How far does your brand loyalty or enthusiasm for your Ford project car go? Are you willing to support and reward failure? Our government is considering legislation to make the automakers eligible for help under the US $700-billion bailout that cleared the US Congress in October.
As a Ford enthusiast, what do you think? Leave your comments.
No, Hell no
By puddlejumper. January 13th, 2009 at 11:03 amthey need to clean there house first, such as CEO’s that need million dollar bonuses and directors that answer to other directors and so on.
Absolutely not. Let them file for bankruptcy and reorganize just like everyone else should. Including the banks. Call me a skeptic but I think that eventually time will show that this bailout is nothing more than a scam and the taxpayer is the sucker.
By Dave. December 25th, 2008 at 9:11 amWell my take on all of the bull is that people want to bash the unions-well them unions were created and help by congress because the same thing caused the great depression- go figure a bunch of greedy managed corporations and the abc` boy walking around doing nothin but walking makin millions a year. And u want to talk about a 50 to 60 g a year benefits job ruining a company ! Ur a joke- most of them are family men the backbone of this country. I`m a used car manager at a mojor chevy dealer- theres 40 dealers with 50 adius of my lot. The big 3 became to big because of greed putting dealerships everywhere and management becoming to big and to many pen pushers makin to much. Everyone looks down on manual labor in this country like were lower on the scale. Hey no pruduct no $$$$$$$$$ period … And I`m a salesman!!!!!!!!
By pj`spony. December 1st, 2008 at 4:08 pmTwo ways to look at it: If the banking and credit industry gets help from the Federal gov/tax payers then why not the auto industy. There is way too much at stake here to say no, or: let them file for bankruptcy like United Airline did and re stucture dept. It’s hard to believe Ford or GM going under with all of their holdings. Ford has a several contracts in 15 countries to supply Crown Vic police cars, not to mention several thousand trucks for utilities co’s in the western hemisphere
By 64post. November 17th, 2008 at 5:33 pmWow, relax! It’s true, the writing was on the wall years ago that the big three needed to have cars too. Now everyone is trying to fix that problem. Reliability? Sorry, US automakers have for the most part improved year after year, Japanese has fallen. That Tundra is one cheaply made POS as an example. You want to run around in those gay Honda Civic’s or Fit’s thinking it is some superior car, go ahead. Something needs to be done for years of one sided trade from overseas. Hey, news flash!!! When you can sell a car that cost you 10k to build for 40k US, built by slave labor for almost nothing, wouldn’t you? I’m happy the big 3 try anyways to employ as many US and Canadian workers as they do for as long as they have. Give them that much. The union blame game is a scapegoat, not even many companies bitch about it because they tend to work “with” the unions, especially now.
By 64GALAXIE514. November 17th, 2008 at 11:31 amNew flash! It’s all the big threes fault. Don’t give me this shit on how its the other car companies faults. Detroit make a good car, no a shit box. Example, 92 Isuzu 375,000 miles. Nothing wrong but a leaky rear main. Gmc Safari 150,000. 6 new driver door handles, no heater, no ac. Ya good product. The engine and transmission are still good, but whats the point if the rest is falling apart. Oh and why don’t you bail out my business while your at it. Only 42 employees, wait! Not enought workers for you to throw some money at. This solution won’t fix whats wrong. Detroit, its like tweedle de tweedle dumb. There the ones broke, while toyata, and honda scoop up all the sales. And dont give me this “American ” crap. Most come from overseas parts anyway!!
By jack. November 17th, 2008 at 6:33 amthe last poster sounds like a typical union worker. Has an embellished sense of entitlement, feels sheltered by the man, and is always defensive in the face of common sense. news flash: your “fair wage” is 2X what your labor is normally worth. Congrats on killing american business
By bwill. November 16th, 2008 at 2:38 pmThe government bails out banks…the banks buy other banks with the money and throws party’s and give the CEO’s millions to stay with the place that they rapped in the first place,GO FIGURE !
I can’t believe all the anti-union Rednecks that have responded to this post ! All I can say about that is you must be so jealous or you own a small business and you can’t stand the fact that have to pay a fare wage to you help.
Yes the government should help the BIG 3 ! I would rather ride a horse than drive a f@$%ing forgne car and yes I’m a Big 3 auto worker.
This “American” will always drive a BIG 3 auto no-matter the outcome !
By Robert. November 15th, 2008 at 4:42 amThe government bails out banks…the banks buy other banks with the money and throws party’s and give the CEO’s millions to stay with the place that they rapped in the first place,GO FIGURE !
I can’t believe all the anti-union Rednecks that have responded to this post ! All I can say about that is you must be so jealous or you own a small business and you can’t stand the fact that have to pay a fare wage to you help.
Yes the government should help the BIG 3 ! I would rather ride a horse than drive a f@$%ing forgne car and yes I’m a Big 3 auto worker.
This “American” will always drive a BIG 3 auto no-matter the outcome !
By Bob. November 15th, 2008 at 4:35 amI would say yes, but then I would hope that something was done to help support the industry.. Being from the Detroit area I see first hand how the death of the auto industry is effecting our community…I’m a carpenter and I’ve quickly learned that if the big three aren’t working then I’m not going to be working either…and why is it so profitable to manufacture outside of the U.S. Why aren’t goods imported to the U.S. taxed to high heaven?? My father was visiting from Thailand last summer and he thought he might purchase an H2 hummer (used)$28,000.00 and ship it back. The Import taxes from the Thai gov. brought the price to around $90,000.00 forget that. ….I don’t know if I made any sense but, I feel a little better. Can we talk about Ex’s and F.O.C. next week- Kevin
By a45gunslinger. November 14th, 2008 at 10:11 pmUnion bashing etc aside, the government should aide because of their mishandling of trade issues. The big 3 relied heavily on large SUV’s to keep them up top, gas prices double and who’s to blame for that. There go the sales. Imports come over here, not only cars either and it’s a free for all. Yes, invest, loan whatever but if that helps by all means do it, not forgetting to fix why they are in this mess in the first place. To loan hoping the big 3 will fix it is stupid, start levelling the playing field. The unions, benefits and legacy costs take alot of heat when talking about cash cows which in reality accounts for little in the price of a car. Point is, without them and the spinoff, the US and Canada suffer huge. All the doubter’s in my city learned fast at how fast the trickle down effect hurts a community. This is not the first time government stepped in, just don’t piss the money away. A good example is Chrysler in the early 80’s, aide equals the birth of the minivan, thus saving Chrysler.
By 64GALAXIE514. November 14th, 2008 at 8:39 pmHowever, import car companies get a tax break when they export their cars here. For example, VW gets a FULL VAT rebate from Germany when they export here. So, though they have to pay tariffs here, that’s it. Versus US cars when they are sold abroad and they have to pay not only tariffs but also the imbedded 22% tax rate from us since our government thinks it’s ludicrous to help the companies out this way.
Forget these bailouts. Our government is in trillions of dollars in debt. Where the hell is this money going to come from? Our companies needs to learn that the government isn’t a mother that helps you out when you screw up. They instead need to learn that their mother is dead and that they need to fend for themselves. Plus, government intervention, through crap like Freddie, Fannie, interest rate manipulation, lowering standards for mortgages, CAFE, etc. got us into this mess in the first place. So giving out blank checks from a bank account that’s in the negative is suddenly suppose to fix this?
If our government was serious, they’d throw any communist class warfare ideas that the DNC spew out and instead go back to capitalism. They need to ditch free trade in favor of fair trade, get rid of Marx’s top priority for communism (a “progressive” income tax) in favor of a consumption tax (such as the FairTax), they need to stop telling businesses how to run their business (let automakers make what they want and don’t force banks to give loans to people who can’t afford them), and most importantly, everyone in DC needs to stop being lazy and they need to work for what’s best for their constituents, not their egos. However, considering who’s in DC, this won’t happen and even if the GOP won, they too are the wrong people (except for a small minority in their party).
By bassman97. November 14th, 2008 at 2:44 pmA government bailout would only be going to the unions and retirees anyway which is the biggest cost burden to any of the Big 3. That small amount would only prolong the agony. If the unions would be willing to cut pay and give up a few concessions for a period of time, perhaps the auto plants could survive.
In a capitalistic free-market society the government should not be required to bailout any business and there should never had been any companies like Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac sponsored by the taxpayers.
I have to agree that it is no secret this bailout nonsense is due to the backing of the congressional democrats and the president elect by the big unions. They made promises and now the taxpayers have to make them good.
For those of you who don’t like the foreign auto makers being in America then just wait around for a short while because they will probably be gone soon. There is news that the UAW is headed their way and with the open vote the democrats promised the unions they will surely succeed. So you can count on those companies packing up and moving out.
And by the way the foreign car companies do pay taxes. Very high taxes. Those of you who slam foreign companies in this country seem to ignore the enhanced life styles of many thousands of American workers afforded by these same companies.
Do you shop at Target? that’s a French company. The French also own most of the big motel chains in this country.. No one seems to be bitching about them or any of the many others that employ American citizens. Want to put a hole in the wall, kick out the Canadian companies while you are at it.
I drive a 2008 F150 and a 64 Falcon and my wife drives a Toyota Camry which is the best car she has ever owned.
Anyone want to burn a cross on my front lawn?
By retyler. November 14th, 2008 at 12:37 pmYes,bail them out.its not just auto companies at stake but all the companies that support ford and gm.these companies have nothing to do with the problems of the big 3,but will pay the price if they fail.Alot of folks will lose jobs and that hurts the economy more.
By rangerman1. November 14th, 2008 at 12:24 pmI will never buy another new Ford product thanks to my 2000 Expedition, the worst piece of crap I haver ever owned. I will keep my 62 Galaxie convertible because it is a relic of a time never to return when American products were competitive with anything the world had to offer. These companies need to change management and improve product, quality and respect the consumer. Ford needs to eliminate Mercury and G.M need to consolidate to Chevrolet, Buick and Cadillac. They made it through the depression with out help, they can do it this time. Prolonging these changes delays what needs to happen. There will be pain, but bailouts, tax credits and tarrifs will not improve the products or the management of these companies.
By kjw62. November 12th, 2008 at 11:07 pmI have seen a total lack of concern for fleet owners from both GM and Ford. They just sell them they don’t have to stand behind them. They have gotten here by their own choosing.
By Bruce McCaw. November 12th, 2008 at 9:29 pmI agree with Ranchero that we can not afford to lose any more manufacturing. But would it not be ironic if after a bail out they moved more manufacturing south of the border?
Listen up Washington if you do this it better have some real teeth in it.
A bailout is just a delay… companies like Ford, unfortunately, gambled 5-8 years ago that oil and energy prices would not dissuade consumers from buying big, inefficient vehicles. Ford, for instance, was on the wrong side of the bet thinking they could continue to extract huge profit margins from existing platforms upon which the F150 and Explorer are based. The longer a mfg can work off existing platforms, the greater their return on investment. But, the downside is if there is a change in the market, such as we have now, they wont be able to react in time. It takes 5 years minimum to get a truly brand new vehicle line up and running.
So, in my view, a bailout - e.g. a govt loan funded by taxpayer dollars, is not warranted. We should let the free market do its thing… if these companies truly have value, then the more successful companies will see it and buy it up. The industry will consolidate and move onward.
By 67stang. November 12th, 2008 at 9:15 pmsrjsr bears repeating. “I don’t believe in bailouts for any company. No company is too big to fail. I see the bailout as a payback for the unions for their backing of President-Elect and other politicians. Let the companies declare bankruptcy which would void the union contracts. That would lower the price of the products sold by the auto manufacturers which would make the product less expensive to purchase for the consumer. A bail out does nothing more than keep the status quo, and prolong the inevitable. “
By Anti-Union. November 12th, 2008 at 9:04 pmThe government should give all of the money to the working taxpayers of this country instead of the loan sharks and mis managed companies. That would amount to a few hundred thousand each. First thing that would happen is that we would have to pay income tax, so Uncle Sam would get a big chunk of it right back, second, an automatic pay off for home loans should come out of it, that would bail out all of the loan companies and not just go into a few peoples pockets, third we could use the rest to spend how we want. That would stimulate the economy because I would have a new F-250 power stroke, an enclosed trailer, any item I ever wanted for my Mustang, and my wife likes to shop too. Let’s write our Congressmen and tell them what to do with that money they are “printing”!
By Dennis. November 12th, 2008 at 7:20 pmIt seems that whenever large corporations or companies goes through a bailout other companies seem to want a piece of the pie or be entitle to some handouts also. I don’t blame them if the government is handing out relief why don’t the companies struggling be entitle to some relief also. That could snowball into a never ending story. JMO
By Derrick. November 12th, 2008 at 6:42 pmI think they should bail out the big 2, GM and Ford. Chrystler was foreign for a decade and lets face it they are a loosing battle, what number is this that they are being bailed out? Gm and Ford saved them in the 50’s with the straight six and Iacocca saved them in the 80’s. the two that have been american owned for their entire existance should be helped, its not their fault people are to stupid to realize that american cars are equal to or greater then their foreign counterparts
By LD. November 12th, 2008 at 6:35 pmI don’t believe in bailouts for any company. No company is too big to fail. I see the bailout as a payback for the unions for their backing of President-Elect and other politicians. Let the companies declare bankruptcy which would void the union contracts. That would lower the price of the products sold by the auto manufacturers which would make the product less expensive to purchase for the consumer. A bail out does nothing more than keep the status quo, and prolong the inevitable.
By srjsr. November 12th, 2008 at 6:33 pmFirst, lets address the problem. All foreign auto makers have been given tax exemptions and concessions that our auto makers don’t get! When american automakers sell cars in foreign countries, then are subject to import taxes, but in the US, not. If you want to help the Big 3, level the playing field and start taxing Toyota, Honda, Kia, Hyundai and so on. Yes I support helping the big 3 because “Import Favoritism” is what caused the problem to begin with. Also, anyone who drives an import, should have to pay an annual import tax. This will protect the American economy and earn a profit from the imports instead of subsidizing them!
By Fordz. November 12th, 2008 at 6:20 pmThere are sucessful automobile companies out there. It’s a shame none of them are the big 3. Detroit needs to pay attention to their market and their Customers (if they have any left).
If they do get funds from the Feds, then there should be a plan in place for the money to get paid back (don’t know the details of the AIG bailout, but I think they have to pay back or lose control to the Feds). That was a take over of sorts!
By tdf_46. November 12th, 2008 at 6:20 pmAre you serious!? Let me get this straight, miss manage a company, and what do you get? A bail out. What about all the mom and pop business? Do they get a bail out too. Maybe detroit should wake up and see all they are doing is not working. This is crazy! A private business goes under because of the bean counters, and now they want money. Last I checked, your business is in the red, game over! Why the “big three”? Oh yea what about Avanti, to name the numerous automobile companies that have failed over the years. Noone bailed them out. C.E.O’s you make me sick! take the money and run, cowards!!!!
By jack. November 12th, 2008 at 5:31 pmNO WAY! Where does it stop? Now they are talking about helping the idiots that took interest only loans on houses they could never afford. The good fisically responsible middle class folks get screwed again because we have to pay for all the idiots that can’t manage their money, including automakers. Circuit city will be next on Capitol Hill lobbying for money, then the flood gates will open. Granted the automakers have underlying issues with the union, but to have Gov bail them out seem ludicrous. Rant over.
By Bill m. November 12th, 2008 at 2:16 pmI would hope the auto companies can make it on their own. It sure does not look like it, at least not all 3. I have been wondering what happens to the tooling sector and what is left of the manufacturing sector when all the suppliers go belly up. Their is precious little manufacturing and machine shop capacity left to drive any kind of economy worth thinking about. The final answer will be decided by politicans, but we will all pay dearly for a very long time regardless.
By ranchero67. November 12th, 2008 at 1:40 pmI think we need to provide funding, but do a similar manner as AIG and bring in heavy criticism on the exec side. We can give them the cash, but they can’t piss it away like they’ve been doing the last 20 years. Someone needs a huge dose of reality and the best way for it would be to be taken over by the government i.e. AIG
By Brian Williams. November 12th, 2008 at 1:28 pm