talk.politics.misc

In article <46f972bb$0$28257$a9266ab1@ >,
"Talkin Horse" wrote:

> The value of the UAW compensation package works out to over $70 an hour.
> That's about $30 an hour more than the Japanese plants in America. When you
> buy a GM car, more than a thousand dollars of the price goes right into the
> pockets of retired UAW people. The Big Three are at a competitive
> disadvantage, and they'll probably end up bankrupt. They won't disappear,
> but they're on a downtrend that won't quit until something changes
> fundamentally.

The problem with the American auto industry goes much deeper than just
that UAW; its a total lack of long-term vision by all the American auto
companies.

I am in the process of shopping for a new car now. The odds of me buying
a car made in America are slim and nil. I want a reliable mid-size car
with great fuel economy (at least 40MPG), that's fun to drive, and lots
of bells and whistles for under $25,000. I will likely buy a Prius.

Nothing from Ford, GM, or Chrysler meets my requirements, even though
they are reasonable criteria. When I visit the dealers' lots of American
car companies, I see acres of huge SUVs, pickup trucks, and oversized
sedans. Very little is available out of Detroit in my price range that
gets at least 40 MPG, has a good track record for reliability, is safe,
comfortable to drive, and has a lot of bells and whistles such as blue
tooth support.

The problem with the American auto industry isn't just its labor cost,
its also its total lack of understanding what the majority of Americans
want in a new vehicle. Most people want a car that's reliable, safe,
economical, stylish, and has some convenience features, and we want it
for a competitive price.

Sure, UAW workers make a lot more than their foreign counterparts, but
so does the upper management in Detroit. What is the management in
Detroit doing to design and produce vehicles that a majority of people
actually want instead of more obnoxious gas guzzling pickup trucks and
SUVs? The closest thing to what I want is from Saturn, but most of
Saturn's cars look like they're designed with aesthetics that appeal to
octogenarians.