Posted on 03/13/2009 7:01:08 AM PDT by arthurus
The coordinated world economic plan appears to be focused at the American consumer pulling all nations out of a near depression. But fundamental changes will prevent this from happening. First, as reported by The Wall Street Journal’s “Lean Factories Find It Hard to Cut Jobs Even in a Slump”, American factories are running so efficiently that foreign low cost labor is becoming far less relevant than factories being close to their customers.
(Excerpt) Read more at seekingalpha.com ...
“Disclosure: Author is long IR.”
I have a ‘happy story’. My husband (Bronxboy) will not lose his job April 1st...he will remain at GM in Ohio! Also, less people will be laid off then expected, and downtime has been canceled (days or weeks even management take with no pay)! GM has made many cuts, and we are hearing that things are going better...in terms of selling cars (GMAC financing is writing people with medium credit) and there is a belief that the economy is turning around. We expect to add a shift next year if all goes as planned and GM will be able to repay the taxpayers...you have no idea how much fat was cut...my hubbie even has to bring in his own paper, pens and pencils. All GM employees took pay cuts. Everyone was lined up in the entire plant and informed ‘we are an insolvent company-living off the taxpayer dime...no money will be spent on anything’...equipment from shut down plants is being repurposed-nothing is wasted.
Good for GM, and for you both.
Also, if you travel, there are restrictions. You can’t go into the executive waiting rooms or take advantage of any perks offered to business travelers. No money will be wasted...the execs were given a class and told if you don’t follow these rules you can and will be arrested and charged with fraud (misuse of taxpayer money).
Cute, would be right too but Alpha is blindered as to the VX level economy and cultural toxins in the bills passed so far. They will kill manufacturing as they become injested.
Thank you...GM is really working hard to turn things around. I am proud of how they have behaved during this crisis...I am beginning to believe they will emerge a stronger leaner company.
That's fascism, plain pure simple.
So much for the non-union people taking it in the shorts, how about the union, not willing to give a dime?
If you take the taxpayer money, you have to live by the rules imposed by the government...once the money is paid back I think they still won’t get to do what they once did...those days are gone!
Yes, well, I responded to your follow up — that kind of government interference in private business is one of teh VX-gas level toxins I mentioned. Not not not good. Death of business, in the intermediate and long term.
You sound perfectly contented with that.
Looks like the frog is coming to a boil.
No, the union is broken...they took bigger pay cuts than management. My hubby was told let the write any grievances they want...we won’t address any...and if they wanted to strike fine...we will call back the laid off workers...90% of the workers in my husband’s plant would not honor a strike anyway...so what can they do? If they come back late from lunch or interfere with the line...they are disciplined (could be thrown out for the day always written up)...it happens three times, you get thrown out for a week...after that you get fired. The guys just want to work so there has been very little problems even though a fair number will be laid off in April...hope to be called back I suppose. My husband works with a good bunch.
I want GM to survive...I think it’s important to the country as well as my family. These are very difficult times, it calls for extraordinary measures.
No. That’s not so. You see, “We the People” are to owners of that money, the government is only our agent. We have the right and the DUTY to be self-responsible.
What you describe as happening is as I said, pure Fascism, but it is also breach of agency by the government acting far beyond its charter and against the interests of its master — We, the People.
Any man or woman in this situation is right and properly due to use every possible guile and strategy that is not immoral or an outright lie to get back what is ours!
In general, I don’t think business should be told what to do by the government, but GM took government money in order to survive...thus they can not be considered private until the money is repaid...after that they should be able to do as they please. But manufacturing has always faced more government restrictions then other businesses...one of the many reasons manufacturing has been on the decline...I am hoping to see this turned around. I don’t hate the bankers as much as I once did (that level of anger can not be sustained) however, they can not create wealth...just pass it around really...we need manufacturing.
How about just repaying the loan?
Also, when I said they won’t be able to go back to the fat old days, I meant the company will decide not to do this...not that the government will mandate rules on a permanent basis.
Yes, GM best repay the loan and kick the fascists kit and kaboodle out of their places!
Did the unions pitch in and forgo guaranteed rasies? They did something over at Ford but I wasn't sure where they stood at GM.
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