Warning signs were ignored in the oil crisis

[bronxiteforever]

Auto/Business
PUBLISHED: Sunday, May 25, 2008
Warning signs were ignored in the oil crisis
By JOSEPH SZCZESNY
Of The Oakland Press

The executives around Detroit have been eager to pass the blame for their current plight on expensive labor contracts, hostile regulators and an indifferent press.

Even as of last autumn, while the current energy shock was gaining momentum, the industry's lobbyists were busy trying to kill the new fuel-economy measures that ultimately became law.

The popularity of Asian brands also has been built on the simple fact they tend to go further on a tank of gas.Fuel-efficiency has been the cornerstone of their success for years -- a point that seems to have eluded all the MBAs working at GM, Ford and Chrysler. Even now with gas stations charging better than $4.15 per gallon for some grades, the domestic carmakers have failed to organize a campaign for systematic government help to develop new technologies such as high tech batteries.

The governments in China and Japan, however, are supporting such efforts.

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/052508/bus_20080524246.shtml

[But....]

1. While we get distracted...

by the latest "slip of the tongue":hide:

[muntrv]

2. These are the same US automakers who continued to build gas guzzlers

during the 70's energy crisis.

[Warpy]

3. And who continue to push gas guzzlers in their advertising even now

when they do build good, sturdy small cars. They're handing the small car business over to competitors who advertise them, competitors offshore.

The car companies in the US need to fire every damned one of their top executives and to hell with the platinum parachutes. If they can stiff their retirees on health care and pensions, they can stiff those fat idiots who kept pushing gas hogs when it was obvious the world was changing.

[Beregond2]

4. The "warning signs" have been ignored since the seventies.

I remember reading "The Limits To Growth" in college back then and all this was laid out very clearly. The only politician that was addressing it was Carter, and he was undermined by his own Democratic congress, who were all in the pockets of the oil and auto industries. Everyone blames Carter for being "inneffectual," but it was Congress who refused to back him up and do what was best for the country instead of their own wallets. And for a reward, they (and we)got Reagan.

[Hannah Bell]

5. Since the US corps weren't doing this - why not? I've read

that GM was making more money on its finance division than on its cars.

It's almost like the disinvestment was - deliberate.

[screembloodymurder]

6. I used to work for GM.

They have a muscle car culture at the top. They don't think about fuel efficient, quite, comfortable transportation. They think power, speed, acceleration. They are 100% responsible for their own bad fortune. Don't let them off the hook. They have to go!