On Monday, President Obama rolled out his plan to save the failing U.S.
automakers and while it has been a prime rib lunch for the bankers, it
could be the soup line for many autoworkers, as Obama said no we can�t
to the reorganization plans of General Motors and Chrysler.
Blaming what he said was a failure of leadership, from Washington to
Detroit for bringing the automakers close to collapse, Obama made it
clear he is willing to offer some degree of support to General Motors
and Chrysler but warned they must restructure much faster or end up in
bankruptcy court.
Obama�s experts concluded last week, that the Chevy Volt, the electric
car being developed by General Motors is too expensive to survive in the
marketplace and declared that GM was still relying too much on high-
margin trucks and SUVs, and that Chrysler�s best hope was to merge with
a foreign automaker, Fiat. They also decided that GM CEO Rick Wagoner
needed to go.
Obama has given GM 60 days to determine what to do about its massive
amounts of debt, get concessions from workers, slash dealers and cut its
list of auto brands. The company also must prove it can make money in a
normal sales market.
Chrysler is pretty much on its own and has just 30 days to complete its
proposed deal with Italian car maker Fiat, or else federal funding will
dry up. The administration said it has determined that Chrysler can�t
make it as a stand-alone company.
HOPE?
What we are asking is difficult, Obama said in his announcement of the
auto plan Monday morning. It will require hard choices by companies. It
will require unions and workers who have already made painful
concessions to make even more. It will require creditors to recognize
that they cannot hold out for the prospect of endless government
bailouts Only then can we ask American taxpayers who have already put up
so much of their hard-earned money to once more invest in a revitalized
auto industry, he said.
GM�s new CEO, Frederick Fritz Henderson, said Monday after Obama�s
announcement, that the government�s increasing demands that GM get debt
off its balance sheet means there is a very high risk that the company
will have to reorganize through bankruptcy.
Henderson told reporters on a conference call that the company still
would prefer to restructure outside of court. We need to move faster and
even deeper, he said. Our job is to run with that.
The unemployment rate in Michigan is currently 12%. Michigan voted
overwhelmingly for Obama last November�s election in the HOPE that Obama
would help turn those numbers around, but a GM bankruptcy, a Chrysler
liquidation and Obama�s plan to close more auto dealerships and
factories can only make that figure grow.
Autoworkers We LGBTI�s feel your pain.
On Fox News Sunday this past weekend, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
was asked why there is currently money in the 2010 budget to keep
enforcing the military�s Don�t Ask, Don�t Tell (DADT) policy,
particularly since Obama has promised the LGBTI community he would
overturn it.
Gates said It continues to be the law. And any change in the policy
would require a change in the law. We will follow that law whatever it
is. That dialog though has really not progressed very far at this point
in the administration. I think the President and I feel like we�ve got a
lot on our plates right now and let�s push that one down the road a
little bit.
So it would now appear that the autoworkers will be joining us LGBTI�s
aboard the SS those who backed Obama during the election and got really
screwed this week by him.
Note that thanks to Obama's competence, GM is happily opening new
manufacturing facilities in China, and more American auto workers have
since been kicked to the curb.
He did the same thing to workers in Iowa, AFTER he suckered them into
voting for him.
--
Nancy Pelosi, Democrat criminal, accessory before and after the fact to
Rangel's tax evasion.
Let face it Americans do not want to buy small cars. Look at every
manufacturers best selling cars, foreign or domestic, it is their MIDSIZE
car that sell best.
Manufactures that build or assemble vehicles in North America must subsidize
the selling price of their small cars, so people will buy them, for the
company to meet CAFE.
The fact is the build cost of a small car is not that much less than a
midsize car, but they must be sold for thousands less so buyers will buy
them. Who would buy a small car that costs a relatively few dollars less
a per year for fuel, when they could buy a comparably equipped midsize car
for $2,000 more, if the small car was priced properly?
Every manufacturer makes their profit based on it economies of scale.
Lowering the profit on a car by thousand of dollars to subsidize small cars
that buyers would not buy, at the price they should be selling. That
screws things up.
As it is the imports have an unfair cost advantage, in that they import most
of their parts and materials as well as most of their small, and all of
their midget cars, from low wage countries. The Japs have an ever greater
advantage by being able to take the profits, earned in the US, back to Japan
federal Corporate Tax free.
"Leroy N. Soetoro" <leroys...@usurper.org> wrote in message
news:Xns9CB5D5240B...@202.177.16.121...
He's more likely to tighten, not loosen CAFE requirements though. He is,
after all, the savior of the world.
I actually prefer a smaller car because I think they are easier to drive
(more maneuverable) and usually do have better fuel economy than a
bigger car. And let's face it, fuel economy is important, especially in
times like these when the price of fuel could jump up to $4.00/gallon or
more like it did in 2008.
I just think it makes good financial sense to save money by buying a car
that isn't a gas guzzler..
What get me is the logic of some buyers. They will buy stuff made of shore
by foreign corporations, but will complain if an American corporation makes
some of its stuff off shore
Either way, they are giving away the jobs of their children and grand
children. LOL
"Ed Pawlowski" <e...@snet.net> wrote in message
news:2sWdnbmoncDbKnDX...@giganews.com...
"Eric O." <eric.o...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:hckfk9$ko8$1...@news.bbs-scene.org...
I really dont like the large cars at all. Like driving a boat.
Is that a hint that Obama's credit line has almost run out? Good deal,
this debt-corruption-spend is slowly setting up America for the big
fall. $1.3 trillion added to debt in under a year.
If someone really wanted to save GM & Chrylser, they should have started
5-10 years ago. Now they are failing leaches a sucking hard on taxpayer
financed debt.
Government/Bank/Debt Despression 2008-20xx.... It will end after we
flush the bad down the toilet.
> If BO really wanted to help GM, he could issue an Executive order relieving
> it from CAFE for five years. GM midsize and large cars, as well as their
> trucks, are already beating the imports on fuel mileage, but CAFE is forcing
> manufacturers to build small cars to meet the fleet average.
But you are ignoring the fact that people are not buying GM like they
used to. CAFE or not, the competition deals with it just fine.
Trouble is GM is now synonymous with looser, a self fulfiling policy.
While the board is gone, the same executives remain.
Look at the reasons why they are not buying GM an more, usually one or
more of the following reasons all made by GM:
- been burned by GM poor quality in the past
- seen others hit by above
- if GM goes broke again, your stuck on waranty and depreciation
- even GMAC is blood sucking taxpayers
- brand image, GM is charging their problems on taxpayers bad, don't
feed the hand that bites you and your family.
- GMers in North America can't seem to make money, only loose it.
- could be you are one of millions that GM owed you money and you never
got paid.
- you might have lost your last job as a supplier because GM didn't pay
its bills
- GM isn't paying taxes to help with roads, education or anything, just
a big hungry leach.
- maybe a dealer or mechanic who lost their jb for gross negligence of GM.
Then you have the moral issue. Enron mistated the books and SOX was
born to attempt to get integrity in financial reports. Yet Wagoner
doesn't get charged even after a private lawsuit won (but never
collected) on GM financial mistatements. Hell, even NorTel has execs
charged, but GM is f scot free.
Stinks to high hell of conspiracy and corruption to defraud the
taxpayers. Tehy probably can't arrest Wagoner as he knows too much
about the events that lead to GMs downfall, too many of the wrong heads
will roll if the right people talk.
Me, I like my heavy F150, loaded with extra 4x, heavy suspension, big
wheels, hitch etc.
But that is the beauty of it. You and I can choose what we want for our
own needs. Big mouth Obama isn't going to change our needs in a vehicle.
Which is one reason why GM is going to skid on the Volt. I doubt given
it's TCO they will sell many. GM has to forget the magic bullet isn't
there to save them. They need to get back to the basics. And it is as
simple as:
Make what the customer wants to buy! Re-examine this daily and respond
quickly. Do this while making a profit and you survive. Otherwise cust
the loses and fold up.
Right now people want inexpensive commodity reliable vehicles. Start
making them or let the India and China imports come in.
"hls" <h...@nospam.nix> wrote in message
news:GvydnWGtF8dLnXPX...@giganews.com...
"Canuck57" <Canu...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:WeBHm.4505$Yy6....@newsfe02.iad...
"Canuck57" <Canu...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:lnBHm.4506$Yy6...@newsfe02.iad...
And falling, I believe Ford is about to overtake GM.... GM should have
an ad, "Falling like a rock..."...
And still loosing money, BO sooner or later is going to be forced to
stop the BO mesiah thing as the US can't afford to keep this turkey afloat.
> DUH! GM is still the number one seller in the US, dummy.
Might not be by year end.... sinking ship. Tick-Toc-Tick-Toc...
> And falling, I believe Ford is about to overtake GM.... GM should have an
> ad, "Falling like a rock..."...
>
> And still loosing money, BO sooner or later is going to be forced to stop
> the BO mesiah thing as the US can't afford to keep this turkey afloat.
Ford is beginning to look damn powerful. They just posted a profit of
something
like a billion bucks.
And their cars just got kudos in America for reliability.
Forza! Ford.
That is sustainable at best but a good turn. They need $1B of
operational profit just to service their debt and that ight not be
enough. But good news none he less.
Trouble with unions is they think that it is party time, when Ford has
over $100B in debt to service, $1B does not go that far. Ford needs to
buy down that debt ASAP or it will be the next casualty. As interest
rates are not going lower, the opposite is almost a certain event.
Time to get lean and mean or die. Or like GM, suck on taxpayers harder.
"Canuck57" <Canu...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:%VVIm.4048$gg6....@newsfe25.iad...
You are so dumb, GM does not make a profit. Hasn't for quite some time.
"Canuck57" <Canu...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:kJ2Jm.3301$ky1....@newsfe14.iad...
> You mean they wrote it off.
>
> You are so dumb, GM does not make a profit. Hasn't for quite some time.
>
> Mike Hunter wrote:
>> Are you really that slow? Obviously did buy down its debt in the last
>> quarter since they show a profit in the quarter. LOL
>>
>> "Canuck57" <Canu...@nospam.com> wrote in message
>> news:%VVIm.4048$gg6....@newsfe25.iad...
>>> Trouble with unions is they think that it is party time, when Ford has
Neither one really makes money. You just don't know how to read
financial statments and trust the first Liberal urinalists viewpoint.
"Canuck57" <Canu...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:DMnJm.8235$_b5...@newsfe22.iad...