Government Motors

[Paul_N]

"We have no interest in nationalizing the Auto Industry"

 

[FaviaFreak]

I was a UAW worker for 8 years with DiamlerChrysler, the American Auto Industry did itself in by being greedy and not developing hybrids sooner, instead they left themselves hang out to dry with gas guzzling SUV's and Pick-Ups as their bread and butter...came back to kick them in the you know what

 

[Paul_N]

IMO hybrids would not have made a difference enough to save the company. They have/had way too many other issues. I'm just ticked that the US govt used the opportunity to take control of the company. We could have went down this road last year without any Govt involvement at all.

 

[cloakerpoked]

You can't have a business that doesn't make money when it sells its product. It sort of seems like common sense to me, and I think that the first time a kid has a lemonade stand, he realizes this fundamental truth. The problem is that the auto industry was losing money on every car they sold. Since it was a business, and not a public service, this is unacceptable. Union wages and executive bonuses and salary should have been the first things to be reduced in order to make the company viable again. I don't say this because I'm anti-union, but because having a job with a little less money is better than not having a job at all (i.e. what's happening now). They should have been proportionate though, with the execs taking a larger cut since there's more there to cut. The fact that they flew to Washington on charter planes just kinda goes to show how out of touch with reality the high level management of many companies really are.

 

[Paul_N]

You can't have a business that doesn't make money when it sells its product. It sort of seems like common sense to me, and I think that the first time a kid has a lemonade stand, he realizes this fundamental truth. The problem is that the auto industry was losing money on every car they sold. Since it was a business, and not a public service, this is unacceptable. Union wages and executive bonuses and salary should have been the first things to be reduced in order to make the company viable again. I don't say this because I'm anti-union, but because having a job with a little less money is better than not having a job at all (i.e. what's happening now). They should have been proportionate though, with the execs taking a larger cut since there's more there to cut. The fact that they flew to Washington on charter planes just kinda goes to show how out of touch with reality the high level management of many companies really are.

+1 My company froze our raises, cut bonuses, and eliminated some positions when things were tight. I wasn't happy but like you said, it was better than not having a job at all.

 

[buck50bmg]

I was a UAW worker for 8 years with DiamlerChrysler, the American Auto Industry did itself in by being greedy and not developing hybrids sooner, instead they left themselves hang out to dry with gas guzzling SUV's and Pick-Ups as their bread and butter...came back to kick them in the you know what

Yea, keep drinking the Kool aid..... and the unions actually help the bottom line.... the unions are the reason for the collapse of the auto industry, they are way to big and powerful and no longer needed in this day and age. Everyone blames the company, take a look at the workforce and compare it to normal everyday America. Im a Electrical Engineer, I got my degree while I served in the submarine force, I busted my a** to get to the point I am, and today I got laied off today while uaw workers are sitting on their a**es collecting 90% of their pay, while I have to fight to get unemployment.

I cant stand how people think that its all about scre**ing the rich and big companies. They pay your bills, without them you are nothing.

As for the whole green BS, I drive a Jetta TDI (diesel) I got it in 06 and in 07 the goverment outlawed them because of "polution". Now in 08 they started to let the "greener" TDI's in the country. I get 45-50 mpg, I talked to someone who just got a new one and hes getting 35-45 mpg, funny how the greener car has a lower MPG......

Also no matter what GM or any of them produce, if its not what the customer wants (SUV, Truck etc....) they will never make any money, you can force the customer to choose green autos. And thank God the American People have spoken and will continue to speek, that is untill Obama raises the gas tax and cafe standards and gets his little fingers in every part of big private bussiness.

Im done ranting, thank you Comrade....

 

[Poseidon]

My point of view is this, several States depend on GM/Ford/Chrysler to PAY people to work there. Those folks earn a good wage and from there spend their cash at McD's, buy houses, snowmobiles, etc...

If ANY of those 3 fail, then it is NOT JUST THE GM jobs that go away, it is the folks that work at McD's, build houses, sell snowmobiles, that lose THEIR JOBS as well.

I don't think that the government asking for something in return for what will be OVER 40 billion dollars worth of investment is unreasonable! If you had the cash, and GM came to you and asked for $40 billion, wouldn't you want some ownership as well?

I have a feeling that we will have to agree to disagree on this, as I am sure you have your reasons, as I have mine, however I am sure we can both agree that posting our opinions on a reef board is not going to help or hurt the decisions that have been made, or are yet to be made. I for one am happy that the Government has stepped in, and even if they do "own" GM, it will at least keep my state afloat for the short term. However, 6 of the 12 plants CLOSING are in MI, so things are going to get VERY TOUGH around here, and I can' imagine that PA is far behind as it too is a Manufacturing state.

 

[buck50bmg]

 

[revhtree]

While I understand frustrations and you wanting to share your views on these subjects, we do not allow political discussion due to the fact that people get their feelings hurt easy. Thanks for understanding.