Detroit Three--Thanks for the Memories

RegularFolksUnited ^

[nateriver]

Four generations of my family worked in General Motors Plants. My great grandfather, grandfather, father, brothers and I all worked for Buick Motor Division in Flint, Michigan. After working my way through college at the Buick Engine Plant, I became an economic analyst and then a supervisor at another GM plant. My family was so loyal to General Motors that we considered a Ford a foreign car. This is why it makes it particularly painful for me to say that there should not be a bailout.

[bronxboy]

Chapter 11 = death of Auto industry. Is that what you really want?

[abb]

[bronxboy]

Sorry-won’t happen. GM bankruptcy= death to company. This is a fact-millions of job’s lost.

[bronxboy]

GM has higher quality rating than Toyota.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

In its present form, it needs to die. We went through this 20 years ago with the steel industry. Short term pain, for sure, but steel continued to be made. Iron ore continued to be mined. The car plants will have new owners and MAYBE fewer dealers and fewer lines of products.

[JamesP81]

Sorry-won’t happen. GM bankruptcy= death to company. This is a fact-millions of job’s lost.

The jobs are going to be lost, period. That cannot be avoided. I just don't see how bankruptcy means GM goes out of business. There's a big difference between bankruptcy and closing the doors.

[FrankR]

"Union Thugs spent $ 400,000,000 of stolen union member money getting Obama elected. They are simply demanding that they get what they paid for. "

They probably spent that money with the promise that they would get it back from the "bailout". Maybe, just maybe, that's why the bailout "timing" was such that it was, to reassure the unions that they would get their "investment" back if they would just help the "one" get elected.

I know that's "tin foil hat" stuff, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least.

[kcvl]

GM Spends $17 Million Per Year on Viagra

http://tinyurl.com/h5pul

Jobs bank programs — 12,000 paid not to work

Big 3 and suppliers pay billions to keep downsized UAW members on payroll in decades-long deal.

http://tinyurl.com/cbksn

[Pietro]

having spent some time working in GM plants I can say Ms. Roman has relayed only the tip of the iceberg.

Chapter 11 is probably the only way anything can be salvaged.

[Revolting cat!]

Hey, let's not diss the Volga!

[bronxboy]

Selling out your country for cheap trinkets is foolish and unpatriotic.

[joe fonebone]

I used to have one of those!!!! I loved the car, but i broke it in half...

[Eric in the Ozarks]

A Rooskie Chrysler ?

[joe fonebone]

Have you actually LOOKED at the vehicles, or is this just your FEELINGS..........

[KYGrandma]

You people do not realize that you are dooming us auto industry retirees to poverty. Our retirement income will be reduced dramatically, and our 401K’s are already decimated. Don't tell me it's our own fault. Management forced us to make cars we didn't like, and the union's wouldn't let us do anything else. Another thing, if you dummy's would have bought American cars instead of Jap cars we wouldn't be in this mess. The quality numbers difference is only .001. I bet most of you haven't even looked at nor driven an American car in the past ten years. Thanks for making me poor. Don't bother replying as I am shutting down.

[No Socialist]

I know someone that works for GM and loves it when they pay him to take time off. They also pay for him to take college courses during the down time...pretty good deal. I also know someone that makes over $100,000 per year plus benefits to be the checker at the end of the assembly line. A monkey could do that. Time to let the automakers sink and restructure with a working business plan. Unfortunately, most government jobs are the same model as the auto makers. We’re going to be paying for this big time in the future. In the meantime, employees of small business will continue to have frozen salaries and limited benefits so we can pay for the pork.

[wny]

I’ve owned 6 GM cars. Bought 3 new, 3 used. Used cars all had under 30,000 miles when I bought them. Not one of the 6 got anywhere near 100,000 miles without needing major repairs of over $1,000. My new Saturn was the best. I put 85,000 on that one before I had to pay $1,400 to fix it - over 10% of the purchase price. Now I have a ‘06 Camry. I bought it with 14,000 miles 28 months ago. Odometer just turned 77,000 miles this weekend. It’s needed nothing but gas, oil, a light bulb, windsheild wipers and a set of tires.