Auto Bailouts

I think you hit a tender spot with all of my friends up there in Michigan. I can understand their concern Here in Pittsburgh, the steel capitol of the world" the government sat by and watched every steel mill in the "Steel Valley" fold up and never lifted a finger to help. In fact, they tightend the polution requirements to the point where going under was inevitable. It eventually put me and most small bussinesses that were steel related or depended on the steel workers paycheck to make their money, out of business. It is definatly the domino effect.

OK then, Jasen you'll be happy to know I went out and took a good long drag on one of my Camel's before I sat down to put my two cents worth in.
Let me begin by stating that the corporate jet deal is like complaining that the paint is turning color on your exhaust ports just after you painted your engine, get a life it's small peanuts it's going to happen. Next the unions caused all this why should we bail them out, forget it, it rates lower that the exhaust paint BS.
We're talking about completely decimating an industry that has gotten us though wars and has brought about some of the most up to date "stuff" in the world. Now I'm not a union person and I'm not saying that there is nothing wrong with the way these companies are run, they have in fact made wide sweeping changes in how they do business but of course just like the presidential race you only hear what the news wants you to hear.
I work at a small manufacturing plant, as of last Friday we lost one shift, basically in hours and people, we are non union, and we don't have any releases booked for January. In the manufacturing sector that more or less means you'll be at home come January. If the loans don't go though you will see the unemployment rate triple in a month's time, you think your house is worth nothing now, don't breath to hard or you walls will cave in come February because there won't be anything to hold it together.
Now I can understand how somebody not involved in the auto industry to be upset, but it is a loan, but hey, lets not give them the money, I just find me a nice car board box to go call home, have a fire sale, maybe somebody in the group will own a nice 442 post, forest green other than me, that's the way life go's take the good with the bad, only it's been bad here for a long time.

Took two cigarettes to finish this, that's why my response took so long. Although it is kinda long winded. Guess I'll be quiting smoking too, won't be able to afford any of those luxuries.

I wish someone would give an honest, up to date non biased report on this. All I hear is people dont want Detroits cars and their quality and milage sucks. Over 9 million people worldwide bought a GM car last year. More than any other automaker. Someone must like them. They get slammed for making trucks and SUVs, vehicles people LOVE and bought by the millions. If you were running a company would you give the people what they want or what you think they need. They needed small cars but they didnt want them. The all holy Toyota even built a plant to make trucks so they could get a piece of that money train.

The Big 3s quality is way up and sometimes above the Japanese. Even milage is up and on par. But you dont hear that anywhere except here in Detroit. Nationwide Detroit is a dinosaur that still makes car that run on leaded gas.

I even hear people say the Japanese will pick up the slack and keep all these suppliers in business. Hey Jeff, has Toyota called and made an order yet??? I already know your answer. BY the way Toyota is slashing production and firing temp workers down in Kentucky. So dont count on any money from them anytime soon.

Yep, its only the Detroit cars nobody wants.

Had to put an alternator on the brown bomber the other day. What a piece of crap, the alternator only lasted 30 years. Wheres the quality? ;D

Just had the F-250 patched in the only 2 places where Ford didn't have a better idea. It'll have to serve me for a long time to come. It's a V10 getting 14 around town. Not too shabby for a 3/4 ton.

OK, now for my $.02-worth.
First, don't forget this crisis was not caused by the big3 (or any other major manufacturer!). The overinflated housing market that collapsed due to the fact that investment banks and mortgage banks were loaning $ to anyone, whether or not they could really pay the loan, caused mass forclosures, starting the "wave", or "domino effect" we're seeing now. So, it isn't really the fault of the car industry in general & why should the federal gov't bail out some of the biggest causes of the crisis & not help one of the industries that's a major part of the economy?
Unfortunately, GM is an exception here. They were losing money when the economy was booming & couldn't get it turned around! They've even siphoned several billion off their European subsidiary (Opel), putting a profitable part in massive cash flow problems- now the German gov't will have to bail them out! It's not really as much a quality/technology problem- it's a combination of public perception AND inefficiency!
For me , bottom line: Like it or not, we'll have to AT THE MINIMUM bail out Ford & Chrysler- they're just too important to let go under. Think about all the jobs that would also be lost in the subcontractor area. The difference between losing all those jobs, both in the big 3 & their suppliers compared to keeping AT LEAST the majority of them would more than offset what that many unemployed would cost, in terms of unemployment compensation, tax revenues AND gross national product. The consequences over the next few years would be simply DISASTROUS!!!.
As far as getting the gov't out of the way, that's what got the economy in this jam to begin with! If the gov't hadn't allowed the investment banks & mortgage companies to make home loans to virtually anyone, we wouldn't be in this mess! Means: THAT'S where the gov't SHOULD HAVE stepped in! Thanks, George & cohorts!

Ralph

Non production work. Sounds like a jobs bank to me. Toyota is doing this also, pay for non production work. The Big 3 get hammered on this issue. I guess its okay for the Japanese to do it. Ill bet you wont see any outrage in the papers and on the cable news stations about this.

Im on pension (until the wife gets hers) but I have worked in auto parts for the last few years..I would say the quality went out the door when business owners started buying cheap crap from China...its all crap...the stuff from japan is high end unless they had it made in China...

The sad part is that when you and I see Delco we think QUALITY!....but it isnt any more!.... a lot of the sub assemblies come from the crap in China and maybe mexico? So who suffers? GM...cause people associate Delco with GM...

If I see made in the USA...I buy....I would rather pay a few bucks more for a superior made in the USA product then cheap out on junk...

Now Im from Canada...but as far as Im concerned we are all brothers in the same boat....More than 10% of the population in Calgary is American and I have relatives in Oklahoma...heck my dad was in the US Army during WWII and in Sicily...Im quite proud of my heritage.....so our countries have closer ties than some people realize...

Maybe some new blood down there will good for all....and maybe the owners of all these companies will start producing in the USA again creating jobs and quality products....anyway thats my rant from up North