>> Ever hear the song "too much too little too late"
>>
>>
> I`d argue that Wagoner was steadily doing the right things, but hampered
> (slowed & blocked) by pesky little things like union contracts &
> negotiations, local politics in every town affected by his proposed
> changes, green laws, etc, etc. The guy was a 31-year employee, not an
> outsider emotionally unaffected by the changes he attempted to make.
The whole point is the corporation has to have someone with an entirely new
agenda to survive, not someone who`s sitting around pining for the good old
days. The automotive world has radically changed and if it does not adapt,
GM is dead. It would have been dead already without taxpayer help, so Mr.
Wagoner was out of a job either way.
> When Obama gave Wagoner the choice of resigning or foregoing bailout
> money, he knew full well Wagoner would acquiesce, because Wagoner wouldn`t
> sign GM`s death warrant by refusing. In my opinion the wrong guy was
> fired... it should have been Gettlefinger, who openly refused to negotiate
> any concessions at all. If the changes begun by GM speed up now, it`ll be
> because Obama screws the union and local politicians, something that
> Wagoner could not do without dooming GM.
No, GM was doomed without those changes. Mr. Wagoner didn`t have the
stomach for it. I can`t blame him for that; these changes are radical and
seemingly merciless, but in not reshaping GM over the course of his tenure
he and his board brought it to where it is.
> More likely, GM will now quickly go out of business or become a
> federal-run experiment in building expensive "green cars" which will
> require heavy subsidies by the taxpayer in order to sell to greenies.
>
> It`s always seemed to be an axiom that republicans tend to buy GM cars,
> while democrats prefer Fords and Chryslers (if they didn`t switch to
> Volkswagens or riceburners), so I`m not surprised that Obama went after
> GM.
This is ludicrous. My dad was as Democrat as you can get and he drove
Chevys and Buicks all his life. If Ford were in the same financial boat as
GM it would have gotten the same treatement, or worse, a la Chrysler.
> The fact that GM has lately been advertising heavily on the Limbaugh,
> Hannity, and Miller programs probably sealed Wagoners fate.
Ridiculous. GM is advertising heavily practically everywhere.
> Question is, what will Obama do to mollify the UAW as GM goes under?
> Or will the workers be so overjoyed at seeing management get screwed that
> they`ll forget that they screwed themselves?
Both white and blue collar have to sacrifice. So do retirees. There`s no
other way.
> GM was my first & favorite auto maker, I was never disappointed by one of
> their products (I owned at least 7 over my lifetime, including 4
> Corvettes, plus another half-dozen cars powered by Chevy small blocks);
> how sad that it`s come to this.
Because of loyalty inherited from dad, I owned three Buicks, all of which
had quite numerous mechanical, electrical, and body problems. I gave up on
GM back in 1987 except, of course, for the `Vette, which is a lifelong
reclamation project, a labor of love both now and, fate and finances
willing, in retirement.
AJM
`93 40th Anniversary coupe, 6 sp (both tops)
Last "Cars" Post on Wordpress:
Title: Model A's come to the Lakes Region of NH Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:42:49 +0000 Author: Doug
Beginning September 24th approximately 225 Model A’s will come to the Lakes Region for a gathering and road trip. On Saturday the 26th they will tour around Lake Winnipesaukee. Many of these cars and their owners are staying in local lodging properties like the Margate and the Landmark Inn.
Here is a preview of the event as some of the cars have begun arriving in the Lakes Region earlier this week.
More on: http://lakesregionchamber.wordpress.com/2009/09/24/model-as-come-to-the-lakes-region-of-nh/
