Did you see PBS The Newshour....Story about GM!!!

It is a 12 minute story you have to listen too........Plants close and you NEVER again have to work!(Bottom of page)

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/

done, nothing. At one time GM had 600,000 workers who were loyal to GM and bought GM cars. Guess what? GM is now down to 150,000 workers that are now buying cheap imports because GM refused to stand behind their product and refused to stand behind the workers as they did during the boom years. Remember the Reagan years? There were more GM workers on welfare then there were in the factories. Down sizing, out sourcing and selling out to foreign countries was GM's down fall not the deals they made with the unions. Gm sold out their base buyers, their workers, thats what has lead to the down fall of GM. Sorry, but after seeing 4 factories and 2 foundries close down then bull dozed to the ground GM bought into the Reagan BS and they truly have reaped what they have sown.

And I can't see them turning their auto market around. I'm no expert, but I doubt they're rolling out affordable cars that get 70mpg this year.

I expect to hear they're filing for bankruptcy soon.

I've often thought the ruthlessness of industry regarding employees these days is directly proportionate to how hamstrung they felt when liberals and unions were more powerful. As usual, the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction. GM's arrogance in not paying attention to customers or quality is equally to blame but if gov't welfare is due here, why not make GM the first big industry bail out that includes national healthcare for workers and retirees?

For all its attention to globalization and free trade this country was not even prepared to compete. And, who knows, perhaps more attention could've been directed toward innovation and quality.

Edit for punctuation

In the 1950's, the number one oil producer in the world was the United States. Oil was so cheap back then, that it was actually EXPORTED to foreign countries, so big engines and muscle cars were the way to go. That is no longer true, and now that oil is increasingly expensive, people want smaller, more efficent cars, even if that means less horsepower. Instead of focusing on SUV's, GM should focus on plug-in hybrid vehicles that would save a ton of money at the pump. GM made an excessively stupid decision when it pulled its only electric vehicle from production. If they produced those instead of huge trucks and SUV's, GM would have had an excellent year in 2005, both in terms of profits and in terms of the work force. Previously, people wanted higher horsepower. Now they want higher MPG or ethanol and biodiesel vehicles.

I also agree with the government healthcare plan. With more cars in production and higher salaries and wages, employees could easily afford to pay the extra tax associated with government healthcare.

one who suffered high gas prices was the americans. The oil companies were still selling oil over seas and to latin america at the same prices post Katrina. That was posted on DU at that time. Again how soon americans forget in the wake of new out rages. BTW, why is motor oil still around the same price as it was post Katrina?

I read an interesting article that said republicans were horrified when Carter gave his addresses in a sweater and acheived nationwide energy conservation to the extent the oil producers got nervous. Besides, they thought, it made the nation look weak. Reagan came in and soon the motto seemed to be, 'we are mighty and can always find more oil'. Fast forward to our current president, who said larger cars are safer and gave money to research fuel cells, which, imo, were the farthest from being available for the mass market. After Katrina it took prodding for him to reluctantly ask people to lower their gas consumption and if he's repeated it lately I haven't heard it.

Even now, with stagnant and declining wages and rising fuel costs, I'm certain the government's primary considerations will be more toward industry profit than relieving us of our financial burdens and dangerous reliance on oil. Will the threat of bankruptcy be enough for the auto makers to wise up and give us what we need? The goverment could help but it would be in conflict with its allegience to the energy sector. If only I knew how to reach Superman...

Its was on Fords watch that price gouging and gas lines became popular, not Carters. Its a popular myth that Carter was responsible for the gas lines, 2 years before he was president. Can you say repiglican lies?

Good catch

mrcheerful, thanks! The point I was trying to make, though, was that Carter was successful at getting the nation to conserve.

he did, Reagans lies about the economy and Iran did him a great injustice. Remember Reagan never made the economy better, he just arranged the numbers and the figures to make it look good.

Actually, it was 1973 and I worked at Holland Shell Service here in Saginaw. I went into the Army on 8 Jan 74, so I can say this with some certainty.
John
But your point remains an excellent one.

I was born in st lukes in 56, lived in B Port. Your right, gas lines did start in 73, I also remember that in 74 there were also lines, though saginaw wasn't effected that year.

I was born at Saginaw General in 1956 and attended Arthur Hill HS ('75). Still live just south of Bliss Park (like, three blocks from SGH). Are you still in Saginaw/Bridgeport? Hope so -- then you can attend the big FUNDAY party coming up in June. We drink lots of beer and torment my two Republican friends. It's lots of laughs.
We should compare notes -- it's just about certain we know some of the same people (one of the aforementioned Republicans attended Bridgeport HS -- but, like, ten years after you would've been there).
John
Drop me a DUmail sometime -- we'll compare notes.
It is now 153 days, eight hours and ten minutes to FUNDAY.