Boo Hoo. Ford and GM management need to accept responsibility for the situation they created for themselves.

If they can’t manufacture vehicles profitably in the US someone else will.

“..we just don’t see the leadership” classic

Rick Wagoner and Mark Fields are good at stating the obvious. That’s sure to consolidate political support for their current predicament. Or not.

But GM and Ford would not be in this situation if they had actually invested some money in their CAR lineups in the past 10 years. The Taurus was left on the vine to die with barely a sheetmetal change. The the Cobalt STILL looks like a Cavalier. NO, they just put a big box on their trucks and sold them as SUVs.

Oh absolutely, that’s without question, Dave. The “…we just don’t see the leadership” is hilarious. Look who’s talking.

Wagoner can go suck a pole.

The feds are not here to support business. The feds are here to make sure you screw the general consumer and investor as little as possible… not to tell you how NOT to run your business into the ground.

the healthcare system?
I love the part where this douchebag throws in the statement about nationalizing healthcare (not explicitly, but only a moron wouldn’t know what he is talking about). Our govt not nationalizing healthcare is not the reason that GM is a health insurance provider that also makes cars.

look, the left(wagoner), blaming the right(congress, wait, he blamed Bush not congress…), for a situation that is the fault of the left (unions) and the left (wagoner) reaching an agreement (collective bargaining) is the dumbest thing I have ever heard.

laissez faire, wagoner.

Agree with above completely. Wagoner is just asking for the flashlight to be pointed up someone else’s ass instead of his.

I though Wagoner was a Jeep model not a GM product

NO, Feds shouldn’t have to help the big three, they have screwed themselves for this for 30 years now.

If they did not rely on their large gas guzzling SUVs for 30 years, they would not be in this mess.
If they did not make terrible cars for 30 years, they would not be in this mess
If they had moved foward faster with better products that can outperform the Japanese, British, German, English, Korean and the rest of the world in their own home country, AMERICA, then they would not be in this mess.

You see, they cared about profits more than the consumer. If they had created better designs, not relied on their large guzzling SUVs, and put their consumers first they would not be in this mess.
If they had better networks and better dealers then they would not be in this mess.
IF THEY HAD BETTER CARS THEY WOULD NOT BE IN THIS MESS.

Heather:
Wagoner: works for gm
Wagoneer: 1950’s to 1992 Jeep model

^ It was a joke (I hope)

Jon.

Jim in LA:
Oregon threw around the idea of statewide healthcare a few years ago… it would cost the state 3 times its total revenue to fund just that.
You want to lower healthcare costs? City of Dallas is doing a study, so far they located $13 million in care in the 1st six months of this year given to illegal immigrants who will never feed the system a dime. Rid the body of leeches, don’t pass laws to ensure that the leeches get the same bloodflow as the brain.
there are greater healthcare problems in EVERY country with nationalized healthcare than we face here today.

ps…the internet was developed on taxpayer dollars by the DOD. It was not public sector, it was classified military. Now, unless the idiotic two-tiered internet theory takes effect, it is nearly unregulated and administered by independent corporations.

guess what:
Pythagorean theorem: 24 words
The Lord’s Prayer: 66 words
Archimedes’ Principle: 67 words
The 10 Commandments: 179 words
The Gettysburg Address: 286 words
The Declaration of Independence: 1,300 words
U.S. Government regulations on the sale of cabbage: 26911 words

do you really want that greater a level in beaurocracy? Research medicaid and medicare, and the associated man hours wasted on ppwk before you answer that question.

No actually Jim in LA it’s great when the government helps out, but when it’s a companies fault for ignoring certain parts of their lineup, making bad products for 30 years, I mean COME ON we’re talking 30 years of bad products, they would have had time to turn around.
We are not full of ****.
Of course none of us WANT to pay taxes, I’m sure you don’t either, but if it goes to something good then I’m happy to pay. If it’s to help my country, I’m happy to pay. If it goes to helping out three companies that have had plenty of time to turn themselves around and have ignored their consumers needs and wants, then forget it let a management that WANTs to make good products for their consumer take over. I am not saying kill the big three, because that would be devestation to this land we all live in and love.

To Jim in LA, dude chill. I’m no libertarian but I do not support big government in any way. Nationalized Healthcare=cheap drugs and inadequate doctors. We do NOT need this, healthcare costs would be better without HMO’s and a lot of litigation reform. Here in Oregon we are losing Dr’s hand-over-fist because it is so freakin expensive to practice. But that’s all beside the point, it typical liberal fashion Wagoner is playing the ‘it’s not my fault card’ and not taking responsibility for his own lack of leadership. How is that the Japanese automakers are able to make a go of it here in the USA and he can’t? Because their lack of leadership & vision and laziness. It has nothing to do with ANY leadership in this country.

Jay, it is not the product offerings strangeling GM, it is the collective bargaining agreements. Something to remember. You are on the right track, but try not to let bias cloud an otherwise logical thought. Keep it on the facts, not the opinions.

The Chinese make foreign companies team up with Chinese firms, the EU coddles airbus and other firms like their new born infants. If others shall not play by free trade rules than we should not as well, being a martyr for principle is not profitable or logical. Instead of building the bridge to nowhere, spend it on the big threes pension problem. Before I get flamed I want to say that this situation is due to GM’s/ Ford’s lack of vision, passion, their laziness and complacency.

I would divert the bridge to nowhere funds to, say, education…higher or k-12. Federally subsidizing a corporations collective bargaining agreement is absurd, and IMO on the same scale as the bridge to nowhere.

We have safeguards (courts) to ammend contracts and break collective agreements. Use them.

“admit you want legalized hookers and blow and don’t want to pay taxes”

We can only dream. Prostutution being illegal and taxes are a HUGE restriction on OUR freedom and are completely un-American. Real American ideals were lost long ago…

I don’t mind taxes either…

I DO mind:
1) paying taxes into a social security system I will never see a dime from.
2) Paying taxes to cover the medical care of illegals.
3) paying taxes for some fat stoooopid woman to pop out kids like she was eating candy. get off your as and work for it like the rest of us.
4) having MY tax dollars diverted from a military spending bill by an earmark creating a railroad or brisge to nowhere, or a rainforest in iowa.

just a start…

Funny, it was O.K. when the Fed’s helped the airline industry after 9/11, where were all you geniuses then ? Like the Big 3 created the Health Care crisis ? You dimwit’s, health care affects us all, so does a national energy policy, do we have one ?, no we don’t, where is it, and where is the LEADERSHIP to get us one, it ain’t in either the White House or the Congress, as their actions are as dumb as 95% of the posts on LLN !

This title of this editorial is incorrect, LLN. Wagoner didn’t say anything about the Fed’s helping the Big 3, rather, he’s asking for leadership to develop national policy’s on Health Care and Energy, and he is 100% correct, we do not have the Leadership in Washington to accomplish either.

“ps…the internet was developed on taxpayer dollars by the DOD. It was not public sector, it was classified military.” Comment by 1952 MG TD Actually, government and the military ARE the public sector. Private sector refers to private corporations and businesses. Its common terminology in finance, economics, and politics to call government entities public sector.

NO GOVERMENT INVOLVEMENT We have enough problem with the oil companies and pharmacueticals, we don’t need the goverment to hold everybodys hand.

Oil companies and Pharmacueticals are what they are because we do not have any REAL leader’s in this Country, we have a Government that is bought and paid for by the Lobbyist’s of the oil and drug company’s,,,,

You know what the government should get involved in? Putting more E85 stations and when and if hydrogen cars come out also getting it started by putting stations through out America.

hahaha wagoner knows his companty is going down and is desperate for help because he cant solve it himself

I don’t think he is in to it- spends too much time screwing up GM.

plain and simple i hate Bush.! Hopfully once hes gone we can see some actaul results!!!

I think all you Communist idiots who are all driving this Asian crap are the whole problem with the US economy. All you people are is fair weather Johnsons. If it was socially acceptable to drive a US car now in stead of politically correct to drive an import, that is exactly what you people would be doing. I am proud to say I have always driven American and always will do so. You know what comes to mind is Harley Davidson. Back 20 years ago when the company was in the toilet and only “nasty, rude delinquents rode Harleys where was all the support. Now that it is the “IN” thing to ride a Harley, every pencil pushing nerd, doctor, lawyer and the like thinks they are a weekend outlaw if they own a Harley. When it becomes fashionable to drive American again, all you people will be right back in the saddle. Until then go on over to Japan and live with your little Asian friends if they are so great, we don’t need your kind in America.

Truth hurts don’t it:)

Typical loser response ^^

Vicious6 for President ! Import lover’s are communists, move to Cuba and kiss Fidel’s half dead ass…..

Sounds like Vicious6 and and Wagoner are on ein the same? The both of them sound like Ignorant dumb****s.

Like I stated before…..truth hurts don’t it! As far as debating this subject with you un*American import drivers, I refuse to match wits with unarmed individuals. End of story.

I am not American, I drive a piece of foreign ****. I smoke poles. I give head to Japanese people. I screw my Toyota and Honda in the tailpipe. I piss on the veterans of our country and rub **** in the face of our government. I am a gay man.

Hey, Vicious6, STFU! And listen to someone vastly more intelligent than you. 90% of American cars simply suck. Meanwhile only 10% of “foreign” cars suck. Which do you think the majority want to drive? If the big 3 would stop making crappy cars, we wouldn’t need to go elsewhere for our driving needs. I currently own a Dodge. My next car will probably be a BMW, but it would be a Chevy if they came close to making anything like that. But they don’t, so I won’t.

Send a clear message to the big 3; stop making crap, and we’ll start buying American again. That’s as simple as it gets. Even you can understand that with your 3rd grade education, Vicious6.

Gee Tim, looks like some one touched a nerve:)

Hey I resent that. I drive a German car.

Tim_s must not have been able to bang his Mom last night…..

“90% of american cars suck while only 10% of imports do”, wow, what a fantastic statement filled with so many examples and evidence. Theres alot of stupid people on these boards and your part of the crowd timmy boy.

Wow Anonymous, you really got me… if I was in junior high! It seems like I’m the one that touched a nerve. Just like your uncle touched you when you were 10. Oops! I slipped into your realm of insults.

I threw out the 90%-10% remark just to be a bit inflammatory. Looks like a couple of you bit hard. I’m sick of many of you apologizing for Ford and Chevy when they clearly don’t deserve any praise whatsoever. They’ve sunk themselves. They only have themselves to blame, etc., etc. Chevy is cutting 1 billion in R&D when that’s one of the big reasons they suck so hard. The money they need to be cutting is in upper management. They’re the ones that brought a once great company to its knees.

Now, for all you babies on here, it’s past your bedtime. Go to bed and pray for more brain cells. The few you have left are worn out and tired.

I am a queer. I give head to Muslims and Japanese people. I drive imported pieces of feces. I have a fetish with putting large objects into my rectum. Sometimes I cannot get them out. I think it all goes back to when I was gang raped by a gang of horny clowns when I was three. I just needed to vent, sorry.

Hey, Anonymous. Nice try spoofing my name. Everyone knows it’s you, and that you’re the one that likes large things put into him. Especially if it’s your uncle.

Why don’t you use your real name. Or are you too much of a baby. Are you gonna cry know. Go one cry. Cry like the little baby you are. I’m laughing at you. Just as everyone else that reads this site is laughing at you. HA HA HA.

Real men don’t spoof names, but cowards do.

Otis your comparing a Imapala against a Mercedes? different class of car. I like the two American cars you had, cheap and old. You did’nt date much I assume. Any car from that era was not known for reliable transportation. Asian cars from that era rusted after two years and European cars were electrical unreliable nightmares. Give your opinion when you dedcide to sell the 83 Chevette.
As Vicious6 said, it is uncool to drive domestics. That is due to the mainstream media that people buy into. They have bashed everything domestic(not just cars either) There are plenty of reliable and good domestics made now. Most any car, regardless of where it is from or whom makes it will go 150 plus without major issue in these modern times. Many people have this misconception that because all the mainstream media raves about is Honda and Toyota quality that “import” in general are much better then domestics. Mitsubishi, Nissan, Suzuki, Kia, Subaru, Mercedes, VW, Hyundai and Audi have all struggled with reliability at times the last decade. A few of them still are and many of them rank under most GM and Ford’s JD Power ranking. This is instilled in peoples head that imports are better. Your average Honda, Toyota and BMW driver are not car people, they just follow what the others are doing and take the mainstream media too seriously. Ask a BMW owner what size motor is in his/her car. They don’t have a clue most if the time and they don’t care. These are the same people that believe a global economy is good for America but it has shown nothing more then loss of blue collar jobs and now many white collar jobs are feeling the pinch. It will only get worse. China makes everything we use, wear and need in our homes. I think America is in a sad state by just reading the comments on this forum whether your for or againts domestics/imports. When people actually are so negative that they want to see the failure of GM and Ford, the affect that would have across the nation would be beyond belief and would have an effect worldwide.

Very well said sir!!! Thanks for the back up. Like you said, it is a very sad state the country is in when people are pulling for other companies in the world over a American company. Really takes away your pride as an American.

[...] Touching on the first two groups that Dr. Benjamin makes some interesting points. Apparently, in 2001, 78% of surveyed Americans don’t think they are consumers of public health. I wonder if these feelings have changed since Hurricane Katrina? When talking about business’ interest in public health, Dr. Benjamin brings up the balance of cost vs. ROI in health care. As we all know, the cost of health care is changing the very nature of some business. I sill haven’t figured out why non-insurance companies haven’t loudly advocated for universal health coverage. American car companies are merely the canary in the mine; they are losing out to European and Japanese companies who don’t have to spend tens of thousands of dollaras per worker per year because their government can’t take care of it’s citizens. I’m afraid that until I see American car companies that are hemmoraging money actively lobby for something that will save them millions of dollars in costs every year (and stop depending on the light truck and SUV markets to save themselves; much to their demise) I will continue to patiently expect them to go completely bankrupt. I’m not saying I’m looking forward to it, but if you want a bet to make, I don’t see how you could go wrong with that one. [...]