Friday, December 5, 2008
Ok, so Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler want money from the financial bailout, the question is why? So they can continue to make a mediocre vehicle, who cares if they are trying to make hybrids, and try to make electric cars that are actually efficient. I haven’t done all the research, I’m just ranting. I’m just saying that they got themselves into this pickle, and they should get themselves out of it as well. The Government needs to give the money to companies who can actually use it for more good than bailing out companies who have thrown there money into the crapper by making Huge SUV’s and trucks that get the fuel economy of an M1 Abrams Tank! Speaking of that, if you have one of those, and you don’t absolutely need it SELL IT! Get those off the road! They’re annoying and wase gas. And one more thing while I’m on a roll, if you have one, and can’t drive it or park it, buy a Daewoo, that a way it’s small enough a “little person” could drive it. Anyways don’t bail them out we could do so much better with our money. In my opinion the government needs to be more responsible with the bailout money. Jason H.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Jason,
I agree with your rant against the potential bailout for the big three American auto makers. I too believe that a failed business strategy in a competitive market is not justification for a bailout. The big three previously focused on larger, passenger heavy vehicles for production. The realization that consumers would move towards more fuel efficient cars should not be shocking since it occurred before in 1973.
Consumers flocked away from large cars to smaller ones in part to an oil embargo which limited supply creating extremely higher costs for fuel. Coupled with the stock market crash of 1973, Americans chose smaller vehicles to save money in gas and pinch pennies. The 1973 crisis foreshadowed problems we would face today. With our economy experiencing a recession and with recent sky rocketing oil prices, our situation is not far removed from the incident 35 years earlier.
Union controlled employment in Detroit and other northern cities does not help American automakers either. The pay for union workers in northern cities is $78.00 per hour compared to southern foreign automakers non-union employee costing just $48.00 per hour. If a union member is on strike, guess how much he makes per hour? He still makes $78.00. Union control has decimated the American automakers making cars costlier and harder to compete in a market saturated with low cost, fuel economic automobiles.
In the end let’s allow free market ideology to reign where previous bailouts proved it to be a hoax. If we infuse these beleaguered businesses, the only payoff is that we will stave off the inevitable collapse for a few more years at the expense of the taxpayers.
John Kyle
Jason,
I do not agree that SUV's and trucks do not sell. Even when gas was four dollars, do you know what the highest selling vehicle in America was? It was not a Toyota. It was a Ford truck, the F-150.
And to your point that other companies are more deserving of the money, aren't all companies that ask for bailout money flawed anyway? The banks and other financial institutions that are asking for the bailout money do not deserve anything. They have a flawed business planned because they started giving home loans to people who they knew would never pay them off.
Oh, and you know what? The reason the automakers were making SUV's was because that is what the consumer wanted. Back before gas went up, everyone wanted a big car, not because they did not have a choice, but because they wanted a big vehicle.
And the fact that you made these claims without even knowing what you are talking about is disturbing. The auto companies have been working on electric cars and hydrogen powered cars before the price of gas spiked.
And another thing, what SUV's and trucks are you talking about? Their fuel economy is not bad anymore like it once was. Most get over twenty M.P.G., which is better than it once was. The only vehicles that get terrible fuel mileage are the trucks that are so big you have to use a ladder to get in. Those are the ones that the good ol' boys wanted to outdo each other with bigger and bigger trucks.
Will you please wake up and see that the Big Three tried before all of this happened. But I do have to say, the two companies that do not deserve to be bailed out are Chrysler and General Motors because they are not trying to be become profitable. Chrysler was pretty much bankrupt before all of this happened. And GM will not sell off some of the companies that they own to cut down costs. Ford, on the other hand has sold off Aston Martin and Land Rover because these companies were not making Ford money.
Anyway, I think you should look at the facts before you make these statements.
Post a Comment