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Well, as complex is this situation is, it is a sad state of affairs, a union that couldn't bear to negotiate further to save the jobs of thousands, a company many believed was mismanaged. Where do we go from here in Michigan?
Wind? Solar? What will we manufacture if anything in our state?
Many unions, unfortunately, have lost their bearings and the leadership has decided that power and wealth trump anything else.
The NEA is IMO the world's most perfect example of a union gone berserk and utterly ruined its industry. The school system sucks dollars, thanks to the twin geniuses Ted Kennedy and George Bush, yet today a high school diploma is about the equivalent of an 8th grade education around 1950.
When I worked in a Jr. High in the early 1990s, I was quite amazed at the limited fund of knowledge, unrealistic expectations, and almost nonexistent abstract thinking skills I encountered. This was in sharp contrast to many of the kids I knew in the 1960s high school environment. Many, of course, were jerks. But many were sophisticated, abstract thinkers who were going places.
The UAW can also take its bows, they have become the problem that they were created to solve after Reuther and Frankenstein got beaten up by Bennett's goons.
As far as the "bailout," I see 300 billion--or is it one trillion--gone to banks and other congressmen's buddies in 60 seconds, and no clearcut advantage from the reckless, unconstitutional actions taken in under a week.
The greatest shortage we have in the US is in competent, ethical leadership. Washington DC is a near-vacuum, and nothing will change come January 20.
If GM chooses a bankruptcy reorganization, they perhaps can get onto competitive ground similar to that enjoyed by the foreign makers who have gone to the southern right to work states.
It is as much the congress' and past presidents' faults that we do not support our industry as other industrialized nations do.
The other pieces of the fault pie obviously lie with numerous incompetent managers and do-nothing boards of directors over the years, the platinum-parachuted Bobs Eaton and Lutz who sold Chrysler down the river in order that the Germans could pick its bones clean before dumping it, and again a federal government more intent on buying votes than solving problems.
For the workers', retirees', and suppliers' sakes, and the many hard working honest people involved in the industry, I hope this works out.
GM is one of the great corporations in history, we would not have won WWII without them and the other great and patriotic auto and steel companies. How ironic that we built up the losers of that war so they could eventually undermine our economy and core industries through state-sponsored support that allowed them into our nation while we were effectively kept out of Japan. Not to mention that if the tables had been turned regarding winners and losers, the US would not have been treated benevolently. We would have been enslaved, starved, or slaughtered with no mercy but with the unbelievable cruelty that characterized the Germans and even worse the Japanese during the war.
It would be a crime of immense proportions if the 95% of the innocents were to be punished for the incompetence, dishonesty, and criminal stupidity of the five percent.
That said, the "bailout" was as flawed as the almost unbelievably stupid people who wrote the bill. Their stupidity is perhaps outflanked only by their arrogance, since few MC have ever made a go of it in the private sector, much less in the type of major league industry that the automakers are.
The idiot savant George McGovern, former senator and second-place finisher 1972 presidential candidate, perhaps said it best. He bought a hotel in New England after his kaput presidential bid, and was bankrupt within a few years. Referring to his senate career, "If I'd known then what I know now, I never would have voted for most of those laws."
By actually getting involved in the real world of competitive business, McGovern learned what almost nobody in congress or the white house know: it's tough out there, when you don't have virtually unlimited tax money available, you do not suffer from your errors, and you are almost assured of a job for life.
Just look at the latest project of the folks who wrote the "bailout bill": A congressional visitors center that was $350 billion over its original $300 billion estimate, and just four years late. Then the weak-faced, arrogant Harry Reid, senate majority leader, essentially said the taxpayers and other visitors are stinky people. Hahaha.
It is a godsend that the congress does not get to run the automakers. If we thought they had management and vision problems up to now, we ain't seen nuthin yet.
And Paul Volker as a car czar? That old poop probably doesn't even know how to program the radio pre-sets in his own Lexus.
Almost any professional automotive writer from Car and Driver, Motor Trend, Automobile, Road & Track, Automotive News, etc. etc. is light years more qualified to be "car czar" than the smartest of the inbreeds in DC.
I would nominate Brock Yates or David E. Davis as the car czar, should such occur.
Just look at what congress has done to the education industry, to the medical business with their layers and layers of paperpusher's dream regulations, to virtually anything they touch...like banking.
The US Congress truly has a negative-Midas touch, making a muddle of almost everything they step in to "fix." Then they move on to the next project.
The congress is probably more dangerous to us than 99% of the terrorists in the world today, no matter if congressional intentions are motived by good or by greed, regarding the freedom and the constitution-directed future of our great nation.
A congressional takeover of the American auto industry would have 100% assured its death in the near future.
What was your perception of Mississippi thirty years ago? That of an impoverished backwards state? That's where Michigan is going to go from here; call it Michissippi. I say this because I believe that the United States will suffer a second Great Depression (call it the "Greater Depression") and I don't see how Michigan will be able to recover when the rest of the nation is suffering economic malaise.
All the bankers and their billions,as long as their ok,all will be well{sarcasm.They have managed to put all the 700 billion dollar bailout on the back burner and bring the auto industry to the gallows of washington,most likely for self-preservation.These actions we are seeing is a direct threat to the working class in this country,if they get away with this,it will become a lot worse for working families.That ladyboy shelby in alabama is another one of washinton's hypocritical lot on the loose,back by the most destructive weapon in america,his ideology.
He is no doubt a lackey wh*re for the foreign auto industry,and for him and his other,weird hee-haw klan members to dictate that,in essence someone who,in the auto industry that makes 27 bucks an hour,contrary to popular belief,and the average foreign plant worker here makes 26-30 bucks an hour,plus bonuses,is an idiot.He is no doubt trying to dismantle the union,because it creates a threat to his foreign boyfriends companies,knowing that if you come to the US and operate,you have to pay people a livable wage,not 5 bucks a day like in foreign countrie's.
All the bankers and their billions,as long as their ok,all will be well{sarcasm.They have managed to put all the 700 billion dollar bailout on the back burner and bring the auto industry to the gallows of washington,most likely for self-preservation.These actions we are seeing is a direct threat to the working class in this country,if they get away with this,it will become a lot worse for working families.That ladyboy shelby in alabama is another one of washinton's hypocritical lot on the loose,back by the most destructive weapon in america,his ideology.
He is no doubt a lackey wh*re for the foreign auto industry,and for him and his other,weird hee-haw klan members to dictate that,in essence someone who,in the auto industry that makes 27 bucks an hour,contrary to popular belief,and the average foreign plant worker here makes 26-30 bucks an hour,plus bonuses,is an idiot.He is no doubt trying to dismantle the union,because it creates a threat to his foreign boyfriends companies,knowing that if you come to the US and operate,you have to pay people a livable wage,not 5 bucks a day like in foreign countrie's.
The problem is, the taxpayers of other states who are not making anything close to the $79 per hour that auto workers make are the ones who would have to end up paying for that bailout. Now why should someone making $12 be forced to pay more taxes so the union workers can keep living high on the hog? That's the feeling people have.
The auto workers simply must compete with auto workers of other states. The salaries in Michigan are so much higher than in other states, that the people of other states don't want to have to subsidize them. And we won't even discuss the muli-million dollar wages of your CEO's, it's ridiculous to think the taxpayers should pay more to keep those salaries for them.
All the bankers and their billions,as long as their ok,all will be well{sarcasm.They have managed to put all the 700 billion dollar bailout on the back burner and bring the auto industry to the gallows of washington,most likely for self-preservation.These actions we are seeing is a direct threat to the working class in this country,if they get away with this,it will become a lot worse for working families.That ladyboy shelby in alabama is another one of washinton's hypocritical lot on the loose,back by the most destructive weapon in america,his ideology.
He is no doubt a lackey wh*re for the foreign auto industry,and for him and his other,weird hee-haw klan members to dictate that,in essence someone who,in the auto industry that makes 27 bucks an hour,contrary to popular belief,and the average foreign plant worker here makes 26-30 bucks an hour,plus bonuses,is an idiot.He is no doubt trying to dismantle the union,because it creates a threat to his foreign boyfriends companies,knowing that if you come to the US and operate,you have to pay people a livable wage,not 5 bucks a day like in foreign countrie's.
These Southern Republicans are going to be crapping in their pants when next Quarter rolls around and Toyota (Kentucky, TX, W.V, and Mississippi), BMW (S.C), Nissan (Tennessee), Mercedes Benz (Alabama), Honda (Alabama), Hyundai (Alabama), turn to them and say "Our supplier base is bankrupt, toast, we can't get parts to continue production." "We're going to have to lay people off until we can get this straightened out." "Oh, and all those $Billions in tax credits you gave us? We're not going to be able to pay those off." "Sorry."
You can't build a Toyota Camry if the headliner maker goes under (and there's no one large enough to pick up the volume of molding, stamping and assembly who isn't already looking at bankruptcy themselves). You can't build a Nissan Altima if the headlamp assembly maker goes under and the tools are tied up in bankruptcy court. All those plastic injection molded parts (cupholders, gloveboxes, dashboards, sunvisors, high-mount brake lights, armrests, turn signals, under-the-hood parts, door handles, headlamps, brake lights, mouldings, airbag compartments, seatbacks, doo-dads) in foreign cars made here are made by companies like Lear, Magna, Johnson Controls, Faurecia, Delphi, and a slew of others who have a lot of business tied up also in GM, Ford and Chrysler, who are staring down the barrel of a Howitzer right now. Same with stamped parts. Same with carpet makers. Same with seatmakers (Lear and Delphi). It's a MASSIVE interconnected web of parts, tools and plants spread throughout the country. They're already teetering on the edge and have been for about 10 years. Take away 20% of their production and see the house of cards fall.
Oh, and the onset of JIT (Just In Time) Delivery over the last decade means these companies basically have 0 inventory. Production stops on one part at the bottom, it rockets right up the pyramid.
What a disaster.
Before anyone slathers any more accolades on foreign automakers, check out this article:
These Southern Republicans are going to be crapping in their pants when next Quarter rolls around and Toyota (Kentucky, TX, W.V, and Mississippi), BMW (S.C), Nissan (Tennessee), Mercedes Benz (Alabama), Honda (Alabama), Hyundai (Alabama), turn to them and say "Our supplier base is bankrupt, toast, we can't get parts to continue production." "We're going to have to lay people off until we can get this straightened out." "Oh, and all those $Billions in tax credits you gave us? We're not going to be able to pay those off." "Sorry."
You can't build a Toyota Camry if the headliner maker goes under (and there's no one large enough to pick up the volume of molding, stamping and assembly who isn't already looking at bankruptcy themselves). You can't build a Nissan Altima if the headlamp assembly maker goes under and the tools are tied up in bankruptcy court. All those plastic injection molded parts (cupholders, gloveboxes, dashboards, sunvisors, high-mount brake lights, armrests, turn signals, under-the-hood parts, door handles, headlamps, brake lights, mouldings, airbag compartments, seatbacks, doo-dads) in foreign cars made here are made by companies like Lear, Magna, Johnson Controls, Faurecia, Delphi, and a slew of others who have a lot of business tied up also in GM, Ford and Chrysler, who are staring down the barrel of a Howitzer right now. Same with stamped parts. Same with carpet makers. Same with seatmakers (Lear and Delphi). It's a MASSIVE interconnected web of parts, tools and plants spread throughout the country. They're already teetering on the edge and have been for about 10 years. Take away 20% of their production and see the house of cards fall.
Oh, and the onset of JIT (Just In Time) Delivery over the last decade means these companies basically have 0 inventory. Production stops on one part at the bottom, it rockets right up the pyramid.
What a disaster.
Before anyone slathers any more accolades on foreign automakers, check out this article:
Good Jobs First: Corporate Subsidy Watch, Case Studies, Industries (http://www.goodjobsfirst.org/corporate_subsidy/automobile_assembly_plants.cfm - broken link)
What a bunch of leeches.
I'm no fan of the UAW, but I think everyone in the country needs to set aside their feelings and emotions on this and put the country first.
do you think the american taxpayers will give the foriegn auto companies a bailout?I mean since they are a "shining" example of how an auto company and it workers should do business?
do you think the american taxpayers will give the foriegn auto companies a bailout?I mean since they are a "shining" example of how an auto company and it workers should do business?
Good question. I think that will really expose a double standard. I'd argue they've already gotten a big bailout just to be here (albeit more at the state level).
The national ripple effect will be unstopable. Those of us that currently have stable jobs will no longer have stability as our consumer base evaporates before our eyes and our companies face financial crisis from loss of revenue. I'm not a bailout advocate, I think any tax payer's money should be well accounted for with steap stipulations. I was appalled at the financial bailout.
But, something's gotta give... The UAW needs to take a step back and work with the companies, and we all need to come to a solution that benefits everyone. It is well beyond company profits... now we're talking the livelihoods of millions of people across the nation.
My husband owns a small business and we do less than 5% with the big 3 and we have already come across other business hurting because of it-our box supplies-they also supply other paper products to other companies, restraunt owners, hair cut places, dentists, shipping companies and the list goes on. I take real offense to people saying that most people in the union took advantage of situations. Yes, some did, but not everyone. All of my family were blue collar workers and they worked their buts off. Some retired at 65 and died shortly after. These people worked 6 and 7 days a week. People should be glad the Big 3 offered medical and pensions. Just think of how many parents would be living with their baby-boomer children! Also, many Big 3 workers in the 50's and 60's came from the south seeking better jobs. Yet our government gives monies to coutries who hate us-Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and China-a communist country who oppresses their people. I guess it would make better sense to take away peoples medical and add 78 millon on to the unemployment list.
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Big 3 loan
