Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Can we save our Automobile business

Well, as requested, the auto execs submitted their plans for the future to Congress, and as anticipated, they include employee layoffs, executive pay cuts, plant closings, and the elimination and/or sale of certain brands as reported by the New York Times..

To show their support for the manufacturers, the UAW (check out the FACTS) said it would be willing to work with the companies and have already agreed to reduced/postponed health care payments for retirees and are considering revisiting the Job Bank issue, that guarantees laid off employees 95% of their pay. It is difficult to compete unless concessions are made, and again, not to be redundant, half a pie is better than no pie at all!

Already, more than 900 US dealers have closed over the course of the past year, and the ripple effect of the closings is already being felt in towns throughout the country. However, it would be nothing compared to the seismic proportions of any of the Big 3 going under. All three, are already in the midst of a re-structuring that began 3 years ago, and they, like everyone in the industry is feeling the ramifications of the credit crunch brought on by the sub-prime lenders and their mercenary and unscrupulous tactics. The Edmunds Auto Observer very clearly illuminates what is going on in the industry, and it’s not just the US market, it’s global.

This is, and will continue for a while, to be a very difficult time in the history of the United States of America, and perhaps, just perhaps, it is part of the calling for us as a Nation, that we had the courage to elect an African American to the presidency of this great country! Perhaps it was meant to be and he will turn out to be the right man in the right place at the right time, and we will emerge from this crisis having overcome our issues accepting diversity, defeating bigotry and racism, and re-capturing the spirit and drive that made us the greatest and most envied nation in the world!

To be continued, but for now, let’s together save our auto business and the millions of jobs and benefits it has provided. There is enough on our collective plate without having to deal with another crisis that we can save by BUYING AMERICAN CARS!

http://www.gm.com/ http://www.ford.com/ http://www.chrysler.com/

Let your Senators and Representatives in Congress know that you know what is good for America. Timing is of the essence and critical.

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