can you believe these guys !!!

[Clem Z.]

they should have all 3 driven down together in a hybrid. http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/WallSt...6285739&page=1

[Bob D.]

Re: can you believe these guys !!!

OOOOOOOOOOPPPPPSSSS!

[Stuart F.]

Re: can you believe these guys !!!

Give me a break guys. You don't expect these execs or Congressmen to act and do things like us peons do - do you? Do you think any of them are in danger of loosing their health benefits or pensions like we are? not a chance. There isn't a one of them that really cares what happens to us, it's only about politics - do they appeal to the blue collar workers in the union or have some compassion for us who used to haveto afford white shirts and ties - where are the most votes in the country. I think we know.

Stu Fox

[Jack H.]

Re: can you believe these guys !!!

No, I don't expect them to behave outside of their 'normal' business silhouette. BUT, I expect our congress folks to ask the KEY questions that've been swept beneath the carpet to date...

These are MULTINATIONAL corporations with wholly owned subsidiaries operating in other countries outside the United States.

(1) How much assistance money are other nations going to contribute to them?

(2) How will US-$ pledges from our government be RESTRICTED to their US operations?

(3) Why will a US government infusion of cash NOT be viewed by other nations with domestic based automobile manufacturing as unfair competition?

[Ian G.]

Re: can you believe these guys !!!

corporate arrogance in action. Let them sink or swim on their own.

[Peter J.]

Re: can you believe these guys !!!

Jack,
All Good questions! I'd love to hear the respones from those gentleman.

[Clem Z.]

Re: can you believe these guys !!!

a big part of the bailout is going to be the auto companies must only build small fuel effecent cars and to make sure they sell obama will put on a $1 or $2 tax on gasoline because he knows with cheap gasoline,under $2 a gallon the people are not going to buy those fuel effecent small cars. glad i have a 2008 corvette as it maay be the last of the hi performance cars to be had.

[Loren S.]

Re: can you believe these guys !!!

When Congress turns down the bailout and GM goes bankrupt, will low production models like the Corvette be axed? Obama might be the only person who can save our favorite model, if GM can hang on for another 2 months.

[Joe W.]

Re: can you believe these guys !!!

Obama has no interest in the Corvette, it's high performance and associated with high fuel consumption. His concern is the UAW and the greenies that put him in office. If Obama has his way, the Corvette will be history.

[Gene M.]

Re: can you believe these guys !!!

The later model Corvettes is good MPG transportation, It gets better gas mileage than most regular sized cars on the road today including the jap crap. Why drive a camry when you can drive a Corvette and get better mileage?....... GM should make all their car and trucks like they do the Corvette and they wouldn't have problems. If 300 to 400 HP Corvette can get 30 MPG, then a six cylinder Malibu should get a minimum of 50 MPG. In fact cars built in 1993 get better gas mileage than today..... why?

Why doesn't GM put Corvette engines in the pickup trucks?
If they did I would buy a new GM, Chevy truck.

[Stewart A.]

Re: can you believe these guys !!!

Lotus make great lightweight sports cars and they sell very well and go like stink with only 100 hp. GM can still make a lghtweight Corvette that can go like the wind and follow in Lotus's footsteps. Don't forget handling is improved dramatically when a car is lighter and HP does not have to be as big when a car is lighter. It's not the end of the Corvette, it will just have to be a new model.

[John H.]

Re: can you believe these guys !!!

Lotus make great lightweight sports cars and they sell very well and go like stink with only 100 hp. GM can still make a lghtweight Corvette that can go like the wind and follow in Lotus's footsteps. Don't forget handling is improved dramatically when a car is lighter and HP does not have to be as big when a car is lighter. It's not the end of the Corvette, it will just have to be a new model.

And Lotus sells those cars (Elise, Exige) here with a temporary waiver as a low-volume company from the DOT/NHTSA, as they don't meet U.S. safety standards; when the waiver runs out, they won't be available any more. If they built them in volume, they couldn't sell them here at all.

[Stewart A.]

Re: can you believe these guys !!!

I wonder why they sell so many of them in Europe. Maybe they are better drivers and don't crash !!
I believe if the Design team and engineers got together at GM they could surely put something good together, it's not rocket science. The Mazda Miata/ MX5 is the worlds best selling sports car ever !!! Based on a lotus ( lightweight)
The reason they don't change the saftey issues on the Lotus's is because of their low volume to cost. They are way over priced and if they were American produced they would be more than half the price and sell very well. Just hope GM can make one that it goes faster than the Miata. That was one slow sports car.

[Tyler T.]

Re: can you believe these guys !!!

a big part of the bailout is going to be the auto companies must only build small fuel effecent cars and to make sure they sell obama will put on a $1 or $2 tax on gasoline because he knows with cheap gasoline,under $2 a gallon the people are not going to buy those fuel effecent small cars. glad i have a 2008 corvette as it maay be the last of the hi performance cars to be had.

The cost of producing a barrel of oil has not changed in quite some time so the increase in price was due to factors in the market. These are; perceived short or long term scarcity, market manipulation, oil producers policy and speculation without oversight. These major and other minor forces drove oil from $1.20 per gallon to $4.15 per gallon for unleaded regular. This showed just how inelastic the demand for oil is and should help guide us in putting in place a viable oil policy that can start the process of decreased dependence of oil for energy.


I think it is unfair to pile on GM and Ford all the blame for their current plight. I agree their current car lineup is lacking but neither company specialized in making cars they make/made vehicles that were selling in the current marketplace and NOBODY foresaw that the oil market could be manipulated so easily. They sold a ton of trucks and SUVs and those products were very successful so the fault in part lies at the feet of an energy policy that failed to see the artificial low price of fuel was not in the best interest of the US. In their defense both companies have expended a lot of money to bring to market a redesigned truck line to include new power trains that greatly improved mileage in the diesel engines.
Note in the above I did not recommend adding additional taxes on diesel at this time. I think diesel is in a category by itself and at the present time the following forces must be addressed before any changes are made to its pricing. Oil refiners have not taken steps to increase diesel refinery capability to keep up with the demand for this product. Doing so has priced this product higher than the production costs dictate. It is cheaper to produce and you get more gallons per barrel than with gasoline so it should be cheaper than any refined gasoline. If there ever was a case for an excess profits tax on a company I think one could be made here.
Because of the premium already added to the cost of diesel any tax here would have an unwanted affect on the economy. The backbone of our economy depends on truck delivery so we do not need any added costs in this area. Another advantage to leaving diesel alone is that this plays right into the efforts of GM and Ford to bring to market state of the art power systems. In doing so we give implement a policy that complements a product ready to go in a marketplace in an area we are still the acknowledged leaders. These products must involve US based production facilities and it should be understood will remain that way. Both companies have spent a lot of money bringing these products to market and these can be the bridge that allows them to remain viable while shifting to platforms designed for the new reality.

I as a citizen understand the current crisis will take some adjustments and sacrifice on my part but I have yet to see any kind of coherent policy that I could understand and support. What you have read is something most people can understand and support.
An additional benefit would be a positive impact on the balance of payments and a signal the international community we are serious about addressing the problems our past appetite for oil has created.

Tyler Townsley

[Gerard F.]

Here's my bailout plan for the big 3

1. Reduce the prices of the big 3 cars by giving rebates out of the executive salaries, perks, sell the jets, cancel the viagra order.

2. Provide tax credits to individuals buying the cars from these companies, possibly graduated on a reasonable gas mileage of the cars they produce.

3. Provide tax credits or subsidies to companies producing parts in the USA. Restrict imports of parts.

Now if you could buy a hybrid Malibu for $15,000 and that would be a credit against your taxes, wouldn't you do it.

I think the effect would be more cars being bought, more production, more people working.

Why not bailout the people, instead of these big companies.

Just my opinion.