U.S. automakers turn to Dems for help

[deadparrot]

DETROIT - They won't celebrate in public, but the Big Three domestic automakers are hoping that Democratic control of the U.S. House and perhaps the Senate will bring a government that's more responsive to their plight as they fight for business with Asian competitors.

Top U.S. auto executives have grown increasingly frustrated with the Bush administration and the Republican-controlled Congress on energy policies, health care costs, currency manipulation by other countries and protection of intellectual property.

After months of trying, leaders of the Big Three are scheduled to meet Tuesday at the White House with President Bush, White House spokesman Tony Fratto said Wednesday.

No one is expecting major changes with Democrats holding only a narrow majority in the House, but still, changes could be coming.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061108/ap_on_bi_ge/eln_congress_autos

[struggle4progress]

1. They could try buildin safe, reliable, fuel-efficient cars.

[denverbill]

16. They might try building them in America too. n/t

[Skink]

2. We might have given you guys a hundred billion to develop hybrid..

technology but we spent it in Iraq

[anotherdrew]

5. yep

[1932]

3. Remember: Henry Ford paid his workers a decent wage so that they could

afford to buy his cars.

[goclark]

12. Now a huge majority are given a FORD to drive

so that more FORDS will be on the road.

[krkaufman]

4. One word: Strings

No aid will go the the US automakers without some serious strings attached.

[Cobalt-60]

6. in a word: Volkswagen

We need a proper people's car.
Something affordable, reliable as a stone axe, and repairable by its owner.
Given the upcoming energy chaos I would also say that it needs a mutifuel combustion, hybrid, or straight electric propulsion options.
It has to be made HERE. And it has to cost 5 thousand or less.
I'm sure the suits will scoff. Their up front greed wants the consumer making their last payment the day after the car is scrapped.
But we - all americans - are going to need some better wheels real soon given the impending Peak Oil disaster.

[llmart]

7. What a crock of bullshit.....

US automakers give most of their money to Repugs, but now that the Dems are in power they're going to play nice???

[dbt]

8. Show us fifty miles per gallon, boys.

Roll out something that will last for 250,000 miles and price it so JoAnne Sixpack can afford it. Lay off the power windows, talking GPS, electric ass-warmers, lighted cupholders, DVD players and all the other hoo-ha that runs up the price per unit. Unveil something that will get four people from A to B in relative comfort and safety for about $12G.

Give us the automotive equivalent of the Fender Telecaster,* then we'll talk.



:evilgrin:
dbt
Remember New Orleans

*Keef says the great thing about a Telecaster is you can use it to deflect a flying beer bottle or cold-cock a drunken fan without it hurting the guitar OR affecting the tuning!

[trogdor]

13. It can be done.

I don't know why every car has to have power windows nowadays. The base Toyota Yaris doesn't have them, and you can get one for a song. 1.5L (103 SAE HP) is plenty of power.

The only problem is, no matter what you get, if you drive it in the Northeast, you're beating the shit out of it every winter. My '99 Accord is showing its age, mainly because of the climate and terrain. I'll bet the same car in North Carolina still looks new.

[Joe Bacon]

9. Can you say "H-Y-B-R-I-D S-M-A-R-T- C-A-R" fools?

I still remember my first car, a 1970 1/2 AMC Gremlin with the 25 gallon tank, It went VERY far on that tank and it only cost $1,970.50 brand new. It lasted a lot lonnger than the crap coming out now.

[Spangle]

10. Health Care Costs ? ?

THe autoaindustry did pay their people well. I can see why they would consider this an issue.

As for the other... If they had been listening to the CONSUMORS, selling autos wouldn't be an issue. But that is the one thing the American Automakers have refused to do.

It's one thing to make a product to sell to the elite, knowing your not going to sell that many. It's just crazy to think you can sell the same product to the 'average joe' when they can't afford it, don't need it, etc.

[trogdor]

11. Here's a thought.

Quit making cars that suck. I like small cars, so I took a look at a Chevy Cobalt a little while ago, and it looks so CHEAP. Everything inside was swathed in badly-molded plastic, and you'd think a car that small would get better than 32 MPG on the highway. Hell, a CAMRY gets 34.

Apart from that, you'd think US manufacturers who were really serious about manufacturing in the United States would be screaming for universal healthcare. If it costs so damn much, why not create economies of scale and sharply reduce this problem by having the government do it, like every other first world country does? Why does Toyota prefer Canada? Because they have it and we don't. It's just cheaper to do business north of the border, even if you have to deal with the UAW.

And another thing. NCLB has to go, or at least undergo some substantial amendments. My son is a senior. For the first time in 12 years, he actually likes school. Why? Because he's actually LEARNING something this year. All of the required Regents testing (we have a different schmuck named George to thank for that) is behind the class of '07, and they can get down to the business of actually getting an education - and it feels good. He's a computer geek, but he's taking AP French Literature, of all things. Right now they're reading and interpreting French poetry, and he's enjoying it. Go figure. Why does Toyota prefer Canada? Because their workforce is better educated than ours is. It's that simple.

Me? I'm not expecting miracles. I am, however, expecting oversight. Investigations of waste, fraud, and/or abuse of taxpayers' money in Iraq/Afghanistan would be a good start.

[w4rma]

14. Maybe we can help them hire more engineers to research better cars with.

And of course Democrats are generally pro-universal health care and that would definitely help big auto, but Republicans keep setting up roadblocks.

[The Anti-Neo Con]

15. Stop betting the farm on enormous SUV's.

I'm OK with the smaller SUV's, but ditch the 6,000lb. 10mpg models!

[Android3.14]

17. Energy Independence will get you lots of money and jobs

We need the New Apollo program now. It is the one goal I have seen that will unite our country and alleviate the economic woes of the middle and lower class.

http://www.apolloalliance.org/

[electprogdems]

18. sounds like a veiled plea for universal health care to me

Canada auto plants have a much lower employee cost per hour, if the repukes were not so chicken shit and so black hearted, they could clearly see what the difference is.

[jpak]

19. Gee - if Detroit had not opposed stringent CAFE standards decades ago

they would be building cars that would be competitive with the Prius and Hybrid Honda Civic today.

They wouldn't need DEM help (except, of course for health care).

Yo Motor City - drop your opposition to CAFE and call for universal health care - then we'll talk.

[krispos42]

20. The automakers need to stop worrying about stock price

The design cycle of a car is measured in years, not fiscal quarters. By worrying too much about near-term investment attractivness, they have sacrified long-term growth. Toyota does not give a rat turd about it's stock price, because the company knows that by focusing on engineering, design, tecnology, and manufacturing the stock price will eventually reflect that focus. American investors are more short-term, especially with all the recent abilities to internet trading.

The real problem here is perception. The general public sees American cars as inferior, and it is an attitude that has been creeping up and around for a couple of decades. Never mind the fact that Lincoln, Buick, and Mercury were all in top ten for brand quality, numbers, 3, 7, and 8 respectively.

And I don't see why people keep thinking that making the modern equivilent of a Geo Metro is going to revive the American automotive scene. Why? 'Cuz for 12 grand a person could buy a used car that does have things like power windows, a good stereo, power locks, power seats, decent power, a quiet cabin, and a composed and agile suspension.

I believe that if people are going to plunk down major cash and commit to several years of sizable monthly payments, they're going to want something nice to drive. Who would want to buy something that is going to piss them off each time they sat in it? I mean, I would almost certainly not buy the car that I'm driving now, when it was new or lightly used, because it is just not my style. It's an old man's car with bench seats. It was a free hand-me-down that makes being 18 years old and somewhat battered very acceptable for now. Besides, it scares the shit out of the people with new cars. Beater pride! :-)

If properly maintained, a car will easily last a quarter of a million miles. Spend the extra money and buy the Castol Syntec and the Fram Ultra-Guard filter. It costs me $30 to do it at home, and doing that kept a 1987 Thunderbird alive for 255,000 miles with everything in the engine original. My current 1989 Olds is in excess of 165,000 miles, yet still has plenty of power, purrs like a kitten, and starts at the first blip of the starter. Don't go for the $15 oil-change special. Do it yourself, spend the $30 at Wal-Mart (the only time I go to Wally World, so don't yell at me), and keep your car alive for a long time to come. Change the air and gasoline filters once a year, and replace your spark plugs with some of those Bosch +4 plugs. The basic stuff really isn't that hard and will add years to your car's life.

[heliarc]

21. I'm hoping their CEO's get a pay cut until the cars perform

to the standards set in MPG/Safety/Reliability.