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To the People of Alabama.....
olddaddy
Member Posts: 3,356
When Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Louisiana, Alabama, and Floida coast on August 29, 2005 the automotive companies of Detroit did not sit idle and say that the Gulf Coast should have been better prepared, and should look after itself.
They didn't sit back and wait for you to submit a detailed plan for future repair of the damages.
General Motors, on August 30, 2005, donated $400,000 to the American Red Cross 2005 Hurricane Relief Fund, and pledged to match another $250,000 on employee contributions, as well as providing more than 150 vehicles to the striken area for relief workers.
Ford Motor Company and the United Auto Workers quickly made a joint donation of $100,000 to the Red Cross. The Chrysler Group gave $150,000 to the Red Cross and $200,000 to local Gulf States charities. Diamer Chrysler Services chipped in another $200,000 for the Red Cross, and $50,000 in employee matching funds.
Together, the Big 3 provided over $418 million in cash and vehicles to the katrina Relief effort.
Though GM, Ford, and Chrysler have provided the nation's best selling pickups, SUVs, and mini vans to an American market, and slashed billions in costs, you complain that they are on the road to nowhere. You lament the fact they they lack high mileage fuel efficient vehicles, while ignoring the fact that you failed to forsee the effect oil speculators would have on prices just 6 months ago, as well as that Toyota and Honda only offer one hybrid model each, and that your BMW, Mercedes, Hyundai, Kia, Volkswagon, and Nissan plants fail to offer any hybrid models.
Naw, lets not even go there.
Let's just say that since logic hasn't worked, we should fall back on a simple moral arguement. If you see a fellow American drowning, gasping for air, do you quiz him for a while about about whether he should have learned to swim better? Or do you immediately look for a way to help?
Thank you for your appreciation of the help we provided you in your time of need. Nice of you to reciprocate in our time of need.
And, as for our help during Katrina, you're welcome.
Comments
I'm not trying to derail your argument, I get your point, but I just have one thing to ask you.
Have you ever been to Alabama? There ain't much down here man. When it comes to seeking a bastion of educated or economically wise folk, your best to not start looking here first. Put this place last on your list.
If America were anatomically correct, then the crotch or rectal area would be somewhere located around Mississippi, Louisiana, or Alabama. You can't get much more ass backwards or dumber than these three states. It's like spitting in the wind dealing with these folks down here sometimes. If my family didn't reside here, I would have left a loooooong time ago.
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If you want to "help" the Automobile industry, feel free to write them a check. That's no argument to use the power of the state to force all Americans to pay for it and reward your failure. A hurricane or some other natural disaster is not the reason the auto companies are failing -- it is that same socialist government and bad business decisions that you want more of.
The answer is to get the government out of the auto industry, deregulate, stop having the state dictate to them, get rid of the government protected unions, and learn to do business in a freer market.
The solution you seem to be advocating seems to be more of what got us here. It won't work and is immoral as well.
fishermage.blogspot.com
I dont know, to me there seems to be a big difference to quickly sending aid cash to a disaster zone, and sending cash to a failing buisness.
Its not like when those employees lose there jobs they will all die is it?
Another great example of Moore's Law. Give people access to that much space (developers and users alike) and they'll find uses for it that you can never imagine. "640K ought to be enough for anybody" - Bill Gates 1981
Lets see, General Motors, one of the American auto manufacturers that is requesting a government backed loan in a tightening credit market, is the number two auto manufacturer in the world, having only recently been surpassed by Toyota.
I guess being number two makes them a failing business, something Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes, BMW, and Nissan, who all have manufacturing facilities in the southern states that are blocking the loans, would love to emulate. Take Nissan for example, they are drooling at the mouth to acquire Chrysler, and Chrysler's hybrid technology, at bargain bin prices, having just recently made an offer. Yup, sounds like three losing companies that control about 50% of the North American automotive market.
Now these foreign manufacturers in the south will get their wish. They can rise up the automotive food chain over the dead bodies of the American heavy manufacturers compliments of the bought and paid for conservative Republican politicians of the southern states they do business in. Increase their standard of living at the expense of the standard of living of Americans in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Missouri and New Jersey. Obtain that hybrid technology they never invested in to remain competitive with Toyota.
You know who the failed automotive manufacturers are? The ones that have no alternative fuel models in the showrooms. Toyota does, Honda does, GM does, and Ford does. Chrysler has them online. I own a 2003 Dodge that gets 39 mpg highway, better than most Hondas and Toyotas. Quality, I had a 1997 Plymouth with over 200,000 miles on it (my son blew the engine racing), and still have a 1995 Ford with over 200,000 miles on it. Failed products, right.
No, nobody will die, entire famlies are just losing their homes, and living in shelters. But that's okay according to compassionate conservatives, building consensus among the new homeless. Paint the Big 3 as losers, and brush off the collateral damage.
Aided by the best and brightest politician of the State of Conneticut, who, as Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee was overjoyed by the no strings attached gift, not loan mind you, but gift, to the financial services industry that provided him with a low income loan on his real estate.
And yes, you are correct, sending money to a distressed area of America in answer to a natural disaster is not the same as asking for a loan. The loan will be repaid, with interest, and possibly, like the previous Chrysler loan, with stock. The Big 3 never asked for repayment of the disaster assistance.
They did it because it was the right thing to do.
So much for America "United". It's a dog eat dog people, devil take the hindmost.
Sounds like we need to gaurantee profits and keep nepotism healthy. Buy American, we must provide profits or esle!!
Don't be terrorized! You're more likely to die of a car accident, drowning, fire, or murder! More people die every year from prescription drugs than terrorism LOL!
Your ties to MI must run vary deep.so those southern senators killing the bill don't make a valid point.
I know,your well aware of the conditions that money is going to come with,Like a car czar standing over the UAW right ! The business model under the UAW is a arcane model not equipped to function in today business climate.The Airlines are a perfect model,,,,well not perfect but close.
Trade in material assumptions for spiritual facts and make permanent progress.
Those southern senators make an invalid, belated point.
For the last eight years the Big 3 have been going through downsizing, cutting jobs and cutting benefits. The UAW has given concessions all throughout those years. UAW workers have a two tier wage and benefit package, based on legacy and new hired workers, and salary workers have also given concessions. Currently it costs the Big 3 $5 per labor hour more than the foreign auto manufacturing plants in the United States to build a car, without including pension costs. Under this contract, negotiated earlier this year, the UAW takes over the entire cost of health care from the Big 3.
Over the past several years the auto companies have bought legacy workers out, meaning the legacy workers leave the companies, and new hires are added at a lower wage and benefit package to replace them.
Research how many workers each of the Big 3 has today, compared to how many they had 8 years ago, compared to how many they had 8 years before that, going all the way back to the 1970s. Actually sit down and research the current UAW contract before you cite political propaganda.
The US Government was initially asked to guarantee loans, just like what was done in the late 1970s with Chrysler. Chrysler repaid those loans, and under the terms of the agreement the US government was granted stock options which were exercised and sold at $35 per share.
Thus, in exchange for the loan guarantee, which cost the government nothing, the government made a windfall off Chrysler stock.
Today, the only difference is that the credit markets have dried up for business loans. The government has failed to free up the credit markets, so it is being asked for a direct loan, which is to be repaid with interest.
It has nothing to do with guarantee of profits and nepotism. It is about making credit available so that business can weather an economic downturn.
Every day thousands of layoffs are announced all across America. You truly are in sorry shape if you feel the hundreds of thousands of job losses associated with the destruction of heavy manufacturing in America is the answer to our economic troubles.
The US Government was initially asked to guarantee loans, just like what was done in the late 1970s with Chrysler. Chrysler repaid those loans, and under the terms of the agreement the US government was granted stock options which were exercised and sold at $35 per share.
Thus, in exchange for the loan guarantee, which cost the government nothing, the government made a windfall off Chrysler stock.
Today, the only difference is that the credit markets have dried up for business loans. The government has failed to free up the credit markets, so it is being asked for a direct loan, which is to be repaid with interest.
It has nothing to do with guarantee of profits and nepotism. It is about making credit available so that business can weather an economic downturn.
Every day thousands of layoffs are announced all across America. You truly are in sorry shape if you feel the hundreds of thousands of job losses associated with the destruction of heavy manufacturing in America is the answer to our economic troubles.
That's not the issue. The issue is, big government, too much regulation, and Washington thinking it knows better than everyone else is what GOT us here -- more of the same will just dig a deeper hole.
They need to deregulate the Auto industry and get rid of laws that force syndicalism on the industry. Socialism is the problem, liberty is the answer.
fishermage.blogspot.com