gm is going to stop buying palladium from montana and start buying it from over seas putting 1300 miners out of a job to manufacture catalytic converters cheaper. how far is this shit gonna go. why are we subsidizing these sonsabitches. am i the only only thats pissed off about this? WTF!!!

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once gm has pissed on all their customers whos gonna buy their goddamn cars?  

I'm no GM fan, but are you suggesting they NOT make a move to stay competitive? Will their customers pay extra for their catalytic converters?

Brew wrote on Aug 4^th, 2009 at 11:51am:

I'm no GM fan, but are you suggesting they NOT make a move to stay competitive? Will their customers pay extra for their catalytic converters?

if toyota and honda can make the majority of their parts here in the states so can gm. if gm wants to compete they should stop designing cars that intentionally needs parts after a few years. gm makes junk cars on purpose. a friend of mine worked at a chevy dealership and installed 18 fuel pumps in one day at over $300 a piece. car buyers are sick of it and they're not buying them.

secondly. if 1300 miners lose their job in montana that used to supply gm whos now buying the same thing from over seas, what kinda car are they going to buy. if thousands of steel workers in youngstown ohio are out of a job cuz ford and gm are buying inferior low carbon steel from china or wherever the hell they buy it from what are they going to go out and buy.

the steel thats used in "american made" cars and truck isn't worth shit yet the price keeps going up.

if they can't compete they should sink. maybe instead of propping up this dead horse with tax $$$ we should should subsidize some new ideas. let somebody else make cars. maybe we could bring back the tucker.

Bad business decisions - not the least of which is driven by succumbing to various union demands - is what put GM where they are. Miners and steelworkers and UAW members can thank their leadership for putting them out of jobs. If GM had made decisions like this a long time ago, and union leadership had listened to their members, maybe the auto industry wouldn't be where they are today.

I never begrudge a business making a wise business move - from labor to suppliers to tax environment. But this is like putting a band aid on a cancer.

Brew wrote on Aug 4^th, 2009 at 12:46pm:

Bad business decisions - not the least of which is driven by succumbing to various union demands - is what put GM where they are. Miners and steelworkers and UAW members can thank their leadership for putting them out of jobs. If GM had made decisions like this a long time ago, and union leadership had listened to their members, maybe the auto industry wouldn't be where they are today. I never begrudge a business making a wise business move - from labor to suppliers to tax environment. But this is like putting a band aid on a cancer.

    Tell that to the folks in Stillwater County Montana.  

            Potter

Potter wrote on Aug 4^th, 2009 at 1:16pm:

Brew wrote on Aug 4th, 2009 at 12:46pm: Bad business decisions - not the least of which is driven by succumbing to various union demands - is what put GM where they are. Miners and steelworkers and UAW members can thank their leadership for putting them out of jobs. If GM had made decisions like this a long time ago, and union leadership had listened to their members, maybe the auto industry wouldn't be where they are today. I never begrudge a business making a wise business move - from labor to suppliers to tax environment. But this is like putting a band aid on a cancer.     Tell that to the folks in Stillwater County Montana.               Potter

You tell me - why would a company go all the way overseas to get a raw material when there is a source of it much closer? Could it be that the labor cost differential outweighs the cost of additional transportation?

Can anybody say that they're doing it to punish 1300 mine workers?

Brew wrote on Aug 4^th, 2009 at 1:52pm:

Potter wrote on Aug 4th, 2009 at 1:16pm: Brew wrote on Aug 4th, 2009 at 12:46pm: Bad business decisions - not the least of which is driven by succumbing to various union demands - is what put GM where they are. Miners and steelworkers and UAW members can thank their leadership for putting them out of jobs. If GM had made decisions like this a long time ago, and union leadership had listened to their members, maybe the auto industry wouldn't be where they are today. I never begrudge a business making a wise business move - from labor to suppliers to tax environment. But this is like putting a band aid on a cancer.     Tell that to the folks in Stillwater County Montana.               Potter You tell me - why would a company go all the way overseas to get a raw material when there is a source of it much closer? Could it be that the labor cost differential outweighs the cost of additional transportation? Can anybody say that they're doing it to punish 1300 mine workers?

  Mexican beef is cheap too.  I suppose you want to put me out of business .

             Potter

Potter wrote on Aug 4^th, 2009 at 2:04pm:

Brew wrote on Aug 4th, 2009 at 1:52pm: Potter wrote on Aug 4th, 2009 at 1:16pm: Brew wrote on Aug 4th, 2009 at 12:46pm: Bad business decisions - not the least of which is driven by succumbing to various union demands - is what put GM where they are. Miners and steelworkers and UAW members can thank their leadership for putting them out of jobs. If GM had made decisions like this a long time ago, and union leadership had listened to their members, maybe the auto industry wouldn't be where they are today. I never begrudge a business making a wise business move - from labor to suppliers to tax environment. But this is like putting a band aid on a cancer.     Tell that to the folks in Stillwater County Montana.               Potter You tell me - why would a company go all the way overseas to get a raw material when there is a source of it much closer? Could it be that the labor cost differential outweighs the cost of additional transportation? Can anybody say that they're doing it to punish 1300 mine workers?   Mexican beef is cheap too.  I suppose you want to put me out of business .              Potter

WTF are you talking about? I don't want to put you out of business. I want to be able to choose between your wares and those of your competitors.

Just the other day I bought two beautiful, black angus ribeyes, and they were about $13.50/lb. Raised right here the good ol' US of A. Did I buy them because it was the only choice I had? No, I could have bought the other ribeyes pre-wrapped down the aisle for $7.99/lb. Why? Because the more expensive cuts were A BETTER VALUE. THEY BROUGHT MORE TO MY DINING EXPERIENCE. THEREFORE, I WAS WILLING TO PAY MORE FOR THEM.

What the hell is it people don't understand about competition?

Brew wrote on Aug 4^th, 2009 at 2:36pm:

Potter wrote on Aug 4th, 2009 at 2:04pm: Brew wrote on Aug 4th, 2009 at 1:52pm: Potter wrote on Aug 4th, 2009 at 1:16pm: Brew wrote on Aug 4th, 2009 at 12:46pm: Bad business decisions - not the least of which is driven by succumbing to various union demands - is what put GM where they are. Miners and steelworkers and UAW members can thank their leadership for putting them out of jobs. If GM had made decisions like this a long time ago, and union leadership had listened to their members, maybe the auto industry wouldn't be where they are today. I never begrudge a business making a wise business move - from labor to suppliers to tax environment. But this is like putting a band aid on a cancer.     Tell that to the folks in Stillwater County Montana.               Potter You tell me - why would a company go all the way overseas to get a raw material when there is a source of it much closer? Could it be that the labor cost differential outweighs the cost of additional transportation? Can anybody say that they're doing it to punish 1300 mine workers?   Mexican beef is cheap too.  I suppose you want to put me out of business .              Potter WTF are you talking about? I don't want to put you out of business. I want to be able to choose between your wares and those of your competitors. Just the other day I bought two beautiful, black angus ribeyes, and they were about $13.50/lb. Raised right here the good ol' US of A. Did I buy them because it was the only choice I had? No, I could have bought the other ribeyes pre-wrapped down the aisle for $7.99/lb. Why? Because the more expensive cuts were A BETTER VALUE. THEY BROUGHT MORE TO MY DINING EXPERIENCE. THEREFORE, I WAS WILLING TO PAY MORE FOR THEM. What the hell is it people don't understand about competition?

  When we raise our voice in argument it usually means a lack of confidence in your premise.

          Potter

the whole idea of subsidizing the auto industry is to save jobs. if gm didnt have their hand out for our tax dollars i spose ur argument would hold water. if gm wants to buy this mineral from overseas fine but don't ask me for a hand out. blue collar workers buy american cars not because they are good cars but because they make good cars but to support the american worker. if gm ships its jobs across our borders buying american is pointless. if gm cant compete with toyota and honda without cutting corners it time for them to go. gm has no right to lobby legislation to stop new american competition from emerging. in that respect gm interferes with the american dream of starting a manufacturing company to compete with the big 3. in my opinion in this day and age its unamerican   to buy american.

most of the companies around detroit which made parts for gm are now making parts for honda and toyota. honda and toyota are using more american parts than gm yet they are thriving and the companies that suply these parts are expanding. gm isn't trying to be competitive they are being greedy and their quality is suffering.

 

Potter (and everybody),

I apologize for my use of language and the forcefulness of my arguments. And my shouting.

SETTLE DOWN BEAVIS

Anyone dig a little deeper?  Taken from the SMC website, "On June 23, 2003, the Company completed a stock purchase transaction with MMC Norilsk Nickel (“Norilsk Nickel”), whereby a subsidiary of Norilsk Nickel became a majority stockholder of the Company."

Where do you think this company is located?  Russia of course and it has mining operations in South Africa too.

deltadarlin wrote on Aug 5^th, 2009 at 8:41am:

Anyone dig a little deeper?  Taken from the SMC website, "On June 23, 2003, the Company completed a stock purchase transaction with MMC Norilsk Nickel (“Norilsk Nickel”), whereby a subsidiary of Norilsk Nickel became a majority stockholder of the Company." Where do you think this company is located?  Russia of course and it has mining operations in South Africa too.

figures [smiley=rolleyes.gif]

It would be nice if American cars had all labor and materials from the USA, however, the price would be staggering.  

If you wanna buy American, bring a suitcase full of cash.  If you don't have a suitcase full of cash, your neighbor loses his job.

There are 50 countries where a person would be happy to work for $10 a day or less.  We can't compete with that.  

BMoneeTheMoneeMan wrote on Aug 5^th, 2009 at 4:33pm:

It would be nice if American cars had all labor and materials from the USA, however, the price would be staggering.   If you wanna buy American, bring a suitcase full of cash.  If you don't have a suitcase full of cash, your neighbor loses his job. There are 50 countries where a person would be happy to work for $10 a day or less.  We can't compete with that.

i don't think its labor cost so much as it is keeping a large profit margin. i think manufacturing companies have gotten greedy and the rest have followed suit. i think if we keep going this way we'll be working for $10 a day.