Tuesday July 15, 2008, 3:05 pm
in addition to suspending quarterly dividends, cutting salaried jobs, doing away with discretionary bonuses, doubling the previously announced cuts in truck production and discontinuing health care benefits to retired employees at age 65, GM is planning to sell off some $2 billion ins assets and borrow $3 billion in order to stay solvent. There's lots more, read the article and see what has happened to another giant of American industry.

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 3:17 pm
The whole world is so insensitive to others needs and cares. America will never be what it once was. We had our backs for hard working people. Now...corporations just don't care...Thanks Cate..noted

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 3:17 pm

Very distressing. This country has become a nation of importers, only exporting jobs and hope. Thanks, Cate.

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 3:24 pm
And if you think GM is in poor shape, know that Chrysler & Ford are hurting just as badly. It's been a roller-coaster life living with a paycheck dependent on the auto companies!

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 3:29 pm
Is this the beginning of the end of the curse of the motor car?
Will the planet be saved because no one can afford to polute it anymore?
Will our long love affair with Big Oil end in tears?

Or

Is it that we can buy cheaper goods made by those we don't care about exploiting?
Does another person's poverty mean I can afford luxuries?

Or

Are they better at marketing than us?
Are their products better?
Have we been over charged for our home produced goods?

So many questions....so little time.

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 3:33 pm
It's the result of decades of poor planning...pushing those huge trucks and SUVs to us. We went on our merry way, buying bigger and bigger status vehicles and living like there was never going to be a piper to pay - while all the time in the shadows the multinationals and shadow government were planning our downfall.

And now that we've finally woken up, which took being hit in the head by the brick of skyrocketing oil and gas prices, it may be too late to salvage what was great about our country. There is no savior on the horizon, people.

There is no visionary waiting in the wings to rebuild America, such as FDR did in the 30's. No, we have only Free Trade McCain't and Chief Broken Pledges NOBama to choose between.

I hope that all the people who put George Lying Vicious Cowboy in the White House, INCLUDING the Supreme Court, are happy now.

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 3:52 pm
Noted. I agree with you David G. You said it well

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 3:55 pm
You know, I'm sitting here melting in 88 degree heat a 7 PM EDT, brooding on the domino effect of GM's measures to try to save itself.

Let's see: lots more unemployment, poverty, lack of health insurance, loss of GNP, more trade deficit, further dimming of the country's economic outlook and recovery...hmmm....this is one trickle down that will ultimately affect all of us and our ability to get by over the long haul.

And my question still is: WHY WON'T THE GOVERNMENT PROVIDE INCENTIVES TO US AUTOMAKERS TO DESIGN, BUILD AND SELL ALTERNATE FUEL OR HYBRID VEHICLES? WHY MUST WE LOOK TO JAPAN TO FIND CARS THAT ARE DRIVER AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY?

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 4:04 pm
thats why i say look in your own backyard we need to help our own look in your own backyard people loosing thei houses,i said that 10 years ago0 where are the companies going

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 4:10 pm
With all of this today all our Prez could do was lift the ban on oil drilling. No incentives for solar, wind any alternative fuels for heating and transportation solutions.

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 4:23 pm
Looks like things will get worst instead of better.

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 4:39 pm
The technology to go without big oil has been around for years but the big oil companies have the bucks to squelch the technology. Their greed only exceeds their egos.

thanks again, Cate....

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 4:40 pm
Cate, unfortunately your government governs for the benefit of themselves and their hangers on....including the oil men...and deep government, not for the electors of your country.Even on the other side of the world, it is more than evident. I recall GM had produced a VERY EFFICIENT electric car for California. Perhaps if your auto industry produced vehicles that are in demand,smaller, more fuel efficient, they may return to profitability. Huge gas guzzlers are too expensive to fill up.The latest technology in Japan, have a prototype water powered car, India has an air powered prototype car.America has the Hummer????????? I think your idea of giving car manufacturers of a hybrid or alternative fuel cars, incentives, makes more sense than the squillions spent on the war industry and the corrupt suppliers of goods and services.

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 4:54 pm
Noted with disgust. Thanks Cate.

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 5:02 pm
While GM takes drastic measures to save the company, dedicated employees' benefits get hacked and whacked, or they are just plain unemployed. Yes, I feel sorry for GM employees, but I do not feel sorry for GM. If they would have had the forth site to plan for the future (ummmm . . . produce energy efficient cars), they would be leading the pack instead of trailing behind.

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 5:07 pm
Noted, thanks Cate. There is no quick fix to the problems that Herr Bush and his henchman have perpetrated upon us during the last seven yrs. And now we are paying a very heavy price, and we have the U.S. Supreme Court to thank for all of our problems that could have been avoided. But Herr Bush wanted a war with Iraq because he actually believed in his drug soaked brain that the Iraqis would just lie down and allow us to do whatever we wanted in their country. The idiot on the hill was dead wrong in '03, and he's dead wrong now. His executive order repealing the moratorium on offshore drilling isn't going to work. The time for offshore drilling was 30 yrs. when OPEC scammed us into believing there was an oil shortage and we saw the price at the pump jump dramatically, as we are seeing it now. But this time it's for far much more money, and it isn't going to end until Congress does something about the unregulated oil futures speculators, which is driving up the price for high grade sweet crude that is used to make gasoline.

I don't care who the next president is going to be, but neither of them can get us out of the mess that Herr Bush has got us into. And God does not do miracles anymore. Espeically for the cracked pot Herr Bush...

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 5:33 pm
I agree Cate as 1 person told me they should Boycott America and I told them Please do!!! for that would be a win win for us, we could go back to depends on our fruits of labor instead of imports or exports. Our own cars truck everything would that be nice or what YES PLEASE BOYCOTT AMERICA!!! so we can depend upon upon our self's as we use to. noted with discuss for all the people who are going to losse homes, possibleable all, heart breaking. Good old Gov. Hua? Thanks Cat.

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 5:38 pm
Got a once great company for sale here cheap! Any takers? Mexico? Thousands of hungry Americans willing to work there. Come on, anybody at all.
Chavez? You need to make some cars for all that cheap gas your people are buying?

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 7:29 pm
Here's what I don't get...with the increase of poverty throughout the US, with middle-class working families slipping into very hard times, WHO is going to buy all these marvelous products that US companies keep outsourcing to be made in other countries? Don' these idiots realize that they're slitting their own throats by throwing people out of work?

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 7:29 pm
The importing of most goods and the exporting of most jobs to so called poorer countries because of cheap labour, will turn the USA, Europe and Canada into third world countries very soon. Countries like China, Japan, India, Mexico etc. will then rule us and the world, as they already do on a small scale. Isn't that something to look forward to? How the mighty are falling. Do I feel sorry for the big companies...no, I feel sorry for their employees and their families. Slowly all the people working in manufacturing will be on welfare and visit the foodbanks regularly. Blame your Governments for letting this happen. I think it's time to make a lot of noise about free trade and outsourcing of our jobs to other countries. I go shopping and all I find is something that is made in China, India, Japan, Bangladesh etc. etc.. Even brand names have their stuff manufactured in China, mostly. This has to end. We should no longer tolerate jobs disappearing by the thousands without batting an eye. I live in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada and have been watching the decline of the manufacturing sector for years now. It is being replaced by the computer industry which is fine if you know anything about computers etc. But a lot of folks don't have that kind of education and have been working in the factories most of their lives and are now out of jobs or facing job loss.
They have slaved for these companies for many years and now face poverty, loss of property and more. These companies don't give a rats ass about the workers and it's now time for the workers and government to turn this kind of attitude around or we will all be gobbled up by "the poorer countries".

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 10:17 pm
Noted with thanks Cate :(

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 11:14 pm
Can we go down the tubes any faster? It seems stupid to even keep working, what for, the Golden Years? They are gone, hopefully to return after 2012. Noted, thank you Cate.

Wednesday July 16, 2008, 3:16 am
Thank you for posting Cate. I do agree with you "It's the result of decades of poor planning...pushing those huge trucks and SUVs to us."
I also think that the biggest problem is that all the "high position people", like CEO's are only looking on their wellbeing. I do not understand how come they get this "gross" bonuses every year. ~

Wednesday July 16, 2008, 10:23 am
Long ago before the great ice mountains....oh wait...that's a different story....ok...here we go....

Once Upon A Time there was a great nation called...the United States of America. Where the common people prospered and their country was 95% self-suficient. They manufactured almost everything they needed, their own steel, clothing, metalware, building materials, foodstuffs, tableware, glassware, etc. They even had unions and most were paid a decent wage. And Life was good.

Then the evil overlords of Greed and Despare creeped into this nation, stealthly and by covertness and by cover of darkness and secretly stole the rightful power of the peoples of this nation by lies and subterfuge and pretty bells and whistles...and the people bought their hog.

These obscene parasites of bipedal humanoid evilness fed like vampires on the blood of their victims through their fraelties, their vices and their vanities. Thus these vile and souless creatures lulled the people to sleep and stole the peoples wealth, their livlihoods, their jobs, their homes, their children and even their ability to think critically. They did all this while bloating themselves on a glut of scams, overseas trading, covert wheeling and dealing and managed to steal everything for themselves to leave their people as destitute slaves. And Life was no longer good.

The moral of this story my children is to always be vigilent and alert to the lies the wealthy, the powerful, the fanatic will tell you, to steal your power, your life. Hone your built-in bullsh*t detectors to razor-sharp level. Always question authority. Always stand for integrity, honesty and compassion but also be able to kick the living sh** outta of the bad guys in fair ways or foul. Learn their ways to use against them any way you can. For we have passed onto you, our children, this pestilence, this plague. You and your children will have to deal with this depravity. And then, maybe, Life will be good again in your lifetimes.

And all this came into being 30+ years ago. Ancient history now. It is a tale we will tell to children gathered at our campfires we will build in the deserted parking lots in the ruins of the concrete jungles we called cities. Welcome to the future....

Wednesday July 16, 2008, 11:49 am
Thanks for making us aware of this, Cate! When Pres. Clinton left office we had a $3 trillion surplus in the U.S. Treasury. Where did all the money go? And what's happening to our jobs? Thanks for helping to answer some of these questions, Cate.

Mary

Wednesday July 16, 2008, 4:33 pm
Cars are what has made OIL mongers rich. Can have it both ways...can we? GM should should invest in Bicycles...and so should we. Thanks Cate.

Thursday July 17, 2008, 2:40 pm
Have you noticed how few "Bush/Cheney '04" bumperstickers have been left on cars? (I'll bet that it will be like after WWII, when almost no Germans would admit to having supported Hitler....)

Thursday July 17, 2008, 2:42 pm
And Americans had really better start being a lot nicer to the undocumented immigrants from Mexico, soon we all may be crossing the border going south to a new "Land of Opportunity"....

Friday July 18, 2008, 5:49 am
OFF TOPIC REMINDER:
SIGN IF YOU HAVEN'T - SPREAD THE WORD IF YOU HAVE: JUSTICE FOR JULIE - we need 450 more signatures!

Friday July 18, 2008, 2:24 pm
Noted! I feel terrible for those workers over 65 who lost their health benefits. I am sure at that age, it wont be easy to find and if so it will be so expensive. I once said I would only buy an American made car until I found out most of the parts were manufactured out of this country. Outsourcing is nothing but greed and the bottom line. Disgusting!

Friday August 1, 2008, 5:00 pm
As an employee, I feel betrayed by the company. As the daughter of a retiree I am angry. Why should my father who put in nearly 40 years of blood and sweat into that place, part of making them who they are today, have to worry about his pension and benefits?

Many times I've walked the picket line supporting my union brothers and sisters. Solidarity!