Quote:
Originally Posted by MTI
The question should be: "Does the nation need a traditional US automobile industry?" or in other words, do we, as consumers of automobiles, really care if the cars and their parts come from Michigan, Ohio, or Kentucky?
I've not purchased an American car company's product in over 30 years. I have driven quite a few as rentals, but when it came to spending money on a new or used vehicle . . . US automakers have been missing the mark on the products they've been pitching. I had no interest in pickup trunks, SUVs or minivans, so it was pretty much a no-choice option to not "buy American."
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It's a vicious cycle. The U.S. auto companies have so much tied up in retirement/pension/healthcare that the product suffers because of it. It's hard to feel bad for them, they put themselves in the position. But where else can they try to create a profit margin other than cutting material costs or even R & D.
We can barely afford the healthcare premium for our 25 employees, and a UAW member would laugh at the benefits we have. Which is actually pretty decent for a small business to offer.
After they all close up shop and move production to Canada and/or Mexico they may wish they'd made a concession or two. Pretty soon the only vehicles made in the U.S. will be Toyotas, Hondas and Hyundais.
09-24-2007, 04:04 PM
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