Saturday October 25, 2008, 3:18 pm
I know - you're wondering why I have a pic of this guy in a tux with a medal over his shoulder adorning a story about the auto industry. Well, this is my cousin Paul, journalist extraordinaire, winner of the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for Beat Reporting, who wrote this wonderfully-detailed article I hope you will read and enjoy.

Saturday October 25, 2008, 3:35 pm
Sad to see the state that the auto industry has come to... So many have lost their jobs for so many reasons, not to mention the shoddy way these car factories are being run, and the way the business is being handled. Thank you for the article Cate and congrats to your cousin on Pulitzer Prize!

Saturday October 25, 2008, 3:38 pm
Yes, the piecemealing of parts of companies to foreign interests has been a horrendous failure, while auto companies actually owned by foreign interests, such as Toyota and Honda, have been successful in building and operating their plants over here. The Big Three need to start thinking outside the box to revitalize themselves - and fast!

Saturday October 25, 2008, 4:47 pm
Saving the Motor City: Can It Be Done?

You pose the question.

The answer is more complex.

First an enviromental question though...Do we want to save the motor industry?
Do we want more polution?
Do we want to speed up the process of Climate change?
Do we want to use up more of the earth's valuable resources?
Do we need more gas comsuming units on our clogged up roads?

Then when you have the answers come back to the question...Do you really want to save this motor industry?

Solar powered car anyone?
Water fuel cell car anyone?
Electric car anyone?

Saturday October 25, 2008, 4:48 pm
It's sad to see so many American workers lose their jobs, but you're right, Ombretta; they need to start thinking outside the box, and outside being "union brained". While it's great to have an entity to go to bat for you, it invites problems also, such as forcing a company to pay an employee who was discovered drunk on the job because he was going through a divorce(true story, although it was not related to the car industry). That invites corruption at all levels. It's my fervent hope that somehow they can work their way out of this mess, and that we ALL survive it. Thanks, Ombretta, and well done to your cousin!

Saturday October 25, 2008, 4:49 pm
Noted

Saturday October 25, 2008, 4:54 pm
Congratulations to your cousin Cate .... I have a suggestion for your auto industry & ours over here, put your heads together and make a car that can run on the BS that comes from our so called Representatives, not only will there be plenty of fuel for all, it'll help the planet as well ???? are the emissions as bad from burning crap as it is from Oil ???? I know over here most of our heavy industry has been raped by the powers that be, and at the same time as they put our men on the dole queue, they invest the money they have made in foregn company's making the same products only to sell them here for the same price as the original, so doubling there profits, this along with a "Working time directive" which means even if you have a job you can only work a 40 hr week, OMG & they wonder why ppl can't pay their bills & the markets are crashing left right & center

Saturday October 25, 2008, 5:28 pm
noted thank you

Saturday October 25, 2008, 5:33 pm
Thanks for this great story Cate.

Saturday October 25, 2008, 5:46 pm
Great story note ty cate:)

Saturday October 25, 2008, 5:59 pm
Thanks Cate and congrats to your cousin Paul

Saturday October 25, 2008, 7:31 pm
Noted, thanks Cate

Saturday October 25, 2008, 8:10 pm
Thanks for the article and congrats to your cousin, Cate!

Saturday October 25, 2008, 8:20 pm
Well that's exactly it, David...they should be making cars that run on alternative energy sources...even an imperfect model (n the sense that it uses gasoline some of the time), such as the Prius, is such a hot seller you can't get one for months - Toyota can't make them fast enough! If Detroit made cars that utilized alternative energy sources or even combo sources like the Prius, people would buy American cars!

Sunday October 26, 2008, 12:44 am
Questions you should start asking.
Why? When we have the solutions already, are the motor industries not converting the oil powered vehicles into Water power. It is already being done. Some of the cars and lorries are already being converted here in the mountains with so simple a technique that you only need a coffee jar a little drop of Water and a battery which gets charged by splitting the cells in the water converting it into energy. Go and look at what the inventors can show you. It would not take long to convert each vehicule when it goes in for its M.O.T. THIS WAY ALL WOULD SOON GET THE MESSAGE. STOP BUYING THE CARS UNLESS THEY ARE GREEN. Please search on the web, Water power Cars.
Lets all go green.love you all Janet.

Sunday October 26, 2008, 1:13 am
From my perspective, the, "box," has been gone for at least 25 years. Methinks a large part of the problem is the imaginary box.

Live, David

Sunday October 26, 2008, 1:14 am
Well, I live in the Metro-Detroit area, and the tumbleweeds are still blowing through the factories. This area has felt the weight of a "recession" for the last decade. If you live in Ann Arbor, MI then some new jobs are coming that are technical positions. However, our wonderful politicians haven't 'chosen' to engage in the 'green' auto industry, yet....

My area of MI has seen an increase in bankruptcies and foreclosures for the last decade. Today, we still struggle with this unemployed sector, as now more public schools are privatizing, and either you are forced into retirement or you are another soul in the masses, hoping to find a job. I join many who are banging on Gov Granholm's door for solutions. Noted and thank you.

Sunday October 26, 2008, 2:07 am
TO MANY PPL INVOLVED WONT WORK WE NEED THE INDIAN CARS THAT RUN ON COMPRESSED AIR CHRIS

Sunday October 26, 2008, 2:50 am
Why are the company's not using water power?
Because they can not charge you any money for a drop of Water it will run on Sea Water. We still need a vehicle to travel. But the only thing that will make any change is each of you. When you need a new car demand a Water powered one. Do not buy oil. Demand each one of you, then they will have to do what we want them to do. We are the ones paying there wages with your sweat. All the taxes are yours . We employ the ones you see in power. It is only right that you tell them what you want them to do.Go for it start demanding and do it each one of you. Janet with love and remember power is in your hands.

Sunday October 26, 2008, 3:57 am
Noted.

Sunday October 26, 2008, 5:38 am
Human nature is to not listen. They may have been financially healthy in 2005, but they have been told for the last 20 years to change. They haven't listened.

They will change now, or be overshadowed by companies who manufacture green vehicles.

Sunday October 26, 2008, 10:27 am

Thanks Cate and congratulations to your cousin

Sunday October 26, 2008, 5:34 pm
Kudos to your cousin, Kate.

"Union-brained"? Of course there were abuses by unions, but compared to the abusive conditions before organized labor----Triangle Shirtwaist fire, anyone?

Sunday October 26, 2008, 7:15 pm
Do I hear "BAILOUT"?

Sunday October 26, 2008, 7:50 pm
Sorry to say, but I see this industry a fault of their own. All of them have the same mentality as the Big Biz Fat Cat's that have recently been or being bailed out, from the CEO's to the line workers. They are all making out like bandits, when they should have been pushing for major improvments starting in 1973 when OPEC stopped our fuel supplies. So, gee, even tho I'm 'sorry to say', doesn't make me feel sorry for these money mongers. They could all do well by believing in what WE say - Be The Change You Wish To See In The World!

And union? No. But, CEO's and subordinates need to remember WHO is helping them pad their pockets and respect them for that! It's called Compassion Mr. CEO, look it up in a dictionary since you've forgotten the meaning.

Sunday October 26, 2008, 8:43 pm
The Metro-Detroit area started losing the factory jobs to out-sourcing for cheaper wages, a longtime ago..., first to other states, then out of the country. Some of the auto employees definitely didn't appreciate their jobs at those nice wages. Their profit sharing checks would run in the thousands, and that is for ALL the workers of the, once, big 3. For years, I kept telling my family and friends, "AREN'T WE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR A NEW CAR, if the CEOs and employees get these HUGE profit sharing checks?????????? I never have gotten a response that gave any hint of the lightbulb going off, in them...heh.

If Detroit was going to go green with auto production, I sure don't see ANY signs of it, around me. I think Granholm is still on the Wind Farms campaign, to bring the metro-area of Detroit back on its feet, but I won't hold my breath. Not to mention, the other problem that DETROIT can't seem to get a good Mayor in office...lol. I liked Archer. However, this whole scene here is still looking bleak. A bailout isn't going to fix this festering monster.

Sunday October 26, 2008, 10:46 pm
Thanks for the story.

Monday October 27, 2008, 12:06 am
Ford was down for 250,000 hybrid vehicles a few years ago, and then cancelled the deal. They cited company financial woes as the reason, at the time. They could have been a leader, and gotten more of the market share today, if they had stuck to their word.

Agree with Dar, Detroit GAVE those jobs up to Japan YEARS ago. Took down Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, and many points in between, with the steel industry and manufacturing declines and then the automakers. Places that desperately need(ed) living wage jobs, and there were no replacements.

The precursor to the outsourcing of all other blue collar jobs in America.

Janet, your attitude Rocks, I want a water car.

Noted, thank you littleshadow.

Monday October 27, 2008, 10:42 am
Thank you Cate! Good questions Dave! ~

Monday October 27, 2008, 2:05 pm
Thank you, Ombretta, for the article, and congratulations to your cousin, Paul. His article was superb. I live in Michigan, and worked at an auto company (one of the Big Three) as a secretary. It is a very complex issue that haunts the auto industry. Outsourcing really hurt. Lack of ingenuity and not knowing what the customer really wanted or could afford was a problem. Cost cutting and getting rid of the wrong people was another mistake. Waste of time and money with red tape and paperwork forced engineers to become glorified administrative assistants. The work environment was not conducive to anyone's health mentally or physically. The top management treated people like they were nothing. Especially secretaries. Unless we shortened our skirts and flirted with the managers, we were considered trouble - because we had a brain and spoke up and had opinions. If we gave an opinion, we were termed as "non-team players." So, what the Big Three now has left is a bunch of short skirted, bust-thrusting airhead gals as administrative support with egotistical male dictators who run the show. They spend more time on powerpoint presentations than they do on actually working. The real brains and competent people left.

Monday October 27, 2008, 5:31 pm
Thanks Cate.