Cobra 1

May Auto Sales: Better but Not Booming

kudos to Ford!

GM Drives Hummer to China

What the hell the difference, their government (due to BO) owns America already why not Hummer.....

GM Has Been Bankrupt for Years

Yes little man, I do have intimate knowledge in how they (B3) did operate with-in the UAW environment. I understand how the engineer's dealt with key personnel in the mix between workers and stewards. It was a completely different environment at Ford then it was at GM, and CHRYS was a complete joke!

If Ford ends up at the public teet, will I be disappointed, at this point I cant say, I know they were working to avoid the peril that the others were facing by trying to understand the market and their cost structure.

One of the first things I learned in school (college, not grade school where you made it through) was in order to be successful in business you better understand your cost structure. If you are not able to keep your cost structure in check, you will fail. This article spelled it out aptly!

Now, get off your daddy's computer, he needs to make a living so he can keep up the payments on your trailer!!!


On Jun 02 10:19 AM User 387439 wrote:

> Oh and BTW , * ford * has a union called the UAW also. And they all
> run their own plants. Contracts have been the same for virtually
> all the Big 3 throughout the years. It's called "pattern bargaining".
> I relly don't think you know squat about how GM, Chrysler, or Ford
> runs their plants. You just got a few courtesy calls for some energy
> related jaw bumping and they all probably gave you the boot. You
> have no real insight to how an auto company runs let alone access
> to vital company business functions.
> Like I said, if you don't like GM fine.
> Go buy your * Fix_Or_Repair_Daily Fords * and move on. This isn't
> over and Ford is also likely to need financial help soon. But you
> don't like to hear that, do ya? :D

GM Has Been Bankrupt for Years

You obviously either don't get it or don't want to admit it, the unions have failed GM and America! Now they want to suck off the public teet, with OB in, they will get to for a short time longer.

Your wit is incredible "Fix Or Repair Daily", how profound!!!!

I'll say it again, its not GM I have a problem with, nor is it CHRYS, or, Ford. I witnessed personally the differences between the way the UAW ran GM and CHRYS, at least Ford ran their own plants. This IMHO is why Ford is still and likely will not need to public teet!

The market should have been allowed to run its course and close these antiquated pigs! NOUGH SAID!


On Jun 02 09:01 AM User 387439 wrote:

> Hey * * * " C O B R A 1 " * * * . . . blah, blah, blah. You got what
> you wanted GM filed BK and you are still belly aching. Go buy your
> Fix_Or_Repair_Daily Fords and get over it already. Gm is taking care
> of business the best it can after the Wall St. finance gurus created
> this bad business climate for everyone. Why don't you do something
> constructive and actually produce something instead of letting your
> few employees do all your work for you ( if you even have any real
> employees that will stay in your company over 6 mos.)
> Ya know, it;s clear you don't like GM cars or the company so quit
> looking and it'll all be better for you. If you keep putting so much
> negative energy in your rants and meaningless posts, you won't have
> any mental energy left for constructive things. But then again, I
> guess you just like being the way you are riding your dad's shirt
> tails.

GM Has Been Bankrupt for Years

To all the union crusaders (baby ray, 382034......) and all the other intellectuals that have continuously come here to rant how much the unions have done to make GM great, SHUT THE F up! Nough said!

Thank you to the author!

The GM Bondholders' 'Legal Rights' Meme

Another day, another step toward Socialism!

'What's Good for GM Is Good for America' Just Isn't True

I am curious why GM's stock is still holding a penny of value? Any intellectuals have a clue?

'What's Good for GM Is Good for America' Just Isn't True

Its time to junk GM! The only thing I find to be humorous, wait till the union has the reins of GM! It wont take these clowns long to figure out what it like to run a business rather than a charity!

The Final Hours of GM?

My fathers computer????? OOOOK!

I got my numbers from a PBS program that ran a little over a week ago, "what happened to Detroit".

If you believe JD Power, your not what you state you are. JD Power is bought and paid for by every company that has reports by them, there is nothing independent about them.

As for the wages, let me help you understand a flow chart:
1) Wage and benefits
a) Wages

Whats the sense, you seem to know it all!

As for Ford, "just lucky"??? Yeah they bet the farm, they began selling off brands that did not make money, they stopped looking at market share and began looking at profitability when WCF made a press release stating that Ford was going to restructure in 2006! He went on to say, Ford will emerge from this down turn with smaller market share. They stopped selling to the rental car companies as it was reducing resale of their cars.

Conversely, GM made an announcement the following week touting the market share and increase in sales they expected to receive by Ford's exit!

Finally, "GM and CHRYS were doing great"??????? Stop hitting the crack pipe! You need to do as you preach, do some research before you try and toss out posts that someone else does not know what they speak!



On May 23 12:39 AM ChemEn3 wrote:

> First, I am not part of a Union, much less the UAW. However, I am
> smart enough to know that the wages and benefits that all Americans
> enjoy is due to the UNIONS!! Don't you think all companies would
> pay minimum wage if they could??!! American workers did not always
> have health care, decent wages, retirement benefits, paid vacations,
> or even break times for that matter.
>
> Do I think the Unions went a little overboard at times, yes. However,
> we must remember that all the benifits that the unions are giving
> up will trickle down to non-union shops. Also, these benfifits will
> not come back once the economy improves!! It will take a union to
> get any benifits back, then maybe the rest of us will see those benifits
> again, but I doubt it!!

The Final Hours of GM?

Larry,

As a business owner, I can tell you if your pay per hour was $30.00, your simple burden to the company was 142%. That is with a non-union company. That simply represents fica, futa, suta, Medicaid, medicare, state and local, and, income tax. This does not cover your health insurance contribution (being union you wouldn't have that) which even in this economy in my company is an 80% contribution. Then there is a pension match, union dues match, training contribution...... and on, and on, and on.

People cant see beyond what the talking puppets preach! If your stated wage was $30, then add union adders, your wage cost GM or whomever you worked for, somewhere in the $75 to $80 range on the low side.

Getting beyond the union, and no GM's failure was not the unions fault, it was just one of the symptoms, GM has been in failure for many years as has Ford and CHRYS!

Ford saw the writing on the wall and tried to cover, they are not out of the woods by any means, but, they were proactive in their efforts. I think due to CHRYS and GM failure, Ford will come out the other side a better and more profitable company. They will make a better product than they did 4 years ago (I have all Ford, save for 1 caddy) and their product then was pretty damn good.

When your competition use 42 man hours to build an econobox and you use 71, you are profoundly behind the 8-ball. This had to happen at some point, if not now when... My beef is with the GOV bailing out and owning public and even worse private companies, they have crossed a line into socialism, if not stopped, this country will not see days of prosper like we have for over 200 hundred years.

I want out!

GM Forcing More than 1,000 Dealerships to Close

This is where there is tragedy. I feel for most of the small town dealers, however, the ones like Bergstrom motors (26 dealerships) I hope closes its doors and get the biggest screwing anyone could give. I feel for the 3rd gen owners, that are still in the small towns, I hope they are the ones to make it, these are the guys who say what they mean, mean what they say!

Your a customer and have always been treated like one. If these big dealerships (small too) would have remembered what their families had for a motto and lived that motto, they would not have to worry about being closed.

IMHO

Nat Gas is going to 1997 Levels and Will Stay There for a While

I find one thing ironic regarding your article, I have had a position in IOC for about three years. I don't remember what I purchased at, I think it was around 6 maybe. Anyway, I digress, IOC has had so many PR's regarding ELK 1 through 4 and have finally hit the ground running, I am happy I held. I am curious how you came across them?

A little on me, [e-mail] and northwrite.com. I have been in the electrical energy engineering field for 18 years. I speak from time to time to National Accounts groups, discussing energy is a passion!

Anyway its nice to see IOC get some good press. Ill keep you in touch as things get really going in the electricity markets with summer approaching.

Natural Gas Is Heading to 1997 Levels, Should Stay There Awhile

Very good points! It is a complex problem, and there are factors in the (electrical grid) utilities grid that are just becoming known due to issues relating to wind energy. Its causing real havoc in the world of the Independent Systems Operators (ISO's) from Canada to Mexico. This is going to cause even further downward pressure in the NG markets. Most combined cycle (electricity producing) plants are either coal or NG, the largest percentage NG. When the wind is blowing during night time hours and there's no load on the grid, something has to give! Well for the past couple months they have been forcing the NG plants to shut down, after that it goes to a stage three emergency, then wind gets shut off rather than nukes being shut down. Net effect, arbitrage and NG suppression!

We live in a real interesting time in our lives, I can only imagine what the next 6 months are going to bring.


On Apr 28 01:02 PM Buck East wrote:

> Cobra 1, very good point--manufacturers, e.g. chemicals, use NG in
> their processes as well as use alot of electricity so the negative
> impact in demand is doubly harsh. Your point re net gain/or loss
> with electricity usage going more toward houses and apartments rather
> than offices: I wish I knew and it will be interesting to see and
> please send me some data on that if you find any in coming months.
> From a social perspective re unemployment and all--I would bet that
> more unemployment would not end up netting more electrical use because
> I'm guessing that people staying home because of no job means no
> income and that they would do everything they could to save on those
> odious monthly bills--adjust thermostat, turn off appliances etc.
> In a continued high-unemployment scenario, more people will be moving
> in with roomates, parents, other family as well which will result
> in more vacant housing and a net savings of electricity. (Maybe people
> will even be driving less as a result of unemployment even at $2-$3
> gasoline, not directly related to NG I know, but my poiny is that
> its important to look at NG demand in broad context).

Natural Gas Is Heading to 1997 Levels, Should Stay There Awhile

I have one question for you Buck, with the increase of people laid off, does not the residential market for electricity begin to build? The average cost per square foot in residential markets has gone from approximately 1 kW per home to 1.38 kW. As more people spend more time home, I understand its not a 1 for 1 displacement, but it is becoming closer.

I say it is becoming closer as in the past, when layoffs did occur they were predominantly in the MFG sector. As America becomes more of a service based economy, when lay offs do occur, its office space that is emptied, not MFG.

Staying with that thought, average watts per square foot MFG 15, AWPF office space 1.7. With that said, do you think this will effect the electrical demand and create an offset that is anticipated?

Thanks,

GM Bondholders: No Good Answer

In court, do the bond holders get anything? If not take the penny's on the dollar now and hope you get something if the company becomes successful. No brainier to me. Get nothing then!