http://hotair.com/archives/2009/12/21/new-crowder-the-death-of-detroit/

Well, you wanted free trade, what did you expect?

I'm ready to bring back tariffs and customs duties.

Hell Yeah!
A lot better idea then taxing us to death.

Danny

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1984 300SD Turbo Diesel 150,000 miles

OBK member #23

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Somehow this city failed to notice that manufacturing has been dead for the last 30 years. Other rust belt cities somehow managed to reinvent themselves.

Manufacturing is not dead in the US. It is dead in Michigan because it is based not on a business model, but on a model of parasites feeding off various hosts and believing they are entitled to do so.

The people who could reverse the course have been demoralized by the greedy, selfish and unimaginative politicos and local leaders. So they leave.

The governor looks to programs such as receiving subsidies for housing other states' felons. That's her new business model.

And she wonders why she won't be governor by the time the turnaround happens.....

What a ludicrous, Kafkaesque place this is.

It's just like in the Rolling Stones' song Sympathy for the Devil:
"As every cop's a criminal,
and all the sinners saints,
as heads is tails...."

It's all gone wrong, it's all backwards and will remain so.

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Strelnik
Invest in America: Buy a Congressman!

1950 170SD
1951 Citroen 11BN
1953 Citroen 11BNF limo
1953 220a project
1959 180D
1960 190D
1960 Borgward Isabella TS 2dr
1983 240D daily driver
1983 380SL
1990 350SDL daily driver alt
3 x Citroen DS21M, down from 5
3 x Citroen 2CV, down from 6

Would you advise your kids to get into the manufactuing business in the U.S.?

I certainly wouldn't, if it's not completely dead it's on life support. The U.S. has still not learned to control labor costs.

I remember seeing an interesting state awhile back that nearly all the of the auto manufacturing jobs that were lost in MI in the past year were replaced in other states, with other auto manufacturing jobs.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Hopefully, non-union states.

If your off this weekend, thank a union member
If you have holidays off, thank a union member
If your company offers insurance and pension, thank a union member
If you had the slightest clue what you were talking all you have to do is look at the working class before unions, circa early 1900's.
Would'nt be much of a middle class would it?
Do you really believe unions hurt Detroit or upper management?
Lot off whiners the don't know anything about unions, never been in one, but because their jealous, now their experts.
I would hate to see this country without union representation
Believe me when I tell you all the stupid stories about sleeping on the job, can't get fired. or slow down, don't do such a good are nonsense.
I have been in a union almost 30 years and only one rules applys, IF THE COMPANY'S NOT MAKING MONEY NEITHER WILL YOU.
And your welcome.

I would never join a union, unless forced to.


Unions were needed at the turn of the last century and served their purpose quite well. Now they are not needed in this country, they are badly needed in developing country's like China though.

Overal union membership is on the decline and I don't see that trend reversing.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I'm self employed, so I have whatever time off/benefits that I want to pay for; I'm doing just fine without a union, but thanks anyway.

I've spent enough years working with owners of large unionized construction projects to know a little about how unions work (actually don't work) on a day by day basis. I've dealt with enough of their nonsense (sabotage, threats, slowdowns, bogus safety complaints, etc.) and crossed enough silly picket lines while trying to help get jobs completed to have earned an opinion. My opinion is that they have outlived their usefulness and are now hampering the ability of the U.S. to compete.

I do agree that they had a function 100 years ago. Today, it's hard to tell whether the workers are getting screwed more by management or their own unions (probably both). Regardless of my opinion, they are becoming increasingly irrelevant. I'm sure you know that U.S. union membership has declined from about 20% to about 12% over the last 20 years, at this point even the democrats (outside the rust belt) don't listen to them anymore. They will essentially be gone in another 20 years, then you will get to "see this country without union representation."

Regarding Detroit, I think that incompetent management and the UAW can share the blame. Honestly, I don't have a dog in this fight; I'm not moving to Detroit and I'm certainly never going to buy a domestic car.

Unions and management together are responsible for what has happened to the Big 3. The UAW was every bit as bad as you heard they were. But so was management. They only have each other to thank.

I just read this book, it was a fantastic read and very insigtful. If you want to find out how the Big 3 wound up where they are today, pick it up.

http://www.amazon.com/Savage-Factory-Eyewitness-Industrys-Self-Destruction/dp/1438952945/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261587777&sr=1-1

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Jonathan

2011 Mazda2
2000 E320 4Matic Wagon
1994 C280 (retired)

The US needs a Moon-shot style program focused on robotics and alternative energy costs. We are like corks bobbing in the rapids. The only thing that can compete with Chinese labor are robots. The only way to generate the investment capital needed to re-tool the entire economy is to end the massive outflow of energy dollars. Yet no one has done anything for a decade. Obama better get his a** in gear.

IMO, the U.S. needs to give up on trying to compete with low cost labor markets; that is just a race to the bottom. I agree that we should develop energy and manufactuing technologies that can be sold to the developing world. If the U.S. intends to maintain the current standard of living they need to be looking at value added products and services, manufacturing can be done elsewhere.

I cannot see how we can keep a population of 400 million people busy doing that.