William Katz: See the USA...in your Toyota? (GM is a big boy let....)

Power Line ^ | November 10, 2008 | Scott Johnson

[yoe]

Our occasional contributor Bill Katz holds down the fort at Urgent Agenda. Today he writes about the tin cup held out to taxpayers held out by the American automobile industry:

Let's see if I have this right. I, and millions of my fellow citizens, in addition to our other burdens, will now be asked to bail out the American automobile industry, which has fallen on hard times. No less a pair of automotive authorities than Nancy Hot Rod Pelosi and Harry "High Octane" Reid have said so.

Now wait. Did I miss something? I don't see where Honda, Toyota or Nissan are begging for salvation. Mercedes seems to be in business. BMW is still moving cars. Even Rolls continues to transport the Saudi royals. This seems to involve the American companies only - GM, Ford, and what's left of Chrysler.

[snip] For contrasting points of view on the wisdom of taxpayer support for the auto industry, see Professor Bainbidge's (No bailout...) and Varifrank's (Question of the day - GM or Not GM) (Via Instapundit.)

[yoe]

Let GM cleanse its self, the taxpayers do not need this added failed union and managerial mess. Let the unions take less. NO BAILOUT! Throwing more money in the pit is not going to fix GM nor save jobs it only hurts the tax payer

[brownsfan]

Screw GM.
I bought a Bonneville and was going to run it until it wouldn’t go anymore. Now with 58k miles on it, I’m sick of it breaking in the driveway and I’m trading it off on a Camry.

GM makes crap, let them pay the price.

[Dawn531]

I said to my husband yesterday, if WalMart fails, will the government offer them a bailout. They’re saying the car bailout is about jobs, but WalMart employs lots of people too. We all know WalMart would get no “deal” from the government. It’s about unions and that’s the bottom line. They (the politicians) have to pay the piper, so to speak, and reward their supporters. Let them fail, we drive a Toyota and Honda anyway because they’re better products.

[WellyP]

GM can clean it’s self by declaring bankruptcy. Same with Ford and may be Crysler. More likely Crysler will have to merge with GM, Ford , Toyota or die!

No bailout!

[FrankR]

"I don't see where Honda, Toyota or Nissan are begging for salvation

Also, isn't KIA and Hyundai both building new plants here in the USA, in Georgia and Alabama? I don't hear them asking for help either.

Hot Rod Pelosi and High Octane Reid are about helping the unions...who helped usher in the democrats.

But you've got the right idea...all the bailouts in the world won't help if WE DON'T BUY THE CARS! Operation tightbelt.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Car shopping with a GM choice available would be like TV shopping without a Zenith choice.

[TV Dinners]

agreed... Unions are killing the big three.
They should file for reorg... move from that dem controlled armpit, called Detroit to Texas and start over with NO leeching unions...

[OldMissileer]

We have watched as the American automobile companies stuck their thumbs in our eyes and built only the vehicles that were popular and could have their prices jacked up for the most profit.

I am an advocate of the FREE Market and they should be able to charge whatever people would pay, but the idiots running the companies had no concept of history as they refused to build decent smaller cars and the ones they made were always made with the least care and they refused to offer any amenities. As if to tell the consumer to screw off and suffer if he or she did not want a bloated vehicle with a larger profit margin.

All this happened through my life time while the foreign companies improved their quality and offered smaller vehicles with lots of options and great construction and warranties.

The idiots at the top of our auto companies, due to how they have set up the markets and such, only focused on short term profits and gain because they knew that if anything went bad they would still get big bonuses and huge golden parachutes when they were fired for their incompetence.

[enat]

How about Circuit City? They just filed a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. They could use a bailout to save jobs.

[Dawn531]

True, good point.

[Proud2BeRight]

I enjoy optimum quality, longevity, maintainability, power, utility, safety, in a great-looking vehicle so I have to have a great GM vehicle made by an American company. I just know that I will NEVER own a ricegrinder.

[Andy from Chapel Hill]

Fundamentally, the solution will be found in our courts, because the cause is the anti-competitive (and IMHO illegal) box that the labor unions have forced the automakers into.

I have said for a long time that the entire US auto industry should be hauled into bankruptcy court and the unions crushed. Then, consolidate into one company. Make the comp plans equal to the Japanese and German companies that assemble cars here. Let “Innovation” be the new ruling mantra. If needed, the single US company can be split later on.

I know some very bright engineers and managers that have worked for the Big Three and they say that the problems all stem from the labor unions killing the desire to innovate and compete.

I would also love to see the Court outlaw closed shops nationwide (we have a Right to Work law in NC).

[mouse1]

Let them fail - GM would thank us. Start all over and break the unions hold. I have a relative who works at GM making $20 something an hour for sweeping floors, yes, sweeping floors. You can throw billions of dollars at the problem, but until you address the cause of the bleeding, the hemorrhage will continue.

[DungeonMaster]

Glen Beck is just now saying they make wonderful cars.

[oldbrowser]

I worked at the GM Building in the early 70's and even then they were rolling out a new reorganization plan every few years. At one time this was the biggest, wealthiest corporation in the world and they have burned through all of that money and have nothing to show for it.

No amount of money can save GM or Ford as they are presently structured.

[brownsfan]

“Glen Beck is just now saying they make wonderful cars.”

He’s on their payroll. I don’t blame him, if GM gave me a car, and it was gone over to be sure it was trouble free, and they paid me to talk about their cars, I’d love them too.

I bought their crappy cars, and their dealer acted like failures were my fault.

Screw ‘em.

[Bringbackthedraft]

It’s about unions and that’s the bottom line. ....................... 25B(?) of the bailout for Union related benefits(?). Obama will try to get it, its a reward for the Unions for their voter support in the election no doubt. I don’t see any of the Japanese companies running to buy up the Detroit Big 3. Look where they build their USA plants, usually away from Union influenced areas and they shy away from former union employees. The great USA auto production age of the 50’s and 60’s is over, and without the Auto industry we are in deep Sh#t, our whole economy was based it! The big 3 better get their heads together and come up with new innovations to regain the market, if they don’t the Japanese auto industry will surpass them.

[eleni121]

GM - that gangrenous unionist label - is a leech on this country.

They cannot rid thmeselves of the union leeches so as an industrial entity they need to continue what they are doing: keep expanding abroad and leave the taxpayer here alone.

[DungeonMaster]

I met a woman who had a new Dodge Pick-up truck and she was going through the same thing. The radiator goes empty but they can’t find a leak, meanwhile she freezes on the way to work. I bet a Tundra wouldn’t do that.

[Publius Valerius]

I enjoy optimum quality, longevity, maintainability, power, utility, safety, in a great-looking vehicle

Me too!