No Sympathy For Detroit’s Collapse

• Jon says:

  November 20, 2008 at 1:36 pm

  They mentioned during the testimony in the Senate that the average age of a retiree is like 53 from one of the Detroit 3. I know there have been some buyouts offered to the employees by the carmakers, etc, but who from our generation is honestly expecting to retire at 53?
• Doctor Bluto says:

  November 20, 2008 at 2:06 pm

  Quite honestly, I am offended at how the auto industry has handled business as of late (meaning the past 15 – 20 years). Just like with the 700 billion dollar bailout we gave the financial industry, I think bailing out these automakers is a horrible idea.

  They should have seen this coming years down the road. Honda, Toyota and other foreign car makers (which have plants here in the US) have made more fuel efficient and affordable cars for years. They use parts that cost half as much as their American counterparts, they pay their workers a more fair salary. By that last one I mean a janitor isn’t making $80,000 a year.

  In order to save the US auto industry the companies themselves should fix themselves. First of all filing for bankruptcy doesn’t mean a company is going under. The can change practices and get a break in the meantime on taxes and what not. First thing is first, get rid of the unions. Some people hate the idea of that, but honestly, the time for unions is over. Next, cut down on how many different vehicles you make. Seriously, General Motors encompasses Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, GMC, Saturn, Hummer, Saab and Cadillac. First off, Pontiac has nothing worth purchasing since they are discontinuing the Grand Prix and already phased out the Grand AM. Hummer? Sure make one, take one car from Buick, Saab and Saturn, make a few trucks and list them all under Chevy.

  If ford and Chrysler did the same, they would be saving tons of money. They would still have a few rocky years, but it’s their fault anyways. I almost forgot…they need to make their vehicles get a minimum of 30 miles per gallon, which shouldn’t be hard this day and age. (there is a lot more that they can do, but I don’t have the time list everything, oh and you’re spot on with the pension BS)

  Look, it’s neither the government nor the people’s job to pay for any companies mistakes. These companies need to remove the cup protecting their balls, man up and take it like a man. Do what needs to be done to save their companies. Just my 2 cents worth…
• jclark says:

  November 20, 2008 at 2:07 pm

  The big 3 produced vehicles the buyers wanted, why is that a problem? they should say fuck that noise lets build tiny piece of crap hybrids when gas was a buck thirty a gallon? They should be able to build what they want when they want and what will sell not what some douche-congressman says they have to sell. Feel sorry for the retards that went out and bought Priuses now that oil has fallen from 145 a barrel to under 50. The big 3 will survive without gov money and bankruptcy will do all of them a favor by killing the UAW that has destroyed these companies
• Doctor Bluto says:

  November 20, 2008 at 2:34 pm

  Problem is, the big 3 used to produce vehicles buyers wanted. That’s not the case now, as their lack of profits show. Build what they want? Sure…but it sure hasn’t helped them thus far. What I was saying is, get rid of the crap no one is buying, continue producing what is selling, but make them better.

  The last sentence in your post is comment gold. It sums up what I said in 5 paragraphs with one line.
• Recoil says:

  November 25, 2008 at 3:35 am

  Perhaps the big 3 haven’t got a clue anymore.How many people do you know that can still afford to buy a new car every 1-5 years.It seems that with the price that they go for and the amount that they depreciate every year,not as many people are willing to lose all of that money just to be able to drive around in the new ride.
  The American dream is dead my friends!That big house,two cars in the garage,the boat,the summer place,the two or three vacation trips during the year,it’s all gone to hell.The American dream is bullshit!What good is all of that crap if you have to work 100 hours a week to afford it?At the end of the day it’s still not yours,it belongs to the bank.Pfffffffft! The American dream…you can keep it.
  Screw the auto makers,they made their beds now let them lay in them.Besides,the “big 3″ don’t just sell cars in the US,they sell them all over the world,so how can they possibly be losing money?
  They might be losing money in the US but are they losing money everywhere else?I doubt it.
  Pay up suckers this is just the beginning,you’ve gone and let Bush screw the country for so long that you can’t see the forest through the trees.
  It’s gonna get a lot worse before it gets any better.
• blarney says:

  November 25, 2008 at 8:11 pm

  unions have a lot to do with the pension requirements. I thought it was common knowledge that the single largest reason for failure is the fact that the big three cannot operate like a traditional business and cut costs during down times. Their cars are, for the most part, equally as fuel efficient as their japanese counterparts.
• Brian Fellow says:

  December 5, 2008 at 2:51 pm

  It’s a loan. Get your facts straight.
• Busy B says:

  December 5, 2008 at 4:40 pm

  Go to freep.com. Under “Most Popular Articles” look up “7 Myths about the auto industry” It will help you get your facts straight.

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