They're Shutting Detroit down

[ibents]

Ain't this the truth, Just watch this music video and tell me this isn't happening all over!!

 

Click here: They're Shutting Detroit Down

 

Ian

 

Hope the link works!

[Carbon_One]

Here's something I received today that sort of bears along this topic as well. Pretty sobering info facing the country.

http://slate.com/id/2216238/

Larry

[wes0778]

At the risk of stepping in "it" or stepping on toes, I had a co-worker make the comment the other day, of; "Folks say buy "American" to save our auto industry, but I think I'd rather buy a "foreign" car made in Tennessee, Mississippi or Alabama then an "American" car made in Mexico or Canada! (sorry not throwing rock at the friends in Canada!!!)

[royalstarjac]

Also not wanting to step on toes but Detroit shut itself down IMO. Companies built cars people don't want and the unions made unreasonable demands in the face of economic realities. JMO. BTW, I've been a dues paying union member for 25 yrs and walked the picket line more than once so I'm no union basher.-Jack:mo money:

[merrride]

It seems the auto industry has been through this before, some 25 or 30 years ago, it seems that history has a way of repeating it self.Cant argue about the companys building the wrong cars or the unions demands,its just to bad alot of good hard working people are getting caught up in this mees.

[juggler]

Also not wanting to step on toes but Detroit shut itself down IMO. Companies built cars people don't want and the unions made unreasonable demands in the face of economic realities. JMO. BTW, I've been a dues paying union member for 25 yrs and walked the picket line more than once so I'm no union basher.-Jack:mo money:

 

 

More correctly, our U.S. Congress passed laws that forced the auto companies to make cars that we don't want. And Congress also gave the Unions too much power. The balance of power between Unions and management has been skewed so far towards Unions that companies are being killed. It is supposed to be s symbiotic relationship, both sides need each other and neither can survive without the other.

 

Today GM, Ford, Chrysler are nothing more than very large retirement and health benefit program administrators with a small auto manufacturing subsidiary.

 

The solution to this is both easy and hard. Get Congress to rewrite the laws to let the auto companies build the cars we want and rebalance the power between unions and management. Next we need to get those unrealistic lifetime health care benefits reigned in and sold off to company that can manage them.

 

Of course none of this will happen under the current President and Congress, they are tightening their grips of control. They are dictating the cars that will be made and they are dictating who gets paid what, how much and how often.

 

So step one is vote out the bums in office. Step two restore the free market place. Step three enjoy the recovery of our Great Nation.

 

BTW: These three steps are what is needed for all of our businesses.

[BigBoyinMS]

More correctly, our U.S. Congress passed laws that forced the auto companies to make cars that we don't want. And Congress also gave the Unions too much power. The balance of power between Unions and management has been skewed so far towards Unions that companies are being killed. It is supposed to be s symbiotic relationship, both sides need each other and neither can survive without the other.

 

Today GM, Ford, Chrysler are nothing more than very large retirement and health benefit program administrators with a small auto manufacturing subsidiary.

 

The solution to this is both easy and hard. Get Congress to rewrite the laws to let the auto companies build the cars we want and rebalance the power between unions and management. Next we need to get those unrealistic lifetime health care benefits reigned in and sold off to company that can manage them.

 

Of course none of this will happen under the current President and Congress, they are tightening their grips of control. They are dictating the cars that will be made and they are dictating who gets paid what, how much and how often.

 

So step one is vote out the bums in office. Step two restore the free market place. Step three enjoy the recovery of our Great Nation.

 

BTW: These three steps are what is needed for all of our businesses.

 

You said it and it's the truth. Unions and the federal government were both meant to be a small part of a big picture. Just like a parasite, they have both taken over their host and will eventually kill them.

[Grey beard]

It was interesting to me to watch the news of the Presiden't trip to meet with Latin American leaders in Trinidad. The cars being driven in thenews shots there are vintage 1940's. That's what socialism has given to them.

[adventurer 08]

it's tough to watch that video because thats the way it is here in detroit. I was born and raised here and its tough to watch the house next to you being put up for auction. Wear i work half the people are laided off but my boss just bought a 54ft sea ray. its just not right!!

[Eddie]

At the risk of stepping in "it" or stepping on toes, I had a co-worker make the comment the other day, of; "Folks say buy "American" to save our auto industry, but I think I'd rather buy a "foreign" car made in Tennessee, Mississippi or Alabama then an "American" car made in Mexico or Canada! (sorry not throwing rock at the friends in Canada!!!)

 

Not a clue.

[barend]

Wear i work half the people are laided off but my boss just bought a 54ft sea ray. its just not right!!

 

Oh, I'd love to jump in here full force, but I suspect this is already more political then Don or the other moderators like. To me the last part of the above quote reeks of ...

 

awhh hell!! I cannot do it and abide by Don's "no politics" rule!

 

So I'll say this, In the book "Atlas Shrugged" there is a chapter where the "hobo" tells the tale of what happened at the factory he used to work. If you read the book, you know what I am talking about, if you didn't, consider reading it. Then come back and claim some things are "just not right".

[timgray]

From my point of view.. I used to be a die-hard Pontiac guy. I've owned pontiac from the day I could get my first car, my dad was a UAW worker at a GM plant, he made the engine blocks. WE had Oldsmobile and Pontiac. After the last 2 Pontiac new cars I bought, I'm not touching a GM car ever again. 3400 engine has defective intake gaskets, GM finally admits this after 5 years and then issues a recall that they make sure they dont have to fix any of the cars.. Under 50,000 mile waivers on 5 year old engines. Yeah. BCM computers across the line are defective and GM tells us "too bad for you" etc...

 

This is my experience, GM basically told me that I was dumb for trusting them to build a quality car that would at least last to the 100,000 mark.

 

Gm did it to themselves by using substandard parts from suppliers in china.

 

Also, the ONLY way to buy American is to buy local.

 

If you need plates of silverware, go find a local artisan and have him/her make them. Need a shed? dont buy that nice china made tupperware one at Costco, pay a local builder to build you one. Same for furniture, etc... Anything else is china made or has china parts. The only thing you can not buy no matter how much cash you have is an American made computer or laptop. Someone assembling a bunch of china parts is not american made in my book. There are tons of local craftsmen and women that can make stuff for you that is made in america. Hire a seamstress or tailor to make your clothes... Buy at the farmers market not the supermarket, small butcher instead of Walmart.

 

The textiles industry left for china years ago. All other industry is fleeing the country for higher profits. Greenville, MI is now a ghost town because the main employer decided that paying living wages is not worth it, they moved to Mexico where they can pay $12.00 a day to the employees instead. That story plays out all over this country, every one of us here has heard it and saw it or felt it.

Edited April 19, 2009 by timgray

[ManWithAVision]

At the risk of stepping in "it" or stepping on toes, I had a co-worker make the comment the other day, of; "Folks say buy "American" to save our auto industry, but I think I'd rather buy a "foreign" car made in Tennessee, Mississippi or Alabama then an "American" car made in Mexico or Canada! (sorry not throwing rock at the friends in Canada!!!)

 

My son in law works for a company that builds the frames for the Honda plant in Alliston Ontario and they have recently had their work week cut back to thirty-two hours in spite of the fact that Honda was in much better shape than the big three when the recession started to close in. I don't think any company or anyone in the auto industry is immune to what is happening worldwide right now in the manufacturing sectors.

[loehring]

And they wonder why membership in organizations like The Arian Brotherhood have started to increase. In the US they released a Dep. of Homeland Security memo that listed the potential security threat of white supremist groups and the enlistment of returning vets. When things are going bad people look for scape goats and people to blame. People have simply had enough of all the government crap. I'm not advocating, just making an observation. They had better start fixing things or they will have more trouble than they can handle. 50 years ago special interests went pretty much unnoticed but with information the way it is and people able to speak their minds on the internet, you just can't hide this stuff any more. They are facing a popular uprising and even the corporate people need to be careful. News of someone taking a huge payout while people are losing their homes will end up with bad things happening. There's a very good reason gun sales trippled in the state of Texas after the election. These people had better start paying attention or we may be reading some bad stuff in the news and it won't be from Iraq.

[66impala]

Things arent going to change for the better, its only going to get worse. The size and cost of government and their social programs are going to keep growing and costing more. Corporations are going to keep going offshore, for higher margins, cheaper labor, less regulation (osha,epa,dep and so on.), with cap and trade and the cost of energy, why would anyone want to do business here.

 

Can you name the top ten products that the USA makes for general consumption (m16s, f14s, 747s are not general consumption items).

Debt no.1 export, scrap metal export, hand guns, Alcohol, Tabaco, Narcotics, Pornography.

 

With the advancement of Technology and the internet, there wont be a need for all the office space in the usa either.

 

We are in a race to the bottom.

[GeorgeS]

Next Election--

 

City, County, State, and Federal--- Vote Against " ALL " Incombunts !!!!!!

 

No matter the Party,