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GM is in ICU... news at 11:00

Discussion in 'Other Cars' started by windstrings, Nov 21, 2005.

  1. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    the entire state of michigan is going to be in a world of hurt very soon... gotta feel for the workers.

    the company... well they asked for it.
     
  2. mehrenst

    mehrenst Member

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    As to GM providing job placement, well think again. When GM closes plants it has a major impact not just on its workers but on the economy of the entire area. It is likely that there will be no jobs to be found in the immeadiate area except maybe tossing burgers for MakeyDee.

    If you are really interested to see what kind of impact GM plant closings have then go rent the movie "Roger & Me". You may not like the politics of Roger Moore but the story told in this movie is pretty accurate as to its impact on Flint and the area. I lived near Flint Michigan when I was growing up. My father worked at GM and I did too for a very short time. The devistation that GM plant closings cause is hard to believe.

    On the other side, GM is a subscriber to the "strip minimg" school of corporate management. They use to make a lot of money for stockholders by making only the investment in technology that will support their current thinking. Take that GMC Suburban line that is running at hal capacity, stuff some nice cushy interior in the "truck", soften the suspension to the point where its nearly a hazard to drive, and sell it to all the yuppie housewifes out there that need something to run their only child to school a mile away. This thinking is fine until the economic growth of the country is dependant of getting a job at Wal-Mart because the people in Washington are cutting tax breaks that provide incentive to companies to ship jobs off-shore. There was a line on Saturday Night Live that went somethin glike, "I don't know what you mean by unemployment, all my friends are working." - in the voice of Richard Nixon's

    Pardon my rant. When you've been there you know what this will mean to the overall economy.
     
  3. malorn

    malorn Senior Member

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    I am not even close to pure-blooded anything other than American, whatever that means.
    I would never say that we should close our borders, to keep our products in and "their" products out. I am just after a level playing field, do you really think that Japan or China would ever let us run a trade surplus with them year after year? I am over simplifying, but how long can we continue this until the US reaches a state of fiscal collapse? Is it not similar to a household earning 50k a year and spending 75k? You can remortgage your home only so many times until you go BK. I know that there is more to it than this, but this what is happening to us in a nutshell.
     
  4. malorn

    malorn Senior Member

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    There is a GM plant in my general vicinity that employ about 6800 people. The economics of that plant closing would affect 21,000 jobs within 50 miles of the plant. Luckily that plant was spared for now. I guess we are finding out how many people we need to work at Wal-Mart, flip burgers and work at convenience stores.
     
  5. jsf

    jsf Member

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    In the LA Times today are a couple of articles, one on GM and one on Toyota.

    http://www.latimes.com

    http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-toyo...-home-headlines

    I think it is a pretty fair article. Points out some advantages Toyota has had over American manufactures: 1) soaring healthcare costs, 2) costs to maintain aging plants - Toyota plants in the US are new, 3) huge pension liabilities.

    Points out that Toyota employees in US have comparable health care packages, but the US autoworker is much older and costs greater. Toyota has plants in the southern states which according to the article helped them avoid labor unions.
     
  6. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    I was raised where bigotry runs rampant...... Ill give you a clue.. its farther south than Washington State!....
    Clicks and cultures stick together and repel anything not like themselves... Almost the "gang" mentality. The churches are no better! But thats another subject...
    They stiffle their growth not being open to outside knowledge and wisdom and stay stuck in traditions and systems that have lost thier purpose for whats going on today in the real world.

    Don't you think the whole "I gotta wear a cowboy hat and have a big truck" gig is just a bit silly"?
    Most who live in those cultures live on flat land and don't need a 4X4 "ever" OR a truck period because they never haul anything!... and wouldn't know what a cow looked like if it ran up to them and kissed them on the lips! :lol: :p

    If it wasn't for that peer group pressure thing... Ford would have died along time ago!

    In many other countries.. especially the asian/chinese countries... they value knowledge and those who hold teaching positions as "honorable". Even the aged are honored for thier wisdom! In america, we "dishonor" our old, and pay our teachers a mere "token" of a salary to put up with spoiled brats "our kids", and only hold in honor those who get paid the most or can drink the most budweiser!

    What do you always hear when you go to a party, or meet someone for the first time?.... "What do you do?"..... Hardly ever "who are you?"
    What you are paid is all that matters and if you can make a buck without having to really know anything, then you are glorified even more for being so crafty?

    In my part of the country, medical is so hard to get into because there are not enough teachers.... why?... they are not paid enough!.... anybody who has thier act together at all, can make much more with better benifits and incentives by staying in the labor force than to teach!...
    So "who" do we have as our teachers.... many who cannot cut it in the real world! "not everybody mind you..... but many!" Have you ever heard "if you can't do it, teach it!".. sad but true.... ;)
    My hat is off to the teachers who are really qualified to make more money elsewhere but stay in spite of thier poor treatment bacause of thier love to teach!

    We have our priorities all screwed up.... we have been an awesome nation with awesome companies for 200 years... but I question our future.

    We do follow many of the same destructive paths of Rome... we glorify the guy who can put a ball in a hoop by paying him millions and letting him set crappy examples with drugs, arrogant attititudes, and addictive habits to our kids. Guys who have no education!!!!!
    Have you ever asked many kids what they want to be when they grow up?... be a football player, basketball, etc etc..... They go for what brings the glory and the money ....baby! Where we put our money is truly where our value is!


    ***Hopefully influence from these other companies from other countries will wake us up and allow us to get back on track before we collapse in our own egotisical mire.

    The real saving grace for American corporations may be that as the foreign influence continues to integrate into our society... "they (foreign)" become america and the lazy fat will finally fall off to have a better leaner america! Kinda like what happened to companies in the recession.. or even in 9-11 that was witnessed.

    How do you think America got started in the first place?.. where did we come from?....
    It wasn't all about the Indians! Are we now afraid to continue the tradition that founded us in the first place, and not benifit from the smart engineers from other countries to integrate into our society and "become" what America has always been anyway.... other countries!

    We have never gone to war to preserve the American way of life, but to preserve free life itself!
    Do you now institute a war against foreign corporations to preserve the american ones?.... I do believe those foreign companies employ thousands of amercans! "Don't they?"
     
  7. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    He stirs nice discussion!... if it weren't for him, we may just be talking about our cats!!! :lol:
    I don't have one.. so thats not fair! :(
     
  8. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Your're doing it again!!!
     
  9. tripp

    tripp Which it's a 'ybrid, ain't it?

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    It's funny. People complain but can't help but put in their $0.02. There's a reason that these threads are many pages long.

    Now as far as the deficit is concerned malorn, what percentage of that trade imbalance is made up by oil imports? Aren't oil imports the single largest piece of the trade deficit?
     
  10. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    You're right.. it goes in cycles.. I remember in the 80's when we had the oil crisis..
    mind you, I lived in the Galveston area then and you could count the oil tankers fade into oblivion in the distant horizon of the ocean as they were parked back to back with no place to put thier oil!... yet we were supposedly out of oil and prices were going thru the roof?... right!.. Just 2 months ago they were talking 5 - 6.00/gal gas.... they play us like a puppet!

    They will loose thier leverage on those who drive efficient cars.

    The oil guys milk it as far as it will go... then when congress pulls them in for talks and senators get involved, they pull back and everything is ok again for another few years. Kinda like they got their hands slapped?

    Meanwhile the SUV makers die.... you're right.. its not the makers fault.. they are merely trying to fullfil what the american public wants.

    Security and Image!... the commericals all bring us images of things we don't need at all...
    A car pulling a plane.. yea I think I did that 3 times last week! :lol: .... blasting thru trails with power and might.. climbing to the top of a mountain where only mountain climbers can only go!... powering thru a stream.... even enduring a meteor blast!..... Isnt' it a bit rediculous?... We're such suckers! How about getting from point A to point B in comfort without it costing a fortune!

    But the american public is extremely fickle and can turn on a dime at the drop of a hat!... now they can't hardly give them away!.
    I'm sure the flow will go back towards excess gas usage as the price drops, we will get comfortable and relaxed again... then they will nail us all over again.... thats the game in the market!

    Buying SUV's will only set yourself up for a fall when they pull the plug on prices again.
    the amazing thing is that with the exception of pulling heavy boats and trailors... I think the prius seats just as many people... possibly more comfortably and has room very similiar in the back as my jeep grand cheerekee and does it with only 1/3 the gas mileage!

    Its about a better more efficient rig. Innovation.. Improvement... like someone else said.. not just another dent free body over the same old frame.

    I hope they do regroup... but they will need new management that thinks differently about serving people in my opinion to really prosper. Maybe they could hire an Asian CEO.. that might do the trick! :rolleyes: I bet he would kick brass and take names!
     
  11. DanP

    DanP Member

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    That was, indeed, a fine film. For me the most lasting image was the sign put out by the woman who was raising rabbits to try to support herself: "Bunnies, pets or meat". Or maybe it said "rabbits"--no matter. It perfectly captured GM executives' attitude toward the working people of Flynt.
     
  12. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    Hey.. I have a few questions?... Get ready... it will make you dizzy!

    Does that mean that the General has defected and now is a foreign car company?

    Maybe he traded with Toyota... who is now building in the US as we allow?

    If GM has to build in Korea to make a buck.. how can toyota then make a profit by building in the US with its expensive labor?

    Is GM that much more inefficient? I must be missing something major here?

    And how do we define where its made?... "Made in America".... is it where the parts are manufactured?... how about where its assembled?.... and what was the nationality of the grease monkies that put it together?... in other words... when you buy the car... where is the money going?.. to the Korean economy or America?...someone had to get paid for manufactering it?

    They put their plant in Korea, because they end up bringing home more money for themselves here because labor is cheap there... only problem is .. the general gets the money..not the amercan people...... why would the american people get paid if they didn't do the work?... the Korean economy got the work? Didn't they? I don't think americans are over there doing the work sending pocket change salaries home?

    So do we now have to pay import taxes on the GM car that was made in Korea?

    And if they don't have to pay import taxes.. then does that mean toyota doesn't either?...
    after all what if toyota makes more cars in america than they import?.. doesn't that qualify them as an american company too?

    I wonder if GM is selling their cars in Korea like toyota sells theirs here?.... or is that a joke to think there is a market for GM cars in Korea?

    humm.. I"m getting a headache! :blink: :huh:
     
  13. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    That's the glaring contradiction. It's "good" if we do it, but it's "bad" if "they" do it.

    Know what would really be ironic? If GM could figure out how to enter the rapidly expanding Chinese car market and turn their bad luck around.
     
  14. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    Please let me add words to your quote... did you really mean to say "half brass"?
    Your're such a nice guy!
    In fact they know exactly what they are doing... they build thier cars to gender work in maintainance and the repair shop.
    Many companies have gone to this... Especially computer companies... if they can't get you on the price.. they get you later in repair and maintainance bills and try every trick in the book to make sure you have to bring it to them and no other... they call it job security...

    Malorn you could be a really good Toyota dealer now that you have learned so much!.. Some of the strongest advocates are those hardest to win over...
    I"m really proud of you.... your coming around aren't you?! :D :) :unsure:
     
  15. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    Thats ok Maggie.. I still like your avatar! :lol: :lol:
     
  16. maggieddd

    maggieddd Senior Member

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    So, where is Malorn? Maybe his is changing the signs on his dealership
     
  17. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    I believe they bought the hybrid technology in exchange for their diesel technology.. it will be exciting to see what they both do with that they have!

    Unfortunately, my bets on Toyota.
     
  18. maggieddd

    maggieddd Senior Member

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    are you watching the penguin? watch he is going to get slapped, imagine it's Malorn
     
  19. maggieddd

    maggieddd Senior Member

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    To Malorn: even though your heart will never be with Toyota, that's OK GM's heart was never with you just with their stock holders.
     
  20. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    Maggie

    True enough.

    And your avatar is just TOO cute. Where did you get it?

    jay