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Wanted: Detroit Leadership
Jim Press Should Be that Man
There's a lot of hostility out there to "bailing out" what a lot of largely misinformed people see as an inept domestic industry, and that's not going to change unless someone in Detroit in a position of authority gets out front and tells the story. http://www.autoweek.com/article/20081114/FREE/811149976 |
RE: Wanted: Detroit Leadership
Senator Shelby, Greetings from Qatar I hope this email finds you well and I appreciate you standing up for conservative principals. We’re going to need a lot of that in the next four years. I’m a conservative who believes in smaller less intrusive federal government but I must say I strongly disagree with your position on a loan to The Big Three. One can point to bad decisions The Big Three made in 70’s and early 80’s but they got a lot of help making poor decisions by elements of the government and the UAW. Critics argue The Big Three brought this upon themselves. The banking crisis brought this on us all. They had a recovery plan, they were working through it, even picking up some sales with strong new products such as the Ford Fusion and the Chevy Malibu. The new cars are in the pipeline and would have arrived in plenty of time if Wall Street and Washington had avoided this collapse. If you think it's just The Big Three, look at Toyota's profit margin. Look at its stock price. Critics say “You guys make good small cars in Europe and Asia; why won't you bring them here?" I say look at the Chevy Cobalt and Aveo that's leading its segment. I say look at the ever increasingly stringent safety standards year after year. Critics say "You guys fought CAFE increases," the truth is we've had no coherent energy policy in this country for 40 years, and CAFE does nothing to influence consumer demand. Gas was cheap the folks wanted nice SUV’s. No one in my family works for The Big Three nor do I own stock in any of the companies. I’m proud American who can see past the spin and bias, concerned about jobs and our country’s manufacturing sector. Please Senator Shelby take some time and reconsider. Respectfully John Rogers |
RE: Wanted: Detroit Leadership
That's an excellent letter, good for you.
Steve Legel |
RE: Wanted: Detroit Leadership
Yes. A truly fine letter.
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RE: Wanted: Detroit Leadership
I hate to say it but... I think bankruptcy (or however you spell it) restructuring is the way to go. Clean slate. Get ride of all the missmanagment and the U.nion. Give the folks a choice. Large cut in pay or see ya. Start clean and use the tools and info that are there. Its a new world and we need leaner and faster flex building to stay in the game. Cars need to be more resonable and what worker and upper Mngmnt expect should be brought back to reasonable levels. I don't want to see anyone lose their jobs... but its time to get real and when you look at auto industry with the big 3 its out of bounds. If we just hand them money, who knows when it will end. Just look at the bonuses that Chrysler is still paying out. They think they really deserve it:eek:
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RE: Wanted: Detroit Leadership
In the loan industry stated income loans are known as "lier" loans. Last time i looked it was a felony to lie on a loan application.. the banking industry set up an environment where it encouraged people to lie on their loan apps and now we (the U.S. taxpayers) have to pay for it... So, as far as the car industry goes .. at least no one lied about their income to get a car loan.. the car industry is just victims of the home mortgage fiasco... But last time i looked we were a capitalist country which meant supply and demand dictates prices not a government bail out.
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RE: Wanted: Detroit Leadership
They dont want hand outs they want a loan...The wall street thing is a hand out....
Save a few crooks on Wall Street or save a bunch of hard working Americans? |
RE: Wanted: Detroit Leadership
Sorry but I dissagree. Let them file bankruptcy. That will force needed changes. Or a loan with forced changes. But with what I'm reading they (American Auto Industry Mngmnt) want the money but do not want any strings attached as to how they conduct business. Hands off approch. I see missmanagment over many years. They produce cars most americans can't afford, without a great deal of finacial stress. If we are a capitalist society then let the chips fall. I am all for american cars and want Dodge to survive... but where does it all end? I can see my already burdonsome taxes being increased for the first bailout and now the auto industry comes with their hands out. Next will be some other industry. Then whole states. I bring home !/2 of what I make now. Can I live off 1/4... guess we'll find out. As far as hard working americans go, I'm all for hard working americans. But with the UAW monopoly on the big three... I'm betting the U.nions won't budge an inch. They will go down in flames before they retreat. They care about themselves and to blazes with the hard working american people. The folks themselves need to get a reality check and be real honest with themselves as to what the job they do is worth the pay they get. If we let the natural process happen, in the end we will have lower priced cars and a leaner more efficiant process. I live in the South and the cotton industry was king... but no more. I saw no bailout for them and I see new industry coming in. It was painful, but a natural course and we are stronger for it. We are one of the fastest growing regions in america and our economy is stronger than when cotton ruled.
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RE: Wanted: Detroit Leadership
I totally agree with you lear
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RE: Wanted: Detroit Leadership
One of the things I have heard people say for a long time is they somehow believe that if the Big Three file for bankruptcy, they will go out of business. The problem with this mentality is that plenty of companies in mature markets have filed for bankruptcy and come out of it stronger than before. Kmart has to be one of the best examples. They filed for bankruptcy then managed to purchase Sears shortly afterwards. The whole bailout from what I can see seems like it would just delay a little while putting the Gov't at further risk of going bankrupt (and that would be WAY worse than the possibility of losing the Big Three which could still happen with the bailout).
The Big Three need to be restructured and a few people need to go. Bob Nardelli demostrated to me when he proposed allowing the Gov't to have ownership that he doesn't have a vision and doesn't understand the problem. Rick Wagoner needs to go as he has had enough time to turn them around and has not. Bill Ford and pretty much everyone from the Ford family needs to go. They are about as effective and good at running their "family company" as the Busch family was at running Anheuser-Busch (thank you Adolphus for destroying that for us you selfish, spoiled brat). They need to slash the salaries at ALL levels, they need to cut back on the benefits (I've honestly never understood why they think they need all the junk they get, they can afford to pay for a lot of that junk for themselves), they need to cut back on redundant models (there is no reason why Ford needs the Flex, Taurus X, Edge, and Explorer when they pretty much are in the same size in the segment, just make the Edge and the Explorer). They need to give up on volume market (ax Chevrolet's production numbers and raise the prices on certain models for a higher profit) as there are more than 4 major players in the market and plenty that can undersell their volume divisions. The problem I see with bailing them out is that this encourages bad behavior because "we are too big to fail and the Government Sugar Daddy will save us because we are too important to it." The reason why I say this, is we already have systems like this in our country and this is precisely the outcome. This is all based on "good intentions" which have horrible results. We need to put our foot down and learn how to say "no" because if we don't now, the media will be the next to ask for this. |
RE: Wanted: Detroit Leadership
RLSH700 you say that so much better than me:D But my point exactly. I do not wish ill in the auto industry... as I have stated I am Dodge all the way. And what fun is that if they are gone. And what fun is it to not have a Camaro or a Mustang around to play against. And now they are building the cars I want. With flex lines they can do this and build the cars 75% of Americans want. I know this is a window of opportunity and its going to close. But I have watched cars come and go that I would not buy and now at this time they go belly up. Let the checks and balances we have, do their job. And get the US auto co. where they need to be, healthy and on the road to recovery. When they have done all they can and cut to the bone ( no bonuses, no perks, cut in salary and wages across the board, new management... because the old is inept, do all you can do) then start to look for help. As in Chapter XX. Its painful but if this is what it takes, lets go down that road.
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RE: Wanted: Detroit Leadership
Thank you lear4406. Something that just sparked my memory, I think it is time that we as a whole quit looking at our forefathers with contempt because they were flawed in some of the things they did just like there are things that WE do today that will be judged as wrong by Americans generations later and examine their wisdom. Davy Crockett had provided wisdom on this matter on a case that is far less controversal and significantly more justifable than what is happening today in his "Not Yours to Give" speech. Here is a copy of it. I suggest you all read it. http://www.pointsouth.com/csanet/gre...t/crocket2.htm
I frankly have had all I can take of this bailing out attitude that seems like it has been an issue since 9/11. It is time that we as a country learns how to take care of ourselves. I frankly am tired of seeing that certain cities get a blank check for fixing whatever has happen, as well as anyone who was affected and yet others get nothing. I know what I'm going to say is controversial but I think it needs to be said. I am sick and tired of seeing New York City and New Orleans getting endless support for the disasters that happened and Oklahoma City victims got little to nothing after the Alfred P. Murrah building was destroyed and the victims of the flood of 1993 got little to nothing as well. New York is big enough and has a strong enough economy to take care of itself. I am sorry that people lost their parents and breadwinners, but that happens all the time to countless people all over this country for a variety of reasons and little to nothing is ever done for them. I did my part to support the recovery in the fundraisers that I did for them even though I have never been to NYC in my life, but I do not see that it is the job as a tax payer to HAVE to pay for what happened to them, because they did little to nothing in their tax money to support my family and friends after 1993, nor did they support friends of my relatives who suffered from the Oklahoma City bombing. In my view this bailing out attitude increased dramatically from this. An article I recently read made a point that the British car company Leyland had a bailout back in the 70s and that didn't save it at all. The article also made the point that just about every major airline industry had to file for bankruptcy shortly after 9/11 and although things aren't perfect they are doing good for the most part. I would post it but there are some things in the article that I disagree with and am concerned that the site could cause some unnecessary fighting; therefore, I'm not going to post a link. The truth is the Big Three need to learn how to be more nimble and how to have a rainy day fund for downturns like this because they are going to happen. There is no reason why after this downturn disappears, they shouldn't be able to bounce back like they did back in the 90s. Ford for the first time since the Yamaha SHO joint venture has a competitive V6, but this time it is their own and is going to be used throughout the line. They have competitive platforms, excellent interiors, a competitive transmission line, and everything they need to be competitive. GM has the styling on the interior and exterior. Their quality has improved in this respect. Their V6 is adequate for now, but if they utilize their AFM technology on the HF engine, they'll have MOST of what they need to be competitive. Chrysler's Phoenix engine is almost ready and should be amazing, their Hemi is one of the best, the thing they need is some good platforms, and better interior. If the new Ram is any indication, they have the potential. To paraphrase JFK: To banks, insurance companies, credit card companies, auto industry, and anyone else who is standing in line with their sugar bowels in hand expecting a hand out, ask not what your country can do for you, but ask instead what you can do for your country! |
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