Comments on: Whither Detroit?

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 04:52:43 +0000

Yes, Mike, the entire economy is in trouble. I DO have a television, and there’s this Internet thing, also…but it’s not because of NAFTA! For cryin’ out loud…you heard of the subprime crisis? Did Mexico cause that? The credit crisis? Did it begin in Quebec? ‘Cause otherwise, you’re talking nonsense…

By: mikebdot

mikebdot — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 03:26:32 +0000

Mark: It’s not just the car manufacturers that are in trouble. The Big 3 are just the posterchild. But you can pretend all you want.

By: miriam

miriam — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:20:42 +0000

I think they should give taxpayers money to buy GM cars. Give the proper number of people the price of a GM car (say the Volt), provided they spend the money on the cars. That way at least some taxpayers will get something from this boondoggle.

By: Decision ‘08 » Blog Archive » SOMEBODY Had To Do It!

Decision ‘08 » Blog Archive » SOMEBODY Had To Do It! — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:34:27 +0000

[...] even some conservatives get all squishy and hope for a bailout of, say, General Motors (oh, um – that was me, wasn’t it?), when the leader of France scoffs at those crazy Americans and their love of [...]

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:01:53 +0000

Jacques, I don’t believe GM can get any financing under a Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the current climate. If I believed they couldn’t turn it around, I might say let them fail. But the economy will turn around eventually, probably in the latter part of 2009, and people will start buying again…and about that time, the labor concessions GM got from the UAW will take full effect – and the Chevy Volt will hit showrooms, and even though it’s a money-losing ‘show’ car, it will generate an enormous amount of pro-GM publicity.

I’m not talking unlimited access to government funds – just enough to keep them afloat until 2010…

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 01:58:50 +0000

NAFTA the problem? I don’t think so…I think the acronym you are searching for is UAW…

By: mikebdot

mikebdot — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:18:07 +0000

And, in there I should have also mentioned that the suppliers to GM and other large assembly shops are moving south of the border anyway. Ross Perot was absolutely right. Too bad he looked like an elf…

By: mikebdot

mikebdot — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:16:35 +0000

Almost all “manufacturing” plants in the US that make large number of part assemblies are basically just assembly plants. They have been shipping their sourcing and sub-assemblies, wiring harnesses, fabrication of raw goods, etc. overseas for a very long time. NAFTA only made that issue much worse and now it is bankrupting these corporations because they’re too stupid to realize that paying pensions for retired workers, startup costs of new plants in Mexico, continued operating costs of 1/2 utilized plants (to make the Mexico numbers look good, duh!), and ridiculous advertising costs just doesn’t work. Why the heck should we reward these stupid companies? I left Whirlpool because they’re quite possibly the dumbest group of executives I can imagine. I’m sure GM isn’t much brighter.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:22:55 +0000

Well, since I work with airlines and am from Michigan, maybe I just have a built-in aversion to propping up big companies that are run like crap. Of course I also opposed the first bailout, so maybe I’m just a libertarian. Who knows.

By: Bob from Ohio

Bob from Ohio — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:00:13 +0000

25B ain’t nearly enough to save GM unless people start buying cars again.

No way should the GOP, other than people in Ohio and Michigan, give a single vote for this. Elections have consequences. The Dems will get all the the credit if it works anyway so let them have all the potential blame. Don’t filibuster or anything, just oppose quietly.

President Bush should veto unless Columbia gets free trade or whatever he has left that he wants. His popularity is not getting any lower.