General Motors: Reading the Whole Story [View article]
And who would have loaned the money to fund such a bankruptcy? Santa?
The company would have liquidated and millions of people would have lost their jobs at the depths of the recession. You probably would have been one of them.
Essentially you hate them for surviving. How many of their vehicles would you have bought if they were gone?
General Motors: Reading the Whole Story [View article]
I guess you were not paying attention. This was a government run bankruptcy, which means theyw ere not allowed to do certain things that would be polically unpopular, like kicking the pension to the curb and dumping all product liability on products they made before bankruptcy on the "old GM".
You should really read up on a subject before you presume to write about it.
General Motors: Reading the Whole Story [View article]
Yeah, OK, going way out on a limb there beating on GM, yet again.
OK, if you take a loan on your business, and then sell part of your company to someone else, use that money to pay off the loan, did you pay back the loan or not? Yes or no? Of course you did.
Same situation, only this time the person and the investor are the same person. Yes or no? Of course, yes.
Same situation, you are GM, the answer is of course, no, because we all know that anything a US corporation who is stupid enough to employ thens of thousands of Americans and pay trillions of dollars in taxes over 100 years is inherintly evil and wrong.
Why GM Remains Far From Finish Line [View article]
The Perot comments are funny...
Listen to Perot, listen to what? What did he ever actually do in his entire life except steal customers from his employer and start a very incapable company?
I met Bob Stempel durring Perot's run for office. I asked him what he thought, as he had worked with the man. He told me that all you need to know about Ross Perot is to look at his proposals to make changes at GM durring his tenure on the board. There are NONE. Not a single one.
They would sit in the board meetings and discuss the issues of the day and eventually someone would ask Ross if he had a comment. Usually he would say no or just mumble. Before lunch he would get up and leave. Durring lunch they would turn on the TV and see Ross telling the local TV that the "board was clueless, and they need to get rid of the inside parking" or some such drivel.
Every time I read a comment about him from someone who has bought into his media persona I laugh. The guy is an empty suit.
Geez guys, the author made it pretty clear that he was simply looking at economics, not "other issues".
The comparison to the early automotive days before the Model T and the Oldsmobile are apt. There were litterally thousands of designs out there and yes, the horse was more practical and economical than 90% of them. Until the "tipping point" where a design was reliable and cheap enough that was not true, the "market share" of the car was small, as will hybrids, hydrogen, or whatever.
One thing for you "green enthusiasts" to consider: I'm SURE this applies to none of you, but if you REALLY care about the environment, that Prius is parked in front of a home that is apropriately sized for your family (not a 5000 sq ft monster for 2 people), you don't have the chemical tanker come 6 times a year to waste fossil fuel fertilizer on your golf fourse putting green lawn, and of course you never hop on a jet liner for a weekend.
You turn your nose up at my pickup, except of course when you need that driveway plowed.
Every Prius owner I know, there are 4, is nothing but a hippie wannabe poser who thinks that people will consider them "cool" as they tool aound in this thing while they live a lifestyle that is definitely not "green".
Well, I live a fairly "green" lifestyle in a moderately sized home with low energy costs, a lawn I fertilize about every 5 years in the middle of 5 acres of woods, and I will continue to drive my pickup and the posers out there can bite me.
I'm sure that this does not apply to any of you, of course.
Even Big Oil Execs Think We're Headed to an Electric Future [View article]
If you haven't been keeping up, General Motors has had some recent financial difficulties and has to focus on where it can make money. Ask around, some of your friends might be able to fill you in on that.
Frankly, Cadillac is supposed to be a performance/luxury car maker. They probably have seen the less than spectacular sales of the Lexus hybrids and figured on not taking the risk.
Even Big Oil Execs Think We're Headed to an Electric Future [View article]
Gee guys, I guess noone thunk of all that stuff!
Actually, the Volt get's the equivalent of over 100 mpg with figuring the fossil fuel cost of producing the electricity and running the gas motor 25% of the time. So figure even if all your electricity comes from coal plants, the volt is more than twice as good as a really efficient car.
This also drives the pollution to a "single point" which, if it is monitored and regulated properly, can be better controlled than 16 million cars of varying maintenance.
Yes, there are issues such as battery recycling, but since these batteries contain VERY scarce materials, industry will figure that out. They always do when there is money to be made.
Everyone acts like there must be one single solution to our problems, and if any solution does not solve all problems all at once, it should not be tried.
Oil is cheap, high energy fuel, easily refined and transported. Changing over will take time and effort and a combination of strategies.
Yes, Chrysler had more recalls than Toyota, that's because they recalled the necessary vehicles in a timely manner. No story there.
Listen carefully: YOU HAVE HAD NO RECALLS FROM TOYOTA BECAUSE THEY DO NOT RECALL VEHICLES WITH SAFETY PROBLEMS!
The story is not the few actual instances of accellerator problems, the story is they ignored obvious flaws in their designs becasue they don't care if the Gaijin die.
Toyota's Troubles: A Catalyst for Change in the Auto Industry? [View article]
The point is not that they have problems, everybody has problems.
The point is, they got caught treating this problem like they have treated all their problems, with lies and a coverup. Like Mitsubishi, they just ignore safety issues and act like they don't happen.
"Decades of bulletproof quality", a phrase that I have heard 100 times in the last week, is a bunch of crap. A corporate culture that admits no mistakes and a clueless transportation department and some powerful so-called American congressman.
BTW - great bringing up the Pinto, you do know that was a fraud perpertrated by the same guys with the same rocket motors they used on GM's sidesaddle gas tanks? But it is OK to bash those bad old US employers.
Plug-In Vehicles Are 'Waist Deep in the Big Muddy' [View article]
The critisism of GM is just stupid. They looked at the Prius, which has never saved a buck in gas and is simply an environmental disaster and saw the writing on the wall. Hybrids had been discussed for years at GM and since they COST the consumer, even with incentives, several thousands of dollars, they had been dismissed. GM's mistake was underestimating the gullibility of the American public. Now they are giving the people what they want, a vehicle with the APEARANCE of no fossil fuel use. Isn't that the big complaint about GM, "they are not building the fuel efficient vehicles people want"? (never mind the Silverado/Sierra outsell the Camry by 5:1) Here comes the Volt, you can putt around "super green" while the trees die of acid rain from the coal plants, and the poor freeze unable to pay for electricity, and you can be as happy as those poor deluded suckers in their Priuses.
The GM (er, Motors Liquidation) Stock Anomaly [View article]
Hey - it's financial Darwinism. If you are SO STUPID, that you don't understand what "Motors Liquidation" means and put any significant money into this stock, that money belongs with someone at least smart enough to keep it under his bed.
"Stock Certificates"? When did you last buy stocks, 1982?
These guys are playing musical chairs. They trade these stocks while the music plays, except when this music stops, there are no chairs at all.
You don't say how many you have. At $0.80 this morning, 100 old certificate shares are worth $80, the fees involved will take a big chunk of what is left. Call a broker, ask what fees are involved and ask about donating the shares to charity. Many charities have brokers that do the work pro-bono and don't have all that cost. You get the deduction and rid of the headache. I had, as a result of an old stock deal with a company I had a few shares of, received certificates for a few shares that had dropped very low. The fees were more than the value of the stock, but a local charity was happy to get them.
If it is few enough shares, and small enough money, believe it of not, look on eBay for what old stock certificates are going for. In a few years that certificate for 10 shares might be worth $20 as a decoration.
On Aug 21 03:37 PM Kold wrote:
> How can I dump my stock. I have some certificate shares as well as > some purchased in a stock reinvestment program. Please publish the > answer.
General Motors: Reading the Whole Story [View article]
The company would have liquidated and millions of people would have lost their jobs at the depths of the recession. You probably would have been one of them.
Essentially you hate them for surviving. How many of their vehicles would you have bought if they were gone?
General Motors: Reading the Whole Story [View article]
You should really read up on a subject before you presume to write about it.
General Motors: Reading the Whole Story [View article]
OK, if you take a loan on your business, and then sell part of your company to someone else, use that money to pay off the loan, did you pay back the loan or not? Yes or no? Of course you did.
Same situation, only this time the person and the investor are the same person. Yes or no? Of course, yes.
Same situation, you are GM, the answer is of course, no, because we all know that anything a US corporation who is stupid enough to employ thens of thousands of Americans and pay trillions of dollars in taxes over 100 years is inherintly evil and wrong.
Why GM Remains Far From Finish Line [View article]
Listen to Perot, listen to what? What did he ever actually do in his entire life except steal customers from his employer and start a very incapable company?
I met Bob Stempel durring Perot's run for office. I asked him what he thought, as he had worked with the man. He told me that all you need to know about Ross Perot is to look at his proposals to make changes at GM durring his tenure on the board. There are NONE. Not a single one.
They would sit in the board meetings and discuss the issues of the day and eventually someone would ask Ross if he had a comment. Usually he would say no or just mumble. Before lunch he would get up and leave. Durring lunch they would turn on the TV and see Ross telling the local TV that the "board was clueless, and they need to get rid of the inside parking" or some such drivel.
Every time I read a comment about him from someone who has bought into his media persona I laugh. The guy is an empty suit.
To Hybrid or Not to Hybrid? [View article]
The comparison to the early automotive days before the Model T and the Oldsmobile are apt. There were litterally thousands of designs out there and yes, the horse was more practical and economical than 90% of them. Until the "tipping point" where a design was reliable and cheap enough that was not true, the "market share" of the car was small, as will hybrids, hydrogen, or whatever.
One thing for you "green enthusiasts" to consider: I'm SURE this applies to none of you, but if you REALLY care about the environment, that Prius is parked in front of a home that is apropriately sized for your family (not a 5000 sq ft monster for 2 people), you don't have the chemical tanker come 6 times a year to waste fossil fuel fertilizer on your golf fourse putting green lawn, and of course you never hop on a jet liner for a weekend.
You turn your nose up at my pickup, except of course when you need that driveway plowed.
Every Prius owner I know, there are 4, is nothing but a hippie wannabe poser who thinks that people will consider them "cool" as they tool aound in this thing while they live a lifestyle that is definitely not "green".
Well, I live a fairly "green" lifestyle in a moderately sized home with low energy costs, a lawn I fertilize about every 5 years in the middle of 5 acres of woods, and I will continue to drive my pickup and the posers out there can bite me.
I'm sure that this does not apply to any of you, of course.
Even Big Oil Execs Think We're Headed to an Electric Future [View article]
Frankly, Cadillac is supposed to be a performance/luxury car maker. They probably have seen the less than spectacular sales of the Lexus hybrids and figured on not taking the risk.
Even Big Oil Execs Think We're Headed to an Electric Future [View article]
Actually, the Volt get's the equivalent of over 100 mpg with figuring the fossil fuel cost of producing the electricity and running the gas motor 25% of the time. So figure even if all your electricity comes from coal plants, the volt is more than twice as good as a really efficient car.
This also drives the pollution to a "single point" which, if it is monitored and regulated properly, can be better controlled than 16 million cars of varying maintenance.
Yes, there are issues such as battery recycling, but since these batteries contain VERY scarce materials, industry will figure that out. They always do when there is money to be made.
Everyone acts like there must be one single solution to our problems, and if any solution does not solve all problems all at once, it should not be tried.
Oil is cheap, high energy fuel, easily refined and transported. Changing over will take time and effort and a combination of strategies.
The Next Chapter in Toyotagate [View article]
Yes, Chrysler had more recalls than Toyota, that's because they recalled the necessary vehicles in a timely manner. No story there.
Listen carefully: YOU HAVE HAD NO RECALLS FROM TOYOTA BECAUSE THEY DO NOT RECALL VEHICLES WITH SAFETY PROBLEMS!
The story is not the few actual instances of accellerator problems, the story is they ignored obvious flaws in their designs becasue they don't care if the Gaijin die.
Toyota's Not the Only One - Six Myths About Car Recalls [View article]
You guys need a clue, there is a lot more dirt under this rug.
Toyota's Best Days Are Over [View article]
Toyota's Troubles: A Catalyst for Change in the Auto Industry? [View article]
The point is, they got caught treating this problem like they have treated all their problems, with lies and a coverup. Like Mitsubishi, they just ignore safety issues and act like they don't happen.
"Decades of bulletproof quality", a phrase that I have heard 100 times in the last week, is a bunch of crap. A corporate culture that admits no mistakes and a clueless transportation department and some powerful so-called American congressman.
BTW - great bringing up the Pinto, you do know that was a fraud perpertrated by the same guys with the same rocket motors they used on GM's sidesaddle gas tanks? But it is OK to bash those bad old US employers.
Ford: Running on Empty? [View article]
American = Bad
Asian = Good
Plug-In Vehicles Are 'Waist Deep in the Big Muddy' [View article]
The GM (er, Motors Liquidation) Stock Anomaly [View article]
"Stock Certificates"? When did you last buy stocks, 1982?
These guys are playing musical chairs. They trade these stocks while the music plays, except when this music stops, there are no chairs at all.
Let them lose their money.
Why GM Stock Is Still a Bad Idea [View article]
If it is few enough shares, and small enough money, believe it of not, look on eBay for what old stock certificates are going for. In a few years that certificate for 10 shares might be worth $20 as a decoration.
On Aug 21 03:37 PM Kold wrote:
> How can I dump my stock. I have some certificate shares as well as
> some purchased in a stock reinvestment program. Please publish the
> answer.