[Dobbs:] General Motors today announced it will offer early retirement buyouts for 113,000 of its employees. Management calls it, quote, "accelerated attrition," end quote. And it is only the latest sign of the dramatic decline of the American automobile industry and the continued assault on working men and women in this country. General Motors reporting a $10.6 billion loss in 2005. The company continues to lose market share. Hourly employees will be eligible for lump sum payments of up to as much as $140,000 depending on years of service. Bankrupt auto parts supplier Delphi also offer a buyout to 13,000 employees who can receive up to $35,000. General Motors hoping that these buyouts will help it meet its goal of cutting 30,000 jobs by 2008. Ford also planning to eliminate 30,000 jobs, Daimler Chrysler has a goal of 40,000 jobs. General Motors negotiated the terms of the buyout with the United Auto Workers Union. Employees will have up to 52 days to accept or reject the offers. Consumers personal information is a billion-dollar business for data brokers and marketers in this country. Now the Internal Revenue Service believes the information in your tax return should be for sale, to them. And for the first time, it wants to allow accountants and tax preparation companies such as H&R; Block to sell your personal information. Lisa Sylvester reports.
[Lisa Sylvester, Cnn Correspondent:] Your tax returns are in many ways a map of your entire life. How much you make, your medical cost, charitable donations. It's all there. An Internal Revenue Service proposal would allow tax preparers to sell that information to marketing companies and data brokers.
[Beth Givens, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse:] I think this is a shockingly bad idea, to allow tax preparers to sell these very sensitive documents. The information contained tells a lot about us, about our families.
[Sylvester:] The IRS ironically claims that its doing this to improve consumer protections. The agency argues that it would require consent before tax returns could be sent overseas for processing or disclosed to third parties. In a statement, the IRS commissioner said, "The heart of this proposed regulation is about the right of taxpayers to control their tax return information." But many consumers could unwittingly sign away their privacy.
[Peter Swire, Center For American Progress:] The permission here is fake permission. The accountant sets all the little tabs out there and little red tabs and says sign here in all these places. And then you sign the consent and your record is now being sold to a database company.
[Sylvester:] It's hard to see why consumers would want to have their information sold.
[Beth Mcconnell, Penn. Pirg:] I think it's incredibly significant, not only given the epidemic of identity theft that affects more than 9 million Americans every single year, but also just the barrage of marketing and advertising that consumers are already having a hard time controlling.
[Sylvester:] Consumer groups say for individuals, there's nothing to gain by having their records sold and everything to lose. H&R; Block did not return our calls for comment on this story. And there's a real sense that the IRS was trying to fly this one in under the radar. It called the change not a significant regulatory action, although most taxpayers would probably beg to differ, Lou.
[Dobbs:] Well, it is under the heading of, you can't make this stuff up. The Internal Revenue Service saying that we would be sharing our personal tax information to protect the privacy of our tax information. It's Orwellian. It's breathtaking and we thank you, Lisa Sylvester. A reminder now to vote in our poll. Do you believe as members of the Bush administration claim, that the media is to blame for the rising public opposition to the war in Iraq? Cast your vote at LouDobbs.com, please. We'll have the results for you coming up here shortly. Also ahead, another look at your thoughts and then God and politics. The Catholic Church and its controversial stance on illegal immigration and federal legislation. I'll be joined by one of the church's influential priest, who says illegal immigrants are needed here to fill those jobs that Americans just won't do. You're heard that language before. We'll be talking about whether that is truly the case and whether the Catholic Church should be so heavily invested in this issue. Stay with us.