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Detriot Can’t Count on a Washington Jump-Start

Started by washingtonindependent · 7 months ago

In a blizzard of partisan rhetoric, congressional leaders sparred Friday over whether America’s struggling auto makers should be the next benefactor in the lengthening series of federal bailouts.
Key Democrats have pushed furiously for an additional $25-billion infusion to help the ... Continue reading »

3 comments

  • Henry Overby

    7 months ago

    Republicans in congress are perfectly willing to stop the bailout loans to the auto industry to
    destroy the auto unions even if it means putting thousands out of work and pushing the economy
    into a full-scale depression.
    reply
  • UAW Needs Reform

    7 months ago

    The US automotive industry has been stuck in the mindset of the 60s with creating bigger and faster vehicles such as the Yukon, Hummer H2, Suburban, the 300, the Charger, Mustang, as opposed to creating fuel efficient vehicles. Toyota and Honda have been utilizing greener cars for some time now. Many of the 'foreign imports' are made in the USA, anyways.

    A lot of the US made vehicles are made at such as higher overhead, that there is little room for improvements to move in line with the likes of Toyota. The greener technologies will take years before the US automakers can outfit, design and produce the technology. The UAW needs to back down on the salaries that have driven up the cost of making vehicles in the US. Management needs to be restructured, reorganized, overhauled and re-engineered.

    So the outcry is that 10% of the jobs of America will be lost. Yes and no. There will be a 'firesale' of goods and the auto industry will dry but the cars on the lot will still sell. The corporate executives who live in their mansions and have elite country club memberships will go down. Why? Because of poor management and a lack of foresight.

    Many of the US automotive industry vehicles are less reliable than their Japanese counterparts. Just check consumer reports. Quality, reliability and even style are in question. Why are we re-hashing the US 'musclecars' in a time of oil scarcity? Why even 'relive the past' when we need to move forward with the changing needs of energy/technology?

    I will be glad when the US auto-industry goes down in flames. It is an old dinosaur working on life support. A short term aid will not help. It is a band-aid that will not stop major hemorrhage. You cannot treat a gunshot wound with a band aid and you will not save the US automakers from a deep hole that they dug themselves into.

    Why not subsidize the sale of the products already on the lot? It will help the dealerships and get more cars on the road. The bottleneck is not at the corporate level, it is at the car lot. Cars are not selling. Sales have been at an all time low. Have the government give incentives to the consumer to buy American.

    WAKE UP, CHRYSLER, FORD AND GM! Your days are numbered, and well deserved!
    reply
  • Darryl D Anderson

    6 months ago

    reply

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