Anyone trading in their clunker?

[69oiler]

i'm against deficit spending in general, and especially against the destruction of good cars/parts, but i have always thought that the cash for clunkers should only be applied to the big 3 domestic brands. deficit dollars going to foreign companies just does not add up to me.

 

[Diesel JD]

I say there is a difference between American built and American Made. To me, it's only made here, if the money STAYS here. All those foreign companies built those plants here to try and make you think they are really American companies, but they are not. The board of Toyota is all Japanese. Not a single American. That company has zero American content, and only a facade of presence in media and physical plant. Why did the government keep insisting that the "big 3" lower their rate of pay to what the (non-union) "transplants" as they call them have? This in effect lowers the American standard, while raising the foreigners to be the "standard by which all are measured". That's just wrong if you ask me. More and more it seems to me that our government is catering to everyone BUT the American people and this nation in general. That's why the cash for clunkers was allowed to work to buy foreign cars. That's just asanine for a program designed to "save" the American auto industry, which to you and me should mean the big 3, but appearantly our government thinks it should save the whole planet, and not just the U.S.A. Oh, and that's by using all of your money, and my money. Not the money of Japanese, Korean, or Chinese people. Let alone, Germans, French... yadayada....

I'm going to get flamed for this I'm sure but I think a lot of the reason that the automakers are in deep you know what is because of the labor unions and their insistence on high wages. I'm not saying that a skilled worker should be paid the same as a burger flipper but stories I've heard lead me to believe they killed the golden goose so to speak, whilst the Japanese and Korean manufacturers opened up in Southern open shop states and paid lower wages. I see nothing wrong with that, are the exploiting their workers simply because they are non union? Probably not. The best case scenario is to set basic labor standards, have an open shop everywhere and let the companies compete for the best skilled and unskilled labor. Detroit and the closed shop has only succeeded in nearly killing our automotive industry and enriching big labor bosses who could give 2 craps about any of the rank and file members and *potentially illegally* use the funds and influence to influence US politics, not always in the best interest of their members.

 

[hesutton]

I talked to a GM "engineer" this past May in Chicago while attending a meeting. He is a "company guy" meaning he is not part of the union and is salary. He told me that at GM, a new union hire with zero experience or skill will start on the assembly line making $80,000/year! Plus all the insane union benefits that go with it. How is that fair? Who pays for this guy to put 6 screws in some truck part on the line for that insane wage........the customer. No wonder they complain about the unions.

Heath

 

[Compu Doc]

I talked to a GM "engineer" this past May in Chicago while attending a meeting. He is a "company guy" meaning he is not part of the union and is salary. He told me that at GM, a new union hire with zero experience or skill will start on the assembly line making $80,000/year! Plus all the insane union benefits that go with it. How is that fair? Who pays for this guy to put 6 screws in some truck part on the line for that insane wage........the customer. No wonder they complain about the unions.

Heath

Ever try to get a job at GM. If you do not already know someone real well or a relative of someone your chance of getting a job their is zilch. I am sure that goes for any auto manufacturer. I see nothing wrong with a guy making 80K a year because the way things are going after this clunker sale is over Ford, GM and Chrysler will be back where they were before. When it comes to unions and how much a guy makes it is all in negotiations. GM can negotiate a lower salary contract when the current one expires and I am sure when they were in bankruptcy the union membership gave back a lot of concessions to GM just to survive this far along.

How many guys have lost their job because Pontiac and GMC have been dropped.

 

[160k87F250]

Just a little update. we have temporarly stopped the cash for clunkers. Even w/ 2 billion more or whatever it is the Gov't is wasting, our dealership has only been paid for 1 car. With about 40 -50 deals done, we are left holding $175000-$190000 in discounts that the government has yet to pay. You all like to call the dealership "stealerships", but who is the real theif here? I think we are getting the shaft...again.
John

 

[1994Diesel]

What did you have in mind?

I have no clue, i just was thinking at the time that we should get up and do something.

but seeing that it might be coming to a stop, i feel slightly relieved! lol

I did write a letter expressing my disapproval though.

 

[Diesel JD]

In a way I agree with CompuDoc, after all the management did agree to these absurd contracts. It's easy to see that it's not sustainable though. I really think that whether it's with the unions or with paying extreme bonuses to executives the people that really are to blame are the shareholders and the board of directors especially. In a corporate structure these are supposed to be the overseers and make sure that the company is run in a profitable and responsible manner. Not the government and not the unions they each have their own interests to look after.

 

[Compu Doc]

Well earlier tonight I was watching the news and it looks like the cash for clunkers is having it's problems already by making affordable used cars non existent. They portrayed one used car dealership that had low priced cars but they no longer have 3 thousand to 4 thousand dollar cars available. Now the cars that they have start at 8000 and up. Heck for 8000 and up a person can go to a new car dealership and buy a used car and probably get a better warranty.
So now how is a person supposed to get to work whose car is broken down and they can't afford to spend 8000 and more.

 

[91f2504x4]

Well earlier tonight I was watching the news and it looks like the cash for clunkers is having it's problems already by making affordable used cars non existent. They portrayed one used car dealership that had low priced cars but they no longer have 3 thousand to 4 thousand dollar cars available. Now the cars that they have start at 8000 and up. Heck for 8000 and up a person can go to a new car dealership and buy a used car and probably get a better warranty.
So now how is a person supposed to get to work whose car is broken down and they can't afford to spend 8000 and more.

Just follow the government plan of course, take the car that you can afford, trade it in on a new car, that you can't afford and worry about how you are going to pay for it later. Wait.... that seems familiar, wasn't there something with people doing the same thing with houses a few years ago that caused some kind of financial market crash? I guess it is hard to see patterns in government ignorance, no wonder our economy is flourishing.

 

[david85]

Actually something similar happened in Australia 10 years ago. Automakers came out with a small and dirt cheap POS of a car that wiped out all the used car dealerships. At least thats what I heard from family members that spent some time there. They jsut happened to be visiting during the aftermath. Looking now, it seems that used cars in oz are still fairly expensive along with the parts to service them. The EU and UK have many of the exact same cars and trucks for much lower prices. They also have laws in some states that make it illegal to insure a vehicle with rust on it. I'm not talking falling apart rust, I'm talking ANY rust at all. Same in new zealand.

I'm not sure if there is really the deliberate intention of making cars more expensive and driving used vehicles to the crusher, but its hard to ignore whats going on here. Once you bring the cost of a new car so close to that of a used one, people tend to be more willing to make those bigger payements and get into debt all over again.

 

[Clydesdale]

local Nissan store ran a promo, combined with tax credit etc. etc, a new Xterra would be 12,9.

for a fleeting moment I had a thought. But A: my Bronco is close in mpg, betcha, not far enough away to rationalize increased expense; B: apparently I haven't oned it long enough, and C: its too damn nice of a "trokita" to kill.

 

[Agnem]

a new union hire with zero experience or skill will start on the assembly line making $80,000/year! Plus all the insane union benefits that go with it.Heath

Actually that speaks volumes about the efficiency of that company, since their vehicles sell at the same price as the foreign cars. Obviously Toyota and the rest are reaping huge profits where GM and Ford are barely making it with their union heavy shops. The **** and them must be laughing their butts off. This country is a vast pool of fools both politically and with John Q public, his low I.Q. and self serving interests with no consideration for anyone but himself. It's no wonder they love this country so much. Reminds me of the kind of relationship a dope dealer and his strung out girlfriend must have. Most Americans are too stupid to see what they are doing to us. We're being exploited by both them and what passes for our government. Based on this then, the cash for clunkers program is benefiting the foreign car companies more than the U.S. companies the public thinks it is supposed to be saving.

 

[geno8769]

Actually that speaks volumes about the efficiency of that company, since their vehicles sell at the same price as the foreign cars. Obviously Toyota and the rest are reaping huge profits where GM and Ford are barely making it with their union heavy shops. The **** and them must be laughing their butts off. This country is a vast pool of fools both politically and with John Q public, his low I.Q. and self serving interests with no consideration for anyone but himself. It's no wonder they love this country so much. Reminds me of the kind of relationship a dope dealer and his strung out girlfriend must have. Most Americans are too stupid to see what they are doing to us. We're being exploited by both them and what passes for our government. Based on this then, the cash for clunkers program is benefiting the foreign car companies more than the U.S. companies the public thinks it is supposed to be saving.

Amen to that.

The sheeple just dont get the real cost of all this "FREE" stuff. When it no longer beneficial to work or provide jobs for others, who is gonna pay for this stuff?

 

[hesutton]

Amen to that.

The sheeple just dont get the real cost of all this "FREE" stuff. When it no longer beneficial to work or provide jobs for others, who is gonna pay for this stuff?

No kidding. Wait until uncle B.O. takes over health care! Promissing a free **** to people doesn't change the fact it is still a ****! But, too many lazy free loading goons want anything free.........reguardless if its a **** or not.

Heath