Buy an American Vehicle!

[aeroclone]

What did the non-Democrat heavy Congress do? It bailed out AIT so it could go on an executive retreat at the expense of the taxpayers and then it proceeded to give them additional bailout money. I don't think party orientation has anything to do with how Congress spends our money. It has to do with lobbyists. Lobbyists back all parties so they're covered no matter who wins.

Umm, the democrats had the majority in both houses of Congress when the bailout of the financial industry occured. It was just a less heavy majority than we will have in a couple months.

[brianhos]

Like I said without the unions YOU CAN KISS YOUR MIDDLE CLASS LIFESTYLE GOODBYE....

UAW workers are not middle class. $125k a year puts you out of the middle class :)

[clones_jer]

Like I said without the unions YOU CAN KISS YOUR MIDDLE CLASS LIFESTYLE GOODBYE....

why?

Not all of the middle class are union members, in fact a small number of them are. This is just union office propaganda to justify their existance.

[BryceC]

I have to ask -- do you still think this way? Do you still feel good about yourselves? Do you still feel there was no consequences to your car buying decisions?

With two toyotas in the garage I feel great about my car buying decisions. The Big 3 are an absolute mess and it's not my responsibility to save them. It's their responsibility to put out a better product.

So I need to buy from the Big 3 and have Mediacom... Should I just send my whole budget to you so you can tell me how to spend my money?

Hopefully chapter 11 is just around the corner for the Big 3 and they can reorganize.

[capitalcityguy]

There's a simple adage...Kiss the Unions goodbye and you can Kiss the Middle Class Goodbye...

Until Franklin Roosevelt and Unions there was NO MIDDLE CLASS..guess what boys there was only the Ultra Rich and the Poor ...Thats what the future looks like!!!


U-Guys cant all be rich only 5 percent of you are gonna make it to richland...the rest of you guys will be poor like the rest of us!!!

The future looks great if your rich ....reality bites boys it really does!!

I'm in the middle class and I'm not in a Union.

Unions had a purpose at one time. They are no longer needed now that our economy is not as heavily manufacturer driven.

The upcoming worker shortages (once we get past this current economic downturn) makes them even less relevant (and even more damaging wherever they continue to exist).

[CYdTracked]

And as far as trucks go there is no reason to not buy from the big 3 when it comes to gas mileage. Chevy tops anyone there right now and their 2009 Silverado Hybrid is going to lead the way: LA 2007: 2009 Chevy Silverado Hybrid - A****log

[cycloneG]

That would be AIG (not AIT) and it wasn't their executives. It was their top sales people that were given a sales goal at the beginning of the year and those that met the goal, we're rewarded with this retreat.

I don't blame you for the misunderstanding. This is the fault of the mainstream media for not understanding what they were reporting on.

Executives or sales people really doesn't matter to me because a company that seems to be having the financial problems that "AIG" is having should probably be using the new capital to stabilize their financial position. Spending a handout on perks for your employees is like giving a vagrant money for food that they spend on alcohol. Poor financial management. Then Congress does something even more idiotic by giving them more money because they think they will do something different this time. That's the definition of insanity. Doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different out come.

[DaddyMac]

That would be AIG (not AIT) and it wasn't their executives. It was their top sales people that were given a sales goal at the beginning of the year and those that met the goal, we're rewarded with this retreat.

I don't blame you for the misunderstanding. This is the fault of the mainstream media for not understanding what they were reporting on.

Personally, I don't give a crap who it was or why they were there. They're all LUCKY they still have a job - luckier than a few dozen of my (former) co-workers. There's no way that retreat should've happened once the gov't bailed them out with OUR $85 BILLION.

My dog has more common sense than that.

[Cyclone06]

This thread might get moved to the cave, but I think it is a good one. I am a Democrat, yet I was not in favor of the Wall Street Bailout, and I'm not in favor of a bailout for the Big 3. I think the unions are partly to blame, but the companies themselves shoulder most of this responsibility. Like Senator Dodd said today, "Their board rooms in my view have been devoid of vision" and "The Big Three turned a blind eye to opportunities. They have promoted and often driven the demand of inefficient, gas guzzling vehicles, and dismissed the threat of global warming." Personally, I drive a domestic vehicle. All my vehicles have been. But, I certainly do not begrudge anyone from choosing a foreign car. That's the choice you can make in a free market. Capitalism at it's finest. As far as I am concerned, poor business practices should not be rewarded. And if that means that they go bankrupt, that's their own fault. And let's be honest here. We're not talking about the death of the Ford brand, here. United Airlines ran for years while in bankruptcy. The average consumer saw very little of it.

You may fly (service) with a company undergoing bankruptcy, but are you willing to buy a car (product) from one?

[clones_jer]

2.

Unions.... They are bleeding these big 3 to death. Unions are probably the worst thing ever created in my opinion.

Notice Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Kia, or other foreign car company don't have unions....

In all fairness, they had their place. They helped eleviate poor working conditions in the middle part of the century and put the employee in a stronger position that they otherwise did not enjoy.

In my opinion, the introduction of OSHA and other federal intities essentially take care of the services unions provide.

[CloneIce]

The unions have been great for the country, but they have lived past their useful lives.

This may be true to a point... but I have a real hard time understanding why so many Americans (not you in particular) have so much anger at Unions. Without Unions we probably would have ended up like many other countries, with a small rich class and the vast majority working their butts off for subsistence wages. They are a key part of our history and will always have at least some importance going forward.

Bottom line is if you are in the broad middle class that most Americans belong to, you have a lot to thank Unions for.

[bos]

I have to say this thread has brought me alot of enjoyment this afternoon. I will probably still be laughing in my Honda on the way home.

[capitalcityguy]

Executives or sales people really doesn't matter to me because a company that seems to be having the financial problems that "AIG" is having should probably be using the new capital to stabilize their financial position. Spending a handout on perks for your employees is like giving a vagrant money for food that they spend on alcohol. Poor financial management. Then Congress does something even more idiotic by giving them more money because they think they will do something different this time. That's the definition of insanity. Doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different out come.

These are people that worked towards a goal and met it and were given what they were promised. What goal does a "vagrant" work toward to get a handout?

Face it, that is a terrible analogy.

[Mr Janny]

You may fly (service) with a company undergoing bankruptcy, but are you willing to buy a car (product) from one?

good point. Personally, no. My next vehicle will likely not be American. However, judging by some of posts in this thread, Ford will have loyal people to buy their cars, no matter how bad off they are.

[CyBobby]

why?

Not all of the middle class are union members, in fact a small number of them are. This is just union office propaganda to justify their existance.

Because someone has to set a labor standard for the country and if there are no unions the companies will pay like they do in mexico er overseas in china or wherever else that companies employ labor...

Ever hear of the race to the bottom boys...this is you and the joke is gonna be on you when you get your paycheck!!