...along with a SPECIAL FREE GIFT with every purchase!!!
Posted on 12/03/2008 5:40:54 AM PST by St. Louis Conservative
Lawmakers plan to stage more inquisitions again this week, scolding Detroit auto executives for everything from product design to travel expenses. Not that the Democrat-controlled Congress intends to let them go bankrupt. That would hurt the unions more than any other campaign contributor, and labor unions just raised $80M to get Obama elected. The UAW PAC alone spent $11.5M this year on Democrat candidates, including a $3M ad campaign for Obama, so congress inevitably will acknowledge those "bribes" with a taxpayer-funded bailout.
But that inevitability won’t let the auto company CEOs avoid more symbolic water-boarding. Torturing auto execs benefits lawmakers in three ways: First, public opinion is against bailouts, so the hearings let lawmakers pretend they are spending this taxpayer money reluctantly, rather than gleefully; Second, since union leaders already have ginned up militant “solidarity” among workers by vilifying management, the hearings let lawmakers obligingly reinforce the union’s portrayal of management as greedy and evil; And finally, lawmakers always want press coverage.
As lawmakers compete for sound bites on the evening newscasts, we almost certainly will hear that tired phrase, "Detroit is building products that nobody wants." That may have been true back when Detroit had no US competition, but foreign challengers over the past few decades forced dramatic changes. Today, Detroit builds products that everybody wants: multiple brands, models, and dealer networks. In fact, Detroit probably will have to reduce the variety of choices it gives consumers in order to gain some competitive efficiency.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Everybody wants? Sorry I haven’t wanted a Detroit product in quite some time.
RE “The UAW PAC alone spent $11.5M this year on Democrat candidates, including a $3M ad campaign for Obama, so congress inevitably will acknowledge those “bribes” with a taxpayer-funded bailout.”
The entire story. Now that’s the BEST investment anyone could make in america. $11.5M for maybe 100B, that’s 10 to 1.
We’re very happy with our Ford Focus. Have been a Ford owner since 1978 when we happily gave up our Oldsmobile. We get good gas mileage, incredible performance on the interstates. Before we moved to our house a couple of years ago, the lady who owned her Japanese made car had it in for emergency service pretty regularly. Our Ford just kept on trucking. Besides, I wouldn’t buy anything but an American made vehicle. I’m told that the reason recalls aren’t publicized for Japanese vehicles is because they aren’t required. And I don’t care if the cars are assembled here in American plants. The corporate profits go back to Tokyo. So there are still lots of people who prefer to buy American made cars. Always will.
Detroit builds products nobody wants???
Bullcrap!!
My wifes 2008 Escape is awesome! Replaced a 2004 Escape which was great also. My 2006 F250 is a great truck. Does exactly what I ask it to do.
If I was buying a car, a Fusion would be my top choice, over the Malibu. Even the Camry, comparable in price don’t give me a buying jingle.
The truth of the statement is that Detroit builds cars and trucks the government don’t want us to have. For government to force us on the GREEN donkey cart they just strip us of domestic oil production. Force oil prices to skyrocket, and leave us with an alternative plug in car with limited range. Then they can control our movements easier. Plug in cars require POWER PLANTS, which government will not issue PERMISSION SLIPS TO BUILD.
Why does DC think that everything starts with them??
Don't be so hard on the unions. Where would we be without the NEA?
P.S. I disagree with the UAW PAC money going to the politicians. But then, I’m opposed to the lobbyists’ power under any circumstances.
And the UAW is going to have to make concessions if they want their employees to have jobs. The UAW benefit package is another matter.
But when you talk about the UAW you aren’t talking about the quality of my Ford.
Ditto. Last Detriot product I bought needed two transmissions in it's first 100,000 miles alone (and I was keeping up with the factory scheduled maintenance the whole time). I'll stick with my Hondas, and their 250,000 mile life expectancies, thank you!
Everybody? Why am I always the exception. They don't make a truck that makes me want to replace my Tacoma. They don't make a van I like better than the Honda Odyssey. They don't make a smaller car I like more than the new Honda Civics. I really like the Corvette and some models of the Mustang, but I'd rebuild an early '70s Firebird or a '69 GTO before I'd buy either of those.
The only way I'd be interested in something from Detroit is if the Big 2.5 declared bankruptcy and re-organized themselves to be the smart competitive companies they need to be, instead of begging for our tax dollars.
Since there is no required bankruptcy and a related UAW exorcism GM/Ford/Cerberus will be back with their hands out just in time for the 2010 campaigns and we will be only too glad to point out who failed to do this bailout the right way the first time for a mere pittance of campaign cash....
They are building products that “people” want but cannot afford under current economic and credit conditions. Simply put, people bought vehicles they couldn’t afford and didn’t really need. Leases are nice and for companies and self-employed they offer certain advantages but for the suburban housewife, does she really need a new ride every 3 years? Used to be that you bought a vehicle, paid it off after 5 years then turned it in or held it until the repair bills made it inefficient.
I can understand why GM and Chrysler are there with their hands out, but Mulally should just stand up from the table at one of these hearings, tell the Chair to get stuffed, and walk out. Ford doesn’t need the money, and certainly doesn’t need the headache that comes along with Government control.
...along with a SPECIAL FREE GIFT with every purchase!!!
I think it was high gasoline prices that caused those problems you cite. Democrats got fuel economy standards because high gas prices gave them an opening to ‘do something’. (BO’Reilly was calling for outlawing SUVs.) Low gasoline prices are not helping them now because no one is buying cars. But dems can push those fuel standards as part of bailout. It’s heads I win, tails you lose .
Plus the unions now get >100B for the 10M they invested in election.
Nope.
At the time of this writing (17 November 2008), the waiting list for new Prius Hybrids averages around six months....The argument that Detroit was building gas guzzlers in response to public demand is simply not consistent with the reality on the ground. In fact, the Big Three management is more insulated from reality than Washington politicans, which is saying something.
Testify,Brother Freep, testify!
Cases in point the Pontiac Aztec and soon the Chevy Volt. The Aztec must have been designed by the same AMC group that gave us the Gremlin and Pacer. The Volt is a feel good project but few consumers will want a small $30K+ vehicle with only a 40 mile range.
Better double check your math. It's almost 10,000 to 1.
100,000,000,000 to 11,500,000
Even if the originally suggested bailout of $25 billion is correct, that's still a healthy ROI.
High oil prices sucked billions of dollars out of the American economy. High oil prices in major part, caused the crash. Oil maxxed out peoples budgets and caused a lot of people to choose between transportation and a mortgage.
Nobody wants or needs more credit when they can’t pay the bills they have now.
Not one word about high oil prices damaging our economy from the government. Not one word.
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