Wagoner to Obama: More Funding Please

[masrapido]

Originally Posted by eaton53

I'm talking about a company that saved our bacon during wartime.
I suppose you think the Chinese will support us during the next one? Maybe Walmart will become the "Arsenal of Democracy"?
Talk about shortsighted... look in the mirror.

For better or worse, Japan and China finance a large portion of our national debt.

[TruckMan]

I've got a great idea. Every person in America should start paying 75% of their income to the IRS so that GM can sell more cars! There would surely be enough money left over to support some other mis-managed companies (maybe bring back PanAm? Help K-Mart? Enron? etc.). That way GM could be the best automobile company in the world - which is more important than any of the other problems in America right now.

Wait, didn't some other countries try this type of government subsidizing and socialization over in Eastern Europe and in that big country in Asia (USSR?) many years ago? It worked great for their economy!!!

END OF SARCASM


Giving tax breaks for the Prius was wrong, just like giving tax breaks for the Volt would be wrong. If you don't think a tax break for the Volt would benefit GM, you're a complete idiot in denial. Why do you think GM wants it so bad? Because they're the nicest company in America? And just because GM employs thousands of employees, that's no reason to punish the rest of the country with supporting them. If we give support to GM, then every other company and industry in America is going to want a hand-out as well. Where would it end?

GM should be treated like any other public or private, large or small company in America - sink or swim. If we keep bailing companies out during the hard times, we're only rewarding them for being a crappy, mis-managed company. If you want to make GM stronger, make them do it on their own. This will strengthen them in the long run. If the government bails companies/people out when they screw up, there will be no incentive to be responsible in the future. They will all depend on the government (aka tax payers) to continuously bail them out. That's really motivating for all the tax payers out there in America.

Our economy and government is in enough trouble. How much more do you want taxes to go up? Wouldn't you rather have the money in your pocket instead of GM's? Just look at how well they've been handling themselves the last couple of years. Think people.

[eaton53]

Originally Posted by masrapido

For better or worse, Japan and China finance a large portion of our national debt.

Does that me we should also count on them for our national defense?

I've got a great idea. Every person in America should start paying 75% of their income to the IRS so that GM can sell more cars! There would surely be enough money left over to support some other mis-managed companies (maybe bring back PanAm? Help K-Mart? Enron? etc.). That way GM could be the best automobile company in the world - which is more important than any of the other problems in America right now.

Wait, didn't some other countries try this type of government subsidizing and socialization over in Eastern Europe and in that big country in Asia (USSR?) many years ago? It worked great for their economy!!!

Then end CAFE now. It's nothing but an unfunded mandate.

Did Pan-Am, Kmart and Enron build anything? Are they strategically important? Did they come through for America when America needed them most? You know the answer...

[TruckMan]

Originally Posted by eaton53

Then end CAFE now. It's nothing but an unfunded mandate.

I totally agree with that. Let market demand drive fuel economy standards, not the government.

Originally Posted by eaton53

Did Pan-Am, Kmart and Enron build anything? Are they strategically important? Did they come through for America when America needed them most? You know the answer...

LOL! Is GM strategically important? NOT EVEN! And what has GM done for America that was unselfishly motivated and makes them more important than any other large US company - Intel, Microsoft, Walmart, etc.?

[eaton53]

Originally Posted by TruckMan

I totally agree with that. Let market demand drive fuel economy standards, not the government.




LOL! Is GM strategically important? NOT EVEN! And what has GM done for America that was unselfishly motivated and makes them more important than any other large US company - Intel, Microsoft, Walmart, etc.?

Are you saying that if there is a war we can count on those companies to build large amounts of equipment and munitions?
Yeah... I trust Walmart to come through when my freedom's at stake. And we can throw computer chips and software at the ememy....

[TruckMan]

Originally Posted by eaton53

Are you saying that if there is a war we can count on those companies to build large amounts of equipment and munitions?
Yeah... I trust Walmart to come through when my freedom's at stake. And we can throw computer chips and software at the ememy....

Obviously you have no clue how computerized our modern military is - way more than mechanized. And what, if anything at all, does GM have to do with our military? The Hummer? I don't see what your point is. You're going to have a VERY hard time convincing anybody that GM is vital to our national security. GM is no more vital than Walmart.

[Rocket 88]

Originally Posted by Butz

A Camry built in Georgetown, Kentucky is not an import by definition.

You could define an import vehicle either as a vehicle manufactured outside the USA, or a vehicle with more foreign components than domestic, anything with less than say 60% domestically manufactured parts can be defined as an import.
Or you might define an import as a vehicle designed and engineered outside the USA, I'm assuming the Camry fits this definition.

But if Toyota designed, engineered and manufactured a vehicle in the USA, with USA made parts, it is a domestic by definition.

That is complete CRAP-A-RONI. If I sit in an NY restaurant eating Sushi made from fish caught in US waters, rolled with domestic rice and prepared by Puerto Rican Sushi chef (yes we have hispanic Sushi chefs in NY - I'm not making this up) I'm still eating Japanese food and NOT American food.

Don't tell me how to define Import. If my father tried to bomb the home city of the company building those cars during WWII its an Import. Domestic content my A$$.

[DemonKnightDK]

other than the fact that GM owns quite a few factories that could be converted to produce wartime needs... do people realize that if we buy ALL of our stuff from OTHER COUNTRIES, if we goto war with those other countries, we are royaly F-ed in the A-s...

[King Riffle]

Holy carp you guys, the article was about Wagoner asking for government assistance in developing new hybrid and fuel cell technology. How the hell did this thread become "bailout GM or be invaded?" GM isn't asking to be bailed out, they simply want the government to do more to help develop new technology. I've no problem with that, as the government already does a lot of research in many different fields.

The article Ming posted though, about the program that led to 80mpg sedans before being scrapped by our incompetent auto industry, both disturbs me and brings me to a question. Where are they? If they built these concepts, back in the 90's, and they worked and got terrific gas mileage, where are they? Why hasn't GM, Ford, and Chrysler dug these up and started testing/building them? Are they so completely idiotic that they've sat and watched the Prius become the new Beetle, all the while having some concepts collecting dust in a garage somewhere (assuming they weren't destroyed, but I'm sure they'd have documentation and plans and whatnot) that were better ?

Sometimes I swear I'm just going to give up and buy a japanese car. At least they aren't run by complete morons (that or their stupidity isn't blatently obvious).

[eaton53]

Originally Posted by TruckMan

Obviously you have no clue how computerized our modern military is - way more than mechanized. And what, if anything at all, does GM have to do with our military? The Hummer? I don't see what your point is. You're going to have a VERY hard time convincing anybody that GM is vital to our national security. GM is no more vital than Walmart.

Obviously you have no clue how many dumb weapons we still use.
Computer doesn't mean much if you don't have vehicles or aircraft to put them in.

I'm certainly hope our leaders aren't as keen to hand over our industrial capacity to foreigners as you are.

[TruckMan]

Originally Posted by eaton53

Obviously you have no clue how many dumb weapons we still use.
Computer doesn't mean much if you don't have vehicles or aircraft to put them in.

I'm certainly hope our leaders aren't as keen to hand over our industrial capacity to foreigners as you are.

What a joke. Again, for the third time, what great thing is GM capable of doing to support our military and country that it deserves to be treated better than all of the other companies in America? Last time I checked, Lockheed, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon were the largest defense companies. I think they are more than capable of protecting our country.

And I said nothing about depending on foreign countries for anything. My only point was that the American tax payers should not be forced to help out GM with automobile technologies. They can pay for it themselves - or you can lend them your money.

[Butz]

Originally Posted by Rocket 88

That is complete CRAP-A-RONI. If I sit in an NY restaurant eating Sushi made from fish caught in US waters, rolled with domestic rice and prepared by Puerto Rican Sushi chef (yes we have hispanic Sushi chefs in NY - I'm not making this up) I'm still eating Japanese food and NOT American food.

Don't tell me how to define Import. If my father tried to bomb the home city of the company building those cars during WWII its an Import. Domestic content my A$$.