Posted on 03/02/2009 5:39:27 AM PST by MindBender26
This is segment of transcript of Bob Schieffer's interview with Rahm Emanuel yesterday AM. Is this not a setup for business failure and nationalization or just plain nationalization?
- - - - - SCHIEFFER: Back now with the White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.
Mr. Emanuel, General Motors is now losing $100 millions a day. They have already spent, we are told, two-thirds of what they have already received from the government. And we're hearing they want some more. They're now asking for another $16 billion. Is the president going to do that? Because the question I have is, how long does this go on?
EMANUEL: As you know, the panel of experts we've assembled on the auto industry is working with GM and the others on their plan. The president has been very clear, though, what his priorities are. They have to have a viable business plan, on a going-forward basis, and it's going to require a sacrifice from all the parties involved to do that.
But here's the other thing I think that people should see, in both GM as well as the others. They never invested in both alternative energy cars. They got dependent on big gas guzzlers. They didn't do -- they have a health care cost structure that's outdated.
And as, sort of, an example, we talked earlier, Bob, about the fact that their health care system is affecting their business and their employers -- and their employees, rather.
And it's an example, in my view, of what the president's saying for this country. The day of reckoning, of making sure that we had a policy on energy independence, a policy that ensures that our health care costs were under control and our ability to make sure that coverage was expanded to those who are uninsured, as one way to also bring costs under control -- that is the challenge we face as a country.
Is it GM specific?
The president wants to see a business model that, on a going-forward basis, is cognizant of the market and that all the parties made the sacrifices necessary for that independence. The panel of experts are now meeting to go over those plans and help them develop something -- or review what they're doing before any other decision is made.
SCHIEFFER: So you're saying, unless they change their ways drastically, unless they come up with a new model, no more money.
EMANUEL: Basically, over the last 20 to 30 years, they had a strategy that has gotten them to, I think, a very unfortunate position both on health care costs, new types of cars, weaning themselves off of basically gas guzzlers to energy-efficient cars. And they're making those changes now, when everybody said, for the last 20 years -- but it's a wake-up call which is clear -- what the president said on Tuesday night. It's a wake-up call to America. Do we want to have an energy policy...
SCHIEFFER: So they have to do something different?
EMANUEL: They have to... (CROSSTALK)
EMANUEL: Wait a second. The plan is in front of the panel of experts, which is where it should be (inaudible) basically making sure that the restructuring is a viable restructuring plan.
#1 Fail because they make cars America wants buy, which is not making cars the Al Gore wing of the Dem party wants them to make, but people will buy.
or #2, make cars the radicals want GM to make, but no one will buy!
In any case, the so called "Panel of Experts" decrees them a failure... and Obama takes over!
No they are for a socialist takeover of all free enterprise.
At the rate GM is going, they are making Amtrak, the TVA and the USPS look great.
Well, as we learned during the campaign regarding the coal industry, it appears that with all things, you will either do it bo’s way or he’ll bankrupt you.
Way to go America!
You’re wrong about the people not wanting to buy these cars. If that’s all that gets built you’ll have no choice. Lada or Yugo comrade. Your choice!
It DOES seem that although GM cars have great design and engineering sophistication, their assembly (build) quality is below Ford’s - on a par with Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth. Time to pull the plug!
Rahm and Barry, you can’t make us buy GM’s crappy union made cars, so there!
Sounds more like a way to get government takeover of health care down our throats: “Business needs government health care to help the economy recover”.
Very old trick.
1) Determine the outcome that you want.
2) Seek out a panel of experts.
3) Convene well-publicized meetings with experts.
4) Announce the outcome that you arrived at in Step #1.
5) Tell everyone "Hey, a panel of experts came up with this!"
Negotiations with GM are a tool to get nationalized healthcare. Whether GM lives or dies is quite incidental to the whole matter.
I mentioned about a week ago of the conversation with a very high ranking exec of one of the giants in the insurance companies and he informed me that GM will be making ‘’throw away’’ cars made in both China and here in the U.S. They will cost around 3K and will be considered to have a life of one year. All the parts are ‘’green friendly’’. I see this formulating more each week.
I have always owned GM cars. Their build, design, and quality have always been superior. The only expenses I have had with over 100k on each of them, has been brakes, tires, and oil changes.
Nothing has fallen off, dripped out, or just plain broke. Except a cup holder that I pushed the wrong way.
I am not saying Ford isnt as good, but I havent had problems with GM cars.
I still fail to understand why any conservative would buy anything made by any union when they know that the money is going directly to funding anti-conservative causes and politicians. I steer clear of the union label for this reason, as well as quality issues.
“I gave up on GM years ago because they could never make a reliable, quality vehicle.”
We had the opposite experience with GM. We had a Tahoe that we drove for 7 years and then passed it down to our son and he drove it 5 years. It had over 200,000 miles on it and was still running fine when he traded it in. It was a great vehicle. The only prob we had with it was the dash got a little loose towards the end(rattled) and the inside door handles kept breaking. Other than that it lasted a long time!
You nailed it.
If GM had any integrity at all, they’d just say outright that it’s unprofitable to them as a company to operate here in the US, and therefore we’re closing down all US Operations. And that’s it. No more endless benefits and pensions for 1 million unproductive retirees, no more being strangled by the UAW. Just pack up, leave the USA, and make cars everywhere else in the world you can that’s profitable.
Let’s see what happens then :)
A health care COST STRUCTURE that is outdated! Give me a break! It isn't the cost structure that's outdated, it's the health care benefits! They are driving the automakers into the ground. UAW retirees (all 780,000 of them), get gold plated health, dental, vision and hearing benefits for LIFE! No Medicare for them! Their plan is so padded that they would be taking a big cut if they had to go on Medicare. Well, I am so sorry about that. But, when my money is being used to pay for those Rolls Royce health plans, I say it is time for them to go on Medicare at age 65, just like the rest of us.
GM put Honda or Toyota decal on cars nobody will ever know sales increase.
Shh...that will be next. You will be forced to buy the glorious reincarnation of the Lada (the infamous Soviet car) or take public transportation. Either way, you will be paying for it. This will come sometime after the "Not the Fairness Doctrine Act" reduces your choices of television viewing to two channels. The first one being the O-Network (all Obama, all the time - currently known as MSNBC) or that other channel telling you to switch to the O-Network (with apologies to Yakov Smirnoff).
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