I don't know anything about Japanese Government sponsored healthcare. Is it just Toyota and Honda that gets it or every citizen? Because if it is just Toyota and Honda then I could see a point. But even then the only way we can level the playing field is government sponsored health care for everyone.
Moreover, the legacy cost that is killing GM and F is benefits being paid out to ppl who no longer work for the company. Look, these ppl earned those pension rights and they deserve it. But at the same time, that was a decision between F/GM and its workers. The banking system needed a bailout because a) it was a very healthy system before this collapse b) it's the most important system that can cripple the economy if it fails c) they have correctable problems. For whatever reason, fair or not, the automotive industry has problems that cannot be fixed without major changes. Look, if I was the head honcho in charge, I would make every effort to save any and all jobs/industries. But really, I have to ask myself, "what is the best use for this buck for the greatest amount of ppl." I used to look at quotes for F and GM all the time. Hell, did you know there was a time when the Market Cap for HDI (Harley) was greater than GM? These are not healthy companies that ran into a 1 in a million probability of the perfect (sh!t) storm. Moreover, until recently, every quarter that Toyota reported was a record quarter. -----Original Message----- From: Zaphod Beeblebrox [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, November 10, 2008 12:16 PM To: cf-community Subject: Re: should the government rescue the auto industry? You mean the Toyota and Honda companies that benefit from government sponsored health care in their home countries? You mean the Toyota company that was able to go to it's government and get money to work on a hybrid car system? Why don't you think the auto industry should be allowed to play on a level playing field? Also, why do you feel they make an inferior product....In the JD Powers survey for mid-size cars, the Chevy Malibu and the Ford Fusion both scored 5's in overall quality while Honda Accord only scored a 3. In compact multi-use vehicles, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Ford Escape and Honda CRV all scored 5's....the rest of the field trailed. I drove a 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix to 90,000 without a single problem. I drove my Chevrolet 2500 to 100,000 with the only problem of defective glow plugs which were replaced under warranty (Ironically, I think they were made by Isuzu). On Nov 10, 2008, at 10:45 AM, Won Lee wrote: > No. The reason the US automotive industry is in the steaming pile > there > are in right now are > > 1) They make an inferior product > 2) Legacy costs > > A bailout does not address these problems. Quite frankly, F or GM > going > under doesn't hurt the economy as severely as the banks going under. > Actually, I would imagine that if F and GM went under, Toyota and > Honda > would probably open up another factory or two in TN or KY (or wherever > their plants are located) to meet the demand. > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Robert Munn [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2008 10:11 PM > To: cf-community > Subject: Re: should the government rescue the auto industry? > > I'll be happy to be wrong. > > On Sat, Nov 8, 2008 at 7:23 AM, Dana wrote: > >> I am not sure you are correct about Obama. He seems to be avoiding >> entanglement with the financial services bailout; wisely in my >> opinion. I think his vote for the plan was a mistake and the plan >> is a >> disaster. >> >> As for the auto industry, my answer is hell no. >> >> > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;207172674;29440083;f Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:279646 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
