,' Mr. Mourdock says. `In the Chrysler bankruptcy, however, secured creditors received $.29 on the dollar even as non-secured creditors [the UAW] received higher values and ended up with a 55% ownership of the new company, which is fundamentally wrong and a dangerous precedent to the capital markets.'"

Apparently "merger of equals" means that Benz steals all of the new product ideas in development, and applies them towards their brand first, and then allows Chrysler to use them after the "newness" has worn off.

Three workers from Chrysler Group LLC's Jefferson North plant were arrested recently for alleged drug use during their lunch break after police were tipped off by the automaker.

The workers were arrested on Jan. 24 but have not been formally charged, said Det. Lt. Robert Honey, of the Michigan State Police's County of Macomb Enforcement Team.

The arrests mark the second publicized instance of apparent drug use at the Detroit assembly plant in six months. Last fall, FOX 2 TV captured video of workers from the same plant drinking and smoking what appeared to be drugs during their lunch break. Chrysler fired 13 workers as a result of that incident.

Police said Chrysler contacted them last month after the Auburn Hills automaker received a tip about more alleged drug use at the plant, which employs 2,600 workers and produces the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango sport utility vehicles.

"Our office did surveillance on them and observed them go to a house in Detroit," Lt. Honey said. The workers may not be identified because they haven't been arraigned, he said.