Pay raise for judges tucked into bailout plan. I can't believe this crap and sent an email expressing it to this Nevada chump. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081210/ap_on_go_co/judicial_pay_raise
I've been thinking about this hard for a few days now. I've bitten my tongue pretty hard, because I didn't want to open a massive can of worms, and I really respect the people on this thread, but I'm going to express my opinion here. I hope each of you with differing opinions can at least respond to this in a respectful manner, and I'll do the same. Honestly guys, the problem runs much deeper than our citizens not buying American. That is not the problem. If our people look at and view these vehicles as less value for their hard earned dollar, and less reliable........that's an uphill battle that no bailout is going to fix. It shouldn't be on the people to purchase that vehicle, it should be on the manufacturer to make a vehicle that these people want to buy. If the japanese can do it, so can we. There are significant reasons that our own country is not buying American. I don't think I know a single person that thinks it's cool to not buy american.......if anything US automakers have that advantage because from what I see, most agree that it is a good thing to support our own. I certainly do. I honestly felt bad when I purchased my current truck, I really went to market looking for a ford or chevy, but when looking at my options I was able to get a vehicle with more options, for approximately $5k less than any comparable ford or chevy. That's about a $100 a month difference in my payment every month. Too great of a difference to ignore. I do pretty well for myself and if this was compelling for me, then the people in income brackets below me really aren't going to ignore this type of a difference. The problem is the perception and reputation that US automakers have created for themselves with the quality of their vehicles, and the percieved value of these vehicles. By this I mean both in terms of reliability, and features per $$$. I'm not going to get into whether that perception is true or not, but it came from somewhere, all of the independant reviews state it, and these US automakers have got to find a way to crush that perception. If they can't do this, no amount of bailout money is going to solve this problem long term. If they cannot solve this, consumers will spend their $$$ as they feel they get the best value. This is the root of the problem, the US automakers have got to build and market a vehicle that our own people want to drive, and feel is the best value. If they really want to make a statement, let's see a hybrid technology car that gets 50+ mpg, that you can buy for less than $20k, that will have a 10 year, 100,000 mile warranty. Let's see a gasoline turbo motor truck that produces power to tow 5k lbs, yet get 25+ mpg......that we can buy for $25k along with a 10yr, 100,000 warranty. The technology is there. The workforce to build them is there. Why are we not doing this? If any country can pull this off, we can. 20 years ago people looked down on the japanese vehicles as a lower quality "cheap" vehicle. Now they sell for a premium and are percieved as a higher quality option. They did this by changing peoples perception of them, and now they dominate our market. We can do the same, and I sincerely hope they do, but it needs to start with the manufacturers. Consumers will always do what they see fit with their $$$. Look at the data below. Now I'm not sure how they compile this data, and it could be very inaccurate (doubt it), but the problem with US automakers is clearly shown here. That's right, only 6 out of 47 vehicles on this list are US...................that's your problem. Consumer Reports 2007 - Most Reliable Vehicles SMALL CARS: Honda Fit*, Toyota Yaris*, Honda Civic Hybrid*, Toyota Corolla. FAMILY CARS: Honda Accord Hybrid, Toyota Prius, Honda Accord (4-cyl.), Ford Fusion*, Mercury Milan*. UPSCALE/LARGE CARS: Lexus ES350*, Lincoln Zephyr*, Hyundai Azera*, Acura TSX, Acura TL. LUXURY CARS: Lexus LS (2006), Infiniti M*. SPORTY CARS/CONVERTIBLES/COUPES:Lexus SC, Toyota Camr
I live in an area that the economy relies on General Motors. They are cutting jobs like crazy. 2000 more last week. Our local economy sucks.... I can get a better deal at Gander but I buy my archery gear from my local bow shop..... Why? It's the right thing to do. So is Americans buying American products.
Our local economy is hurting because no one is buying ANY cars. RJ, you bought a used vehicle, not the same IMO.
It was also designed in California, motor built in TN, and the vehicle assembled in MO. That made me feel a lot better about it. With that said, I still would have rather bought one from the big 3, and I really hope they can get their stuff together soon. They are robbing the people that have dedicated their lives to working there, the people that have invested in their public shares, and the taxpayers that are bailing them out. A big part of me says we should just let them fold, but I know there isn't another US company positioned to pick up the slack........all that business would go straight to Japan and thats not gonna help anyone. Rock and a hard place. It's the manufacturers that put us there.
I'll point out the elephant in the room anytime. I just read a few minutes ago that the bailout failed. Why? Yep, the UAW refused to budge. In that case, eff em.
I too bit my tongue out of the immense respect I have for everyone who posts here. Here's some real quick thoughts still running through my head... It's not too hard to imagine that I make a VERY good living in my profession. Add on that my writing and other miscellaneous sources of income, and we're not hurting by any stretch of the imagination. Having said that though, I'm giving my wife the opportunity to stay home and be a full-time mother to our two boys. That means I can't just throw money down the drain for some idealistic theory. Here's a recap of my most recent experiences... Oldsmobile my Dad bought and let me use when I was in college -- had to replace the transmission around 80,000 miles. I bought a Nissan Sentra after that -- sold it with 278,000 miles and it was going strong. Did nothing but change the oil. Dad passed his Nissan Hardbody Pickup truck down to me -- sold it with over 290,000 miles, and it was running like a champ. Did nothing but change the oil. Parents bought a brand new Ford Taurus. In the shop so much they got rid of it within a year. Parents bought a brand new Dodge Intrepid. Replaced the transmission before 80,000 miles. Many other miscellaneous little "knick-nack" type stuff always going wrong with it. I bought a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee in 2000. I've replaced two transmissions, one rear end, the radiator, replaced the fuel filter (which has to have the tank removed to do), the starter, the brake rotors countless times (there was a lawsuit against Chrysler over this one), etc. etc. etc. The only reason I keep it is I feel I've almost replaced everything I can on it at this point, and it's basically just my hunting vehicle these days. I bought a Lexus ES 300 a couple years later. I'm over 220,000 miles on it now (I'm in outside sales), and I change the oil. Period. Notice a theme here? I'll agree with almost every word in RJ's well-written post, and ESPECIALLY the point about unions... I can't BELIEVE that an employee thinks he has the right to DEMAND certain things from an employer like they do. I'll tell you what EVERY one of my employers would say, and HAVE basically said with their actions: Don't like it here? Go work somewhere else! NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING gets me more irate than passing a LAZY sucker on a corner holding a sign on a job site because someone else is busting butt and earning a dollar bill for his family -- while they themselves are too good to go get another job somewhere else or earn a new skillset if they don't like their field.
'We are 10% of the labor costs. If [the UAW] worked for nothing, it wouldn’t help [the auto industry] limp into January.' — Ron Gettelfinger, United Auto Workers hmmmm.
I'm too young to have much experience, but most of my life I have worked without a union. However, last summer I worked for a union company. I learned a lot about unions that summer, and from now on, I will always do whatever I can to avoid them. I also feel like it's equal parts the UAW and the manufacturers themselves. The manufacturers won't make a car that's worth two squirts of piss(I know I have a ford), while the UAW continue's to demand what they don't necessarily deserve.
I firmly believe the Unions have screwed the industry as well as the members themselves. I have a neighbor that is a Union Mechanic for a Dodge dealer. My Neighbor makes less than many line workers at a factory and he made a great statement. How hard would it be for him to walk into a factory and be able to hand a door or windshield? Now how long would it take for a line worker to be able to effectively have the aptitude to fix almost and given problem a customer might bring their car in for? He makes less yet has to have a great deal more knowledge. These Unions have crazy things built into their contracts such as the job bank that pays up to four years salary at 90-95% for laid off workers! I would love to get laid off and get paid for four years, hell I'd go to college and work part time at a bar for cash and come out way ahead of those still working on the line. These line workers have no job skilled and are paid like spoiled brats for a menial task and have the gall to think their job is so complex. I firmly believe we need to stick it to the Unions and bring them to reality. If they want jobs they need to make sacrifices or there will be no jobs when the companies go under, yet they are not willing to budge?? What kills me is that I have a friend that is a Union Journeyman house painter here in Chicago area and he is making around $34.00 a frickin hour to roll pain on a damn wall for god's sake! When he get's laid off what job skills will he have or where is he going to find work that pays near what he is making?
Union skill trades are nothing like the UAW. The UAW is a joke and they are over paid lazy workers. I agree with all of you on this point. That does not mean I want to see them all lose their jobs and have our domestic auto industry go in the sh it tank. If you do not produce in my line of work the contractor you work for lays you off. All our union does for us is collect the monies for our retirement, annuities, hospitalization etc. There is no such thing as seniority and the sh it workers do not get work and are forced into some other job, trade, what ever, where ever else to pay their bills. Do not compare me to any lazy UAW worker. I can tell you for sure, "your" union construction work down there is nothing like that here. I guarantee it. I do not agree with much that happens, I see and hear first hand quite often people screwing GM here by taking medical leave etc. when there is nothing wrong. My buddies wife is about 100 pounds over weight, so she is on light duty at the plant. They still pay her the same $30 per hour as everyone else on her shift although she isn't able bodied. Never compare me to that.
Is buying a Mercury Milan 'buying American'? (made in Mexico) Is buying a Mitsubishi Endeavor 'buying American'? (Made in IL) I try pretty hard to buy 'made in the USA'. Sometimes it's an amusement all unto itself. I had to hunt around for quite sometime to find a cutting board made in the USA but I was determined and did finally find one. Socks, gym shoes, cookware, etc., if you dig, you can find 'em proudly made in the USA. I suggest more people do it instead of always going the cheap route. However, I would stop short of buying a Big 3 product simply out of patriotic duty.
