Comments on: GM: What Took You So Long?

By: MasterPo

MasterPo — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 23:46:48 +0000

I’d like to know:

1) Why would anyone want to buy one of the last productions of the models to be phased out? Where would you get parts, service? And trade in or resale value? I don’t think so.

2) I’d like to see how Government Motors is going to make a powerful and reliable pickup truck using fuel cells or electric.

3) I’d also like to see how the union is going to treat it’s employees (that’s what they are now) sooooooooo much better then they claimed GM’s former management did in terms of great pay, vacation/sick/holiday/family paid time off, retirement plan, etc etc – basically all they things they forever cried that management was screwing them on. Bet $1.00 they will need to do the same things to their employees/members too in order to run the business but you won’t hear a peep in the news about it!

By: Clair Schwan of Libertarian Logic

Clair Schwan of Libertarian Logic — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 18:13:35 +0000

TMN: Good observation. We traded electric trolleys in the city for stinky buses. It’s probably in part due to the flexibility of changing routes with a bus, yet the bus routes don’t seem to change much more than the trolley tracks were able to. Now, we’re back to electric buses and light rail in the major cities (with routes that can’t be changed).

The most threatening thing about government intervention in the auto industry is that the auto industry will now become nothing more than another government program that needs funding. TMN, I know you hope GM collapses, but that’s about as likely as the government collapsing since they’ll own about 80% of the company. We’ll all be paying for the auto industry, whether we drive a vehicle or not.

I wonder what would happen in this country if we let free enterprise and free markets exist and self-correct. It’s what I’d like to see. So far, I’m not at all impressed with government interference aimed at taming or correcting the free market. That’s my job as a consumer.

Clair

By: TMN

TMN — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:06:43 +0000

Personally I hope the new GM collapses as well. After they spent the last 90 years systematically dismantling public transit in this country, they don’t deserve to exist.

By: Clair Schwan of Sensible Small Business Ideas

Clair Schwan of Sensible Small Business Ideas — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 22:18:49 +0000

What cracks me up about this video is the whole concept of: how we are right now worked well in the past, but it’s time for change, a time for reinventing ourselves. Oh really! It’s a little like the driver saying “I’m going to slow down and drive more carefully” right after he’s crashed through the guard rail and is headed into the 450 foot deep canyon with a car full of passengers.

The other thing that’s interesting is to ponder just how much money GM has spent on creating this video, and how much more they’ll spend on getting this out to the consuming public on TV, radio and print media. It’s very expensive hype to convince us that they’re going to change their ways now that they’ve busted through the guard rail.

I for one don’t care much about their message, even though I drive a GM car. This is supposed to be a free market, and if we don’t let the dinosaur thinking and decision making fail, then we build artificial barriers to new entrepreneurs who might really be able to make a difference with new idea and much more careful and deliberate “driving skills.”

Clair

By: Rick Beagle

Rick Beagle — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 21:19:49 +0000

The management team that drove this company and their union counterparts are still running this company. It is appalling that a group with such an abysmal track record has not been scuttled. Buyer beware indeed.

By: Mr. ToughMoneyLove

Mr. ToughMoneyLove — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:47:13 +0000

Clair: Well said. My son the audiophile has this to say about Bose audio products: “Better sound through marketing.”

I think Apple has done a fantastic job of successfully exploiting hype and consumers’ appetite for it.

By: Clair Schwan of Frugal Living Freedom

Clair Schwan of Frugal Living Freedom — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:43:13 +0000

I’m not the first to say it, but it’s true – in America, if you can’t build a better product, you invest your money in better hype. With all the hype at large, there is no better time for the buyer to beware.

Clair