GM is not just owned by Americans, Canada owns 12.5% of it now, the U.S. taxpayers 60%. That may mean that GM owns 27.5% of it's own company. I'm not sure about that either! The UAW and bond holders/stock owners may own part of it too! The last I heard GM stock was heading under $1.00 a share and will be removed from the Dow Jones index starting Monday.

 

I currently have two Suburbans (and a Toyota that is of vastly superior quality!)...they are going to have to last forever because I need something to pull my trailers!

Plain and simple, all this bailout is is a sweetheart deal for the UAW which has always supported left wing politicians. It's now payback time for all that support! I do not support unions in any form , nor the government being a partner in any business.

The constitution guarantees seperation of church and state (the next of your freedoms to go down the toilet....wait and see!!!), there should also be seperation of business and state!

No more GM for me!!!

 

The Bad news is you have no choice but to support GM, Your all 60% majority stock holders like it or not. The 50 Billion of tax payer money dished out is just a warm up for thing to come. Even Toyota,Honda and Ford workers will be supporting GM.

GM went from *** broke to the richest car company over night. They have the same money worries as the U.S navy which is none.

 

Part of the problem for the American makers is collective bargaining with the unions. A good example of one of the stipulations given to the unions is that they have to pay a certain number of union workers each pay period regardless of whether or not they are actually working at producing a car. I've read many newspapers talking about union workers showing up for work, punching in, and spending the day playing cards, etc. because there is not enough work on the assembly line to keep everyone busy. It's these kinds of rules that are helping to bankrupt the US auto industry. I can't remember the exact numbers, but the amount of money spent by the unionized auto makers to produce a vehicle is something like $78 per hour where the non-unionized makers can do it for something like $48. I know the American companies can make cars as well as the Japanese. They just can't afford it. I would also hate to see Chevy go the way of the dodo too. But, there used to be 1800 US auto makers up until 1930. Now there are 3 major makers with dozens of subsidiary companies. Capatilism is a great system because it creates a market that demands quality at a comparible price. If you can't compete you either rethink the way you are doing things, declare bankruptcy and reorganize, or fail. The consumer usually wins in the end.

 

I agree with you here. I also find that here where I live AT LEAST 90% of the pro-0bama stickers are on foreign vehicles. I could count on one hand how many I have seen on full size pick-ups.

 

My uncle work for Gm for 33 years and just got let go about 7 months ago, Sad to say they canceled his dental, and now his pension is starting to fade away.

Sad to say that americans don't like our cars, trucks.

But they did put in a bid to reopen the plant to make small cars. The people in Janesville need something there or the city will become a empty.

 

So is it better to support a company that pays people in Mexico and Canada to make your car or truck, and part of the money you spent goes to support their paycheck and local economy? Meanwhile, that same company takes billions of our dollars. Or buy a foreign car or truck that is actually assembled in the United States, by mostly American people who put that money back into the American economy?

 

Will I support GM? I have two GMC trucks in the driveway right now, and I paid over $100K in taxes last year, so you bet I am supporting GM (especially with the taxes). I've never owned a foreign automobile in my whole life, and don't plan to, but this whole government bailout thing with GM has left me with a very sour taste in my mouth for that company. I have no plans of purchasing GM again, so hopefully my current vehicles will last a long time. My last Ford vehicle was in 2003, and it looks like my next vehicle will also be a Ford.

GM was so horribly mismanaged that it is appauling. No way am I going to support those people again. GM was terribly irresponsible, and they have damaged the whole country, and harmed MILLIONS of people. They did not deserve a bailout.

 

Well I guess I'll throw my .02¢ in:

I'll continue to support GM in hopes that they'll get their act together. Do I support the Gov't bailout - NO.

But a company THAT HUGE and it's subsidiaries can't be alowed to fail in this volitile economy IMHP.

I have a hard time believing that unlike the dinosaurs they DIDN'T see the "ASTEROID" hurling towards them. GM needed a wake-up call, but they didn't catch on until impact. And now we're ALL feel'n it regardless of our opinions on GM products.

OH I should add -I currently own 2 of their products : '94 Z71 & '04 Grnd AM (and yes I KNOW Pontiac was recently discontinued)

I also own a 2000 DODGE Grand Caravan. Never been a FORD fan - I have my reasons w/o getting into a brand bashing.
NEVER owned a foreign vehicle - And never will.

All this talk about "Buying American" begs one to ponder before the finger pointing gets out of hand - what BRAND of quad is sitting in the driveway/garage/trailer/shop??

I have no use for anything "JAP SCRAP", and luv my ARCTIC CATS made in MN. (w/the H1 motor)

But again I'll also add - 75% of ALL electronics in my household - FORIEGN - dough!!

 

When I buy a vehicle, I just go for the best deal I can get. I've found that usually I can get more for my money with American cars. I don't see that quality difference that so many people talk about...at least in recent years. Right now, those 08 Chevy Venture vans priced in the $11,000 range look like the best deal.