US Auto bailout rejected
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- designbot0
^ Right but the problem is not just making these enormous vehicles, but the fact that US automobile manufacturers actually focused on these. Instead of getting smart and following Honda or Toyota, with reliable economical smaller sized vehicles, they continued making these POS's even as gas prices sky-rocketed.
- sputnik20
bailing them out would have been a bandaid on a much larger issue. hopefully they'll start making cars which people will actually want to buy. that being said, i really feel for the people losing their jobs.
- exactly. plus GM employees get $71/hr and US Honda get $45/hr. Fuck GM, they're moronssection_014
- That's all changing with the buyouts of the union guys though. The salaries are more realistic now.Mimio
- yep, it's all union issues. they're outtdated and have hurt the industry terribly.sputnik2
- Mimio0
Get ready to double that unemployment number to 4 million people.
- harlequino0
I wouldn't feel bad about bailing them out with taxpayer cash if it came with the concession that the manufacture of pretoleum cars will be illegal in the US by 2015 or so. Change yer shit up.
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- ETM0
But, there is a 3-5 years dev cycle on a new vehicle. They can't drop everything they invested millions in when the gas and economic crisis hit so quickly. Its the same reason why Honda and Toyota ended up bringing so many large vehicles out in the last couple years as well. They started years ago when things were different. If this didn't happen, I would guarantee the Asian makers would be making some more large models to cash in on US tastes.
Lets not forget even Hyundai and Kia just released large SUVs as well.
- Lets not forget the Chevy Volt on the horizon. The next cycle will have more fuel efficient cars.ETM
- designbot0
I see what you're saying. I know they can't just drop everything and start making new vehicles. But also, this thing didn't just happen overnight. They have been hurting for a very long time, and for whatever reason, it seems like minimal action was taken to do anything about it. Seems pretty ignorant.
- TheBlueOne0
I'm sooo glad bailing out the banks freed up the credit markets.
That was total win,
- designbot0
Anyone have a link to the actual proposal? I don't think it's publicly available. If I recall correctly, the main part of the "plan" from these automobile manufacturers was to start producing "smaller more economical cars" instead of focusing on trucks and massive SUV's. wtf kind of plan is that!
Might have been a good one, 10 years ago.
- Mimio0
Yes... bully for Paulson on that. I'm so glad we blow $9 billion a month in Iraq.
- philipdrumman0
- Such a great set up, but image linkage fail, mach 1!ian
- in future we wont have links! sausage links at bestphilipdrumman
- I had so much hope.TheBlueOne
- ETM0
I agree, and I am not advocating a bail out. But there must be some middle ground, a better plan, to protect so many people's lively hoods.
More combined efforts need to be made... like GM developing the Vibe/Matrix with Toyota etc.
- designbot0
I'm with you.
And honestly, I think there are plenty of things that can be done without Government involvement.
- forcetwelve0
gm should have seen the writing on the wall years ago and started down-scaling the size of the tanks you guys drive over there. it really is ridiculous.
- it has nothing to do with that. the tanks sell well.sputnik2
- brandelec0
werd. lovely hummers
- JSK0
When there is blood on the street buy property.
no wait....
- roundabout0
The only decent car brand America have left are Ford. Why should they get a bail out, GM, Chrysler have been designing cars for the US market, and then thought they could use the same crap for the rest of the world without a redesign. Yeah, there shit, and yeah, you failed.
- mightcould0
This news pleases me. I hate to see people out of work, but the unions didn't help matters any. This was going to happen at some point.
- ETM0
@ forcetwelve. Some people need big vehicles for large families or their occupations. The problem was when housewives thought it was great to drive these tanks that can seat 8 people as daily drivers to run errands. Or guys who think they need full size trucks, but never put a thing in the bed.
I'll admit, the biggest douche bag mistake was the 'Hummer'. They were pure excess. There was not a legit use for those things.