devassocx

Why GM's Not the Only Company Rush Limbaugh Should Boycott

I don't listen to Rush all the time but it seems to me that
recently GM ads have been running on his program, so I don't
really know what the point of this article is.


On Jun 10 11:32 PM Mr. Ed, Jr. wrote:

> The report is incorrect. Limbaugh does not support a boycott. (There
> is nothing in the author's quotes that has Limbaugh supporting the
> boycott-- he only is saying that many Americans are boycotting )
>
>
> The following is Limbaugh's response to the media story :
>
> " Now, for the record, ladies and gentlemen, I don't do boycotts.
> I do not sponsor them; I do not encourage them. I never have. I
> think it is media childishness when people start urging boycotts.
> I have never, ever done such a thing, and I didn't do this with General
> Motors. All I did, to clarify, was report a poll that said X number
> of Americans -- what was it, 18 or 20% -- say they are not going
> to buy a GM car anymore, after this bailout. "
>
> Also, I do not believe Sean Hannity is supporting a boycott. Last
> I heard, he was still doing "spontaneous" infomercials for his Cadillac.
>
>
> Hugh Hewitt was another conservative named in the Detroit News story.
> I do not know Hewitt's views on a boycott, but since the media has
> it wrong about Limbaugh (as usual), there is no reason to believe
> they got the rest of the story right.

Feeling the Buzz: Ford Goes Electric

I hope all this electric stuff goes forward.

I want all of you to buy them and use less gasoline so it will stay cheap and I can continue to enjoy driving my Dodge Magnum wagon.

Thanks for your support and stay safe out there!

Tata Nano About to Give Detroit a Run for Its Money

Sorry, but the article is totally flawed...readers should not rely on
any information given.

The Nano is a great thing for India and other places like that. That
was what it was intended for. To bring it to other more affluent countries
may or may not ever happen and if it does it will be a long time.

Buyer Beware: 30 Biggest Bankruptcy Risks

Ohh, Ohh....that list is my portfolio.

What do I do now????

White House Report: GM Volt Is Not Ready for Prime Time

If a solution won't work unless the older alternative solution's
price is raised via taxation then I say that the new solution is
a very poor one.

That is what I would expect from an agenda driven government,
not from a practical, thinking government.

New ways to do things should offer benefits unavailable
with the old way in such quantity as to command a higher price,
not because of a government distortion of the pricing system.


On Apr 24 08:57 AM Steven Chu wrote:

> The US only has the production capacity for hamsters - but Asia has
> horses. And they are Li-ion horses being sold in massive quantities.
>
>
> The dumbest thing we could do is not stimulate these firms. Of course
> they are losing. And that is partially due to poor historical policy
> to create incentives for better technology, manufacturing, and cost
> reduction. Subsidized gas instead of subsidized EVs and batteries.
>
>
> It will be expensive. But stimulating these companies is necessary.
>
>
> Battery technology and vehicle design must be parallel processes
> and must be continuous. We may end up driving GM/Segway PUMAs instead
> of sedans, but it won't happen with US batteries if we sit on the
> sidelines.
>
> And remember, half of the battle is getting consumers used to the
> idea of using a different type of vehicle - this needs time, momentum,
> and marketing. It won't happen unless there are incentives from the
> consumer and producer sides, and unless alternatives (combustion
> horses) ado not have their carbon mitigation costs priced in.
>
> $27 billion manufacturer incentives, $7500 consumer subsidy, government
> purchase of EV fleets, and gas tax for $3.50 gas. This is the formula
> for change.
>

Chrysler Bankruptcy: Why Car Buyers Might Not Notice

I agree with you....mopar vehicles are much better than
the common perception.

I have a 2007 Dodge Magnum and really like it a lot...why that model was discontinued when they were selling 4k units/month never made sense to me...it's almost the same as the Chrysler 300 with different sheet metal...very bad mistake I think.

But it's better to let the free market sort all this out and keep the
government out of it...government picking losers and winners just
makes the losers go down harder and allows the winners to
have inferior products.

There is a lot of proud history to the U.S. car industry. Just too
bad that recent managements at these companies have allowed
the industry to be so vulnerable and fragile.

On Apr 24 01:55 PM SouthernCEO wrote:

> I have a Dodge Journey so I hope Chrysler is still around to work
> on my car if needed. I hate to see any of our car companies go
> away. Lot's of history here and lot's of great cars over the years.
> Muscle cars still draw crowds and none of these are Fiats.

Response to Jack Lifton's 'Lithium Batteries: Nothing But Illusion'

But isn't lead toxic and a danger to the environment?
And isn't the acid the same?


On Apr 22 12:58 PM altaman wrote:

> Actually lithium is the wrong approach to motor vehicles because
> it is too expensive and highly toxic. Just how is anyone going to
> sell the used cars when they require a $5000-10000 battery replacement?
> A better approach is the so called advanced lead-acid battery mated
> to a large capacitor to buffer and protect the acid cells (developed
> in Australia). Its is about 1/3 the cost while being only 1/3 heaver.
> That is an extremely worthwhile tradeoff particularly in larger vehicles.

Ten Cars Detroit Should Copy

I think you are blaming the auto companies for quite a few things
that you should be really laying at the door of your government and
it's nanny state mentality with all the laws and regulations it shoves
onto the auto makers.


On Mar 29 08:38 AM teammisek wrote:

> Rick, While you are so right in your comparison of foriegn to domestics,
> there are several factors over and above your argument.
> Many years ago I was asking the auto dealers how they could justify
> me paying more for one of their new cars than I paid for my house!
> While the purchase price of autos has leveled off to some degree,
> in part due to foriegn compitition, the unneccesary complication
> of auto design has not abated. They might as well put a lock on the
> hood of their vehicles that can only be opened by the dealership!
>
> The sophistication of today's vehicles is mind boggling to an old
> fart like me. I've worked on vehicles since I was a kid but today
> I have been thrown to the mercy of the wolves.
> My wife and I were the proud owners of a 2000 'L Series' Saturn Wagon.
> We bought it new. It was our third Saturn. What a nightmare! That
> car had three computers, electronic throttle, and this funny little
> light on the dash that would come on: "Reduced Power". Why on Earth
> would someone knowingly build a car that would have "reduced power"?!
> Yet they do. Under 'reduced power' the car would only idle. If this
> occured in traffic...well, there you were. Try to get out of the
> road and shut the car off to reset the computer. No one knew how
> to fix this car. Saturn wanted us to spend $7,000 to replace the
> computers!
> We traded that $23,000 Saturn last year for a new Hyundai Accent
> ($11,000). The Accent has a throttle cable! Ingenious! We got $600
> for the Saturn, not trashed, but not fixed. It did have a nice stereo.
>
> I couldn't guess how many potential customers out there are longing
> for the days of the Saturday morning tune-up and oil change. I need
> a vehicle I can maintain and service myself. I don't need a DVD player!
> I don't want a car that thinks it knows what I want it to do. I don't
> want a car that thinks. I want a car that responds to my direction
> for steering, accelleration and braking. If I need the tires to skid
> a little I don't want ABS (Anti-Braking System) to override my command!
>
> Your points are absolutely on the money pointing out the disparity
> between "ours" and "theirs". I think there is room for improvement
> on a much broader scale. I for one, will regress. ( I enjoy my old
> cars! )
> Steve

Why Most Americans Don't Mind if the Big Three Fail

Detroit has to shed the cost penalty of its unions. If it can't do that then it
will never profit.

Better to go into chapter 11 and reorg and if necessary go to the end of BK
so that some other investor group can take over and make a profit.

That is the way of capitalism and it works really well in a Darwin sort of way.

GM's Letter to Car Owners Reeks of Desperation

It's not a loan unless it gets paid back...and when you loan to a risky borrower
it may not get paid back. So let's call it what it is; a bailout!

I think GM and other American car companies make ok products. That's not the
problem. The problem is that their cost structure is too high. This is because of
union contracts and legacy retirement benefits.

Put simply, these companies are just not competitive in the market place.

Much better to let them declare bankruptcy, shed the unions and operate like
the foreign companies do in the US.

And by the way, we can't afford to bail them out. We have to use that money
to bail out the states that will soon be in front of congress pleading their case
and defending their years of inefficiency and overspending.

Reality bites, doesn't it???