Should we just let GM, Ford and Chrysler fail?

[itsbob (Premo)]

Romney 2012.

[pixiegirl]

Originally Posted by Larry Gude

...OK, but there have long been 50 mpg cars in the US. People don't want to buy them in great numbers. People LIKE big, safe vehicles. Ford and GM make money on the larger vehicles. You can't have a stable economy with wildly fluctuating energy prices. It is a national interest to have stable gas prices.

Allowing oil to get so out of control hurt US auto makers by hurting sales of bigger vehicles. Congress could address that.

Excellent point and I was just biatching about this the other day. Where in the hell is the accountability to every American that went several months paying outrageous prices?

[BlueBird]

Originally Posted by blazinlow89

Well considering the government puts so many regulations on them. They have stuff in the works that will be great. It would be nice to see the ford that gets 65mpg, and the volt will be a great vehicle when its released. Id rather see 25b go to the auto industry instead of the 700b that went to wallstreet.

We had to do the 700 Billion dollar bail out because if we let our financial system collapse everything else collapses as a result. With no money to lend every business would eventually be doomed to fail. We'll still have to wait and see if it works though.

The auto industry is a completely different situation. There are already programs in place and things they can do to stay afloat with out tax dollars going to them. We could still see all the great technology they have on the horizon even if they re-organize under currently available programs.

If I drove up to your house in a brand new BMW and told you I needed a bailout what would you tell me?

These companies are poorly ran by greedy CEO's who are out of touch with reality. They don't deserve a dime of our money. Just my opinion of course...

[BlueBird]

Originally Posted by itsbob

Romney 2012.

I wasn't a big advocate of Romney during the primaries, but I have to say he would be the best man for the job right now with our current fiscal crisis.

[GWguy]

GM says board doesn't see bankruptcy as option -- Newsday.com

DETROIT - General Motors Corp.'s board of directors does not consider bankruptcy protection a viable option to solve the company's financial troubles, but it has discussed Chapter 11 because it has a legal duty to do so, a spokesman said Saturday.

[Larry Gude (Premo)]

Originally Posted by BlueBird

I wasn't a big advocate of Romney during the primaries, but I have to say he would be the best man for the job right now with our current fiscal crisis.

...Romney never built anything. His business experience is in take overs; it's all paper. Certainly, his business experience and knowledge far exceeds Obama and McCain put together and his skills are critical to successful business, but his skills are only part of the whole; product, manufacturing, distribution, finance, management.

Someone who had run a business would be my preference over someone who had only taken then apart and shuffled pieces of business around a monopoly board.

[kilroyiii]

I agree with a comment I saw earlier, these ceo's are out of touch with reality. I have worked for a local ford dealer for a time now, and never seen it as slow as it is now. Years ago when I was employed at Chrysler, we never would have thought that these kind of hardships would fall upon us. Now i go to work everyday wondering if i'll have any work to do. Now I don't drive a brand new Lexus or BMW, nor would I if I could, i'm proud to support our american brand and have two Fords parked in my driveway. what are us people that have been in the automotive field to do? So many dealerships within a 500 mile radius of here are closing, and not just the big three, some Toyota, Nissan, and Honda dealerships also. Some of us have been doing this our whole lives, have bills, families, and houses to pay for. We don't have enough money to go to school learn a new trade and hopefully take care of our responsabilities. I don't think that the big three should be handed money, but i do think that something needs to be done. Again, just my opinion.

[Wickedwrench]

Drink the 44k .............it'll make you forget all about the end being near.

[Tomcat]

Originally Posted by ylexot

Such as...?

Originally Posted by itsbob

WWII many car manufacturing, truck manufacturing plants were converted into wartime manufacturing plants.

Fairly easy to convert a car manufacturing plant into an artillery manufacturing plant, or small armored vehicle plant.. or even a helo or small aircraft plant.

Most are so big, they could pick up the wartime effort and still build cars and or trucks.

Run LMTV's off of one side of their warehouse while Corvettes are coming out the other side.

Originally Posted by Pete

I don't know if that is still a capability. First off back in the 40's everything was hand built. Changing the line wasn't all that difficult. Now with so much automated could the robots be reprogrammed? Do they have the clearance for larger vehicles?

Next, is it realistic to think that we will get into a conflict that would require us to build 10,000 bombers or 25,000 tanks?

Lastly the equipment we build today is infinitely more complicated and complex. It is not the same as welding together tank hulls and bolting on tracks.

Harley makes more than motorcycles...as we speak, they are building............ for the DOD

[ylexot (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Tomcat

Harley makes more than motorcycles...as we speak, they are building............ for the DOD

What's your point?