So here we stand, the auto market in shambles. Our great (and I use that term loosely) automakers are driving themselves in to the ground. Reaping what they sow after so many years. Their business practices are finally catching up to them. Do I have a sympathetic ear? Well... yes and no. I don't wish for any company to go under, however, I do believe that these three need the far reaching corporate restructuring that only bankruptcy can offer. They need to turn over all the current management. And get some new ideas in there. GM most of all, I mean cancelling the VERY future forward EV-1. That car was light years ahead of its time. An entirely electric car in 1996... Who would have thunk it?
Granted GM has "tried" to right their ways in some aspects (the Volt concept), and designing better cars (seen the new Malibu?). And cost cutting in various ways (parts bin sharing to the max). But it's too little too late for these guys. And the Unions have them crippled as well, exorbitant and plush pay packages for workers, cushy retirement plans, benefits that would rival wall street. GM tries to cut costs at the worker level and the Unions go on strike. So their hands are essentially tied. Bankruptcy SHOULD allow GM/Ford/Chrysler to escape the bonds of the UAW to get some restructuring done from the top down.
Bottom line, I think these guys have TRIED (albeit half heartedly, i mean did we need a third Hummer/Tahoe abomination?) to save money. But they can't because you have a 20th Century company trying to run in a 21st Century economy where efficiency is key. My vote: No bailout.
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Well, see that's where I will have to disagree with you. It's like the world wants to punish the workers and UAW for doing their job. UAW does what they have to do for their union members. Not sure if you ever had a job with a union, but if you did, you know what I'm talking about. The UAW has to be strong against management or the workers would be making pennies. But, moving on...everyone thinks that the auto makers should go bankrupt and screw all the employees that did nothing but work their asses off for 20-30 years in a shitty ass factory and believe me, I've been to the GM plant in Wilmington, it isn't a pleasant working environment, so after all that time, they get nothing...NO pension, retirement, medical, ALL gone, when the company goes bankrupt and where does that leave the employees getting ready to retire....broke, nearly homeless, and unable to retire. Doesn't seem right, does it? Not sure who started the rumor on the workers getting paid a lot and retirement packages, but I assure you, that their pay is comperable to the work they do and to the economy. Believe me if they made really big bucks like some people claim, I would have grown up with a silver spoon in my mouth and maybe I would have grown up in a house and not a trailer. And again the retirement stuff is decent. Unless you take early retirement, then it's shit. Now don't get me wrong, I think it is messed up that the CEO's chartered a $25,000 flight to go beg Congress for money. But those are the people that should be cut loose and everything yanked from them, cuz they don't live in the real world. So, if ya don't know my take on the issue, I believe that Congress should LOAN the auto industry a few billion dollars with restrictions and replace all cooperate heads with new fresh people that can do the job and has a vision for change.
But hey, let's just give away money to the banking industry that helped put us here in the first place. That sounds like a better idea. :) Hugs
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