GM and Ford

[Richard K.C. Mo.]

Even though there seems to be a lot of smart A$$ remarcks and sarcasm.
I remember when GM was 1 of the largest employers in the world ,if not the largest.

I also remember no one having to work more than 40 hrs a week to live comfortably.

In 1969 tradespeople made $10.00+ an hr , factory workers made less for most jobs.

Sadly wages have only doubled since , most other things have more than quadrupled , and some say that ain't inflation. The good news is we are going in a recession and who knows how long.

But if we leave it to the dems. they'll get us in a good war again like NAM. , and we'll all do better.
Richard

[CDave]

Don't y'all realize it's the government that got the manufacturers to move overseas with all of its regulations and trade agreements.

[Mark75H]

With our idiotic corporate tax rate and not putting tarifs and taxes on imported goods we simply are driving ourselves out of the competition.

Putting tariffs on imports won't lower the cost of a GM or Ford enough for the average US citizen to buy ANY new car. The problems are so much deeper than GM and Ford, they are simple collateral damage in a much worse event. People have been financing cars for 60 and 72 months to pay them off ... 5 and 6 years. If they now have to pay CASH ... it will be 6 years before any significant number of cars will be purchased.

Even if Ford and GM go under ... someone WILL buy the plants and make cars in the US ... its a fact of life. That the UAW may be broken and ceases to exist; history will also note this as a small foot note ... probably about the riots some of them incite

[Hydrophobic guy]

Putting tariffs on imports won't lower the cost of a GM or Ford enough for the average US citizen to buy ANY new car.

No kidding I didn't know that.
With your vast amounts of knowledge as witnessed on pretty much any subject and your history of correcting just about everybody who posts, what would tarifs and taxes do or, not do in relation to imports as far as cost comparison against home grown products. Also, what would lowering the corporate tax rate that is ultimately passed on to the consumer do to consumer pricing for domestic goods?

[Richard K.C. Mo.]

Does anyone know who Mc Pherson was? and how we got to the point we are, in the Auto Ind. because there are certainly some things i've at my age forgotten maybee some one could refresh my mem.. Like who Mitso bishi was and what they stood for? KILL KILL, hint hint.

I sorry i missed so much, because at my age it's important ' cause know i'm a truth seeker.
RichardKCMo

[Mark75H]

Also, what would lowering the corporate tax rate that is ultimately passed on to the consumer do to consumer pricing for domestic goods?

Give just one example where a tax reduction was passed on to the consumers at the retail level

[Airboater]

Lets hear some lists of what GM and Ford needs to do to survive without gov help.

[RED ALERT]

Lets hear some lists of what GM and Ford needs to do to survive without gov help.

Get rid of the socialized work force!
Read this article about the UAW "job bank" that guarantees workers jobs who would have otherwise had their positions eliminated through advances in technology.
No pride with these guys. Put em on the street.

http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosins...A01-351179.htm

WAYNE -- Ken Pool is making good money. On weekdays, he shows up at 7 a.m. at Ford Motor Co.'s Michigan Truck Plant in Wayne, signs in, and then starts working -- on a crossword puzzle. Pool hates the monotony, but the pay is good: more than $31 an hour, plus benefits

[mr_velocity]

Lets hear some lists of what GM and Ford needs to do to survive without gov help.

This is what UAL did.

Since filing for bankruptcy protection in December 2002, the nation's second-largest airline has cut about $7 billion in annual costs. That was achieved partly by reducing its fleet by 55 planes, cutting 26,000 jobs and reducing the pay and benefits of its remaining employees -- including the elimination of its pension plans, the largest pension default in U.S. history.

[David]

source is Wikipedia:

Earl Steele MacPherson was born in Britain. He was a well-known engineer working in the Chevrolet division of General Motors in the United States. He moved to France to work in Ford's European division and developed the McPherson strut that was first used on the French Ford Vedette in 1949. He died in 1960. - this I knew

Though named for him, it was actually invented by an engineer named Fornaca at FIAT in the mid-1920s - this I did not know

Rear struts of a similar design are properly called Chapman struts. - Of course I knew this.

Mitsubishi is a large Japanese holding company. Banking, nuclear power, chemicals, cars....

And just as the big 3 were the arsenal of democracy, Mitsubishi made the Zeros used against Pearl Harbor - I knew this too

The way I see it, the Detroit 3, despite their faults, were not nearly as self destructive as the banks that got bailed out. The auto industry is hugely important to the US economy. Sure, if they go bankrupt, someone would buy the assets and keep building cars. And the depression of the 30's eventually came to an end.

[INXS]

Not sure if this was pointed out but the new car companies had a lot less overhead such as vacation pay, not needing to re-tool, better tax deals. I think it adds up to about 10% more costs for the American companies.
The American companies were, and still are, bad with their management.

[Hydrophobic guy]

Gee, I asked you since you are all knowing.
I am just a poor dullard looking for knowledge.
Evidently you missed my questions.

No kidding I didn't know that.
With your vast amounts of knowledge as witnessed on pretty much any subject and your history of correcting just about everybody who posts, what would tarifs and taxes do or, not do in relation to imports as far as cost comparison against home grown products. Also, what would lowering the corporate tax rate that is ultimately passed on to the consumer do to consumer pricing for domestic goods?

Give just one example where a tax reduction was passed on to the consumers at the retail level

I will answer with a question when has that ever happened in an appreciable percentage that would be noticed by consumers?

[Richard K.C. Mo.]

Putting tariffs on imports won't lower the cost of a GM or Ford enough for the average US citizen to buy ANY new car. The problems are so much deeper than GM and Ford, they are simple collateral damage in a much worse event. People have been financing cars for 60 and 72 months to pay them off ... 5 and 6 years. If they now have to pay CASH ... it will be 6 years before any significant number of cars will be purchased.

Even if Ford and GM go under ... someone WILL buy the plants and make cars in the US ... its a fact of life. That the UAW may be broken and ceases to exist; history will also note this as a small foot note ... probably about the riots some of them incite

Free trade , for some reason , just doesn't seem to mean the same as FAIR TRAde , for some reason i don't think of protectioism in the same breath. LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE THE people to think of while they're pondering what CHANGE means TO , THINK 'BOUT, who might be even thinking ' bout things like that, I can't believe i just said that, sure wish i was under 30, i'd probly scare myself.

RichardKCMo

[Richard K.C. Mo.]

David , i don't know if you have been S. of the Ca. border but you sure sound like pretty int. to me, sure wish some under 30s would have the iniative, or lower parts that are important to a man would speak up....GREAT Comment.

RichardKCMo

[Richard K.C. Mo.]

Has anyone hear ever heard RAY Stevens's Sing the song , How many times do we have be pile driven into the hard concrete, before we say i think i've just been rolled ' gain??? DUH???
RichardKCMo