This is a very quick initial response to the extraordinary announcement of the Chrysler LLC bankruptcy filing. We don’t have all the answers, but that’s partly because we don’t even have all the questions. Something very new and different is happening here.
It’s very far from clear to me that this is a Chapter 11 bankruptcy in any normal sense. For one thing, why is it being announced by the President of the United States rather than by Bob Nardelli?
In reading the news reports, there’s a tremendous number of moving parts here, and no one is being very clear about it. I have at least two very big questions, one of which is public and the other isn’t.
The public question relates to Fiat. Marchionne has been very emphatic that he will put no cash into Chrysler in return for Fiat’s stake, which starts at 20% and could go as high as 51% by 2016. Fiat is giving nothing but access to small-car technology. That can only mean that the government intends to dictate Chrysler’s production mix. That in turn means that the government has chosen to enter the auto business in a forthright and unprecedented way.
The private question relates to the current owner of Chrysler, which is Cerberus Capital Management, one of the most powerful, most wealthy, and most feared private equity groups in the world. They easily have access to billions of dollars they could invest in Chrysler. The fact that they simply don’t want to, tells you that this company isn’t worth investing in, and ipso facto the taxpayers are flushing money down the toilet.
But I want to know much more than that. I want to know exactly what consideration will be paid to Cerberus in return for the common stock that will be ceded to Fiat, to the government, and to the UAW. Are we bailing out a bunch of politically-connected billionaires?
And you can’t say you haven’t noticed how effectively they’ve kept their name out of the news. Whenever you get a chance, ask anyone who will listen: WHY HAS OBAMA NOT TOLD US WHAT HE INTENDS TO GIVE CERBERUS IN RETURN FOR CHRYSLER?
I suspect that the objective of the 11 filing is to give a bankruptcy judge the opportunity to tell all of Chrysler’s unsecured creditors, including debtholders and trade creditors, to go to hell. Among much else, I want to know if the holders of unsecured debt are, first and foremost, the bankers who provided the leverage for Cerberus to purchase Chrysler from Daimler-Benz in the first place.
If so, then how many of those banks are TARP recipients, and therefore in no position whatsoever to tell the US President that they don’t like the deal he’s offered them?
And then there about 40 hedge funds who are said to own much of the outstanding debt. Are they principal lenders to Cerberus and/or to Chrysler? Or are they vultures who purchased Chrysler debt from banks at a heavy discount?
Either way, Obama’s public remarks included a most remarkable statement in regard to those hedge funds: “I don’t stand with them.” Please excuse me if you think this is overheated, but if I’m one of those hedge funds, I’m thinking that Darth Vader just declared war on me.
The question has been asked, whether the US President can tell the bankruptcy judge how to proceed. I’d say that the President, having put $4 billion in bridge loans into this company, with the promise of another $8 billion, can do whatever he wants, including installing a judge that he knows will be compliant with his wishes. After all, who’s going to say no to the President? The media? The voters?
I have to say that the bottom line is probably this: Obama has two objectives in mind. First, he doesn’t want to see massive layoffs at Chrysler and its network of suppliers and dealers. That’s just basic political cowardice and very easy to understand. But second, he’s seeing an opportunity to change the auto industry in his own image and likeness.
And we really need to be asking whether that should be the job of the US President. Nothing could be more important, because this is a fundamental expansion of the scope of government that no one seems prepared to challenge.
Chrysler is small fry. If this is how GM and the largest banks are going to go, we’ve got some very interesting times ahead.
Neil Stevens
Steve Maley
Daniel Horowitz
Jake Walker
Of course
Common_Cents (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 3:13PM EST (link)with Obama, the gut hooked MSM will never asked tough questions.
Everyone should ignore what a politician says(as its usually sleight of hand) and focus on what ISN’T said.
Nardelli is departing and said this wasn’t his first choice option. Did he have a choice?
Obama=Golfer in Chief, Leading from,
behind, the Back Nine.Leaders don’t create movements. Movements create leaders. Get involved. Your future depends on it.
Govt “invests” YOUR tax money for POLITICAL return rather than economic return.
Is it accurate to call this fascism in the classic sense?
civil truth (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 3:21PM EST (link)I’m referring to the relationship developing between the government, large industry and the labor union – including giving the union trust funds large or controlling equity interests. For instance, with GM and to some extern Chrysler, we’ll have the unions negotiating with themselves over worker compensation packages – and won’t the taxpayers be on the hook for pension deficiencies.
Not only is this the start of an unprecedented economic alliance among government, busines, and labor – but it would appear to have enormous political implications as they will have mutual interest in preserving the current administration-Democratic party in power so as to keep their alliance in place.
There is also a huge door for financial shenanigans – with the government shoveling in tax dollars to these companies/unions (or their leaders) – and in return these companies can give lots of dollars in political contributions.
And finally, especially with Treasury putting poltical pressure on banks, will this expand until government has a stranglehold on all banks and iinsurance companies and can control their lending activities. Which would become a springboard for gaining control over other companies, such as oil and energy.
The reason for my question of fascism, then, is that we have the government controlling industry behind the scenes while preserving a facade of private ownership and establishing sweetheart deals with favored executive and investment groups.
In particular, the replacement of adversarial relationships between government, industry, and labor that provides some checks and balances – replacing them with a secretive collaborative network of interlocking financial and political power.
And if this is not incipient fascism, what is developing t hen? It’s not classic socalism/communism and it’s certainly antithetical to capitalism.
The greatest evil…is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried, and minuted) in clean, carpeted, warmed, and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voice. Hence, naturally enough, my symbol for Hell is something like the bureaucracy of a police state or the offices of a thoroughly nasty business concern. -C.S. Lewis
http://www.gmsplace.com/
Technically I think it would be corparatism...
Diogenes314 (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 3:33PM EST (link)But Hoover’s brand of socialism didn’t work any better than socialism ever does.
Isn"t corporatism fascism?
LoveThatConstitution Thursday, April 30th at 3:48PM EST (link)We all know this isnt always correct (its even being disputed, you can read the discussion, its interesting) but it seems well footnoted, check under “economic policies” way down the page, also subsection national corporatism… and economic planning
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism
Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
- Ronald Reagan
It's the root of Fascism...
Diogenes314 (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 3:52PM EST (link)Fascism usually also involves a Cult of Personality, a deliberitaly cultivated mythology, repression of dissent…
Okay, you got me.
LOL
LoveThatConstitution Thursday, April 30th at 4:01PM EST (link)thanks
i wasnt actually trying to be that clever, i commend you for your wit.
Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
- Ronald Reagan
I think that's all secondary
Neil Stevens (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 4:06PM EST (link)The core of fascism, that makes it so dangerous, is that it’s a totalitarian socialism that seeks to unify nations instead of eradicating them with international ‘solidarity.’
The role of government in the economy and in society is the point of fascism. All that other stuff just comes later after idiot voters give the fascists power.
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"Hoover's brand of socialism?"
Neil Stevens (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 4:04PM EST (link)Huh?
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Was known as corparatism.
Diogenes314 (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 4:15PM EST (link)He was just as active in trying to ‘fix’ the market after the ’29 crash as FDR after him. Reaf Liberal Fascism or Rothbard’s ‘America’s Great Depression’ (I think you can read this one online at mieses.org).
I don't know where you read it but you're wrong
Neil Stevens (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 4:39PM EST (link)Nobody was as active as FDR and his NRA fascist army, bank holiday, and the rest of the New Deal. Not even close.
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Hoover was FDR's daddy.
Diogenes314 (Diary) Friday, May 1st at 6:19PM EST (link)http://mises.org/rothbard/agd.pdf
You should read the sections on Hoover’s general approach to the economy and attempts to ‘fix’ it once he was in office. (starting on chapter 7). While Frank may have had a longer run at screwing up the economy, everything he did was an extention of Herb’s idiocy. The4 whole myth of Hoover as a laisez-faire guy was created by the left to blame the crash and depression on capitalism, when in fact the 20s were rife with governmental intervention into the economy.
Ronald Reagan had it right in 87. The market crashed. He did nothing. It recovered.
Ah yes, the Mises Institute
Neil Stevens (Diary) Friday, May 1st at 8:31PM EST (link)Lew Rockwell. That says it all.
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Mises=Rockwell???
Diogenes314 (Diary) Friday, May 1st at 11:08PM EST (link)Good to know. But feel free to disbelieve anything contrary to what you absorbed in tenth grade history. Of course the real Rothbard was quite a bit different…
Rothbard was born to David and Rae Rothbard, who raised their Jewish family in the Bronx. “I grew up in a Communist culture,” he recalled.[10] He attended Columbia University, where he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics and economics in 1945 and a Master of Arts degree in 1946. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in economics in 1956 at Columbia doctorate under Arthur Burns.[11][12]
During the early 1950s, he studied under the Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises at his seminars at New York University and was greatly influenced by Mises’ book Human Action. In the 1950s and 1960s he worked for the classical liberal William Volker Fund on a book project that resulted in Man, Economy, and State, published in 1962. From 1963 to 1985, he taught at Polytechnic Institute of New York University in Brooklyn, New York. From 1986 until his death he was a distinguished professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Rothbard founded the Center for Libertarian Studies in 1976 and the Journal of Libertarian Studies in 1977. He was associated with the 1982 creation of the Ludwig von Mises Institute and later was its academic vice president. In 1987 he started the scholarly “Review of Austrian Economics,” now called the Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics.[11]
BTW, the diary “Dead in 2 1/2 years” links to mises.org several times. I guess that’s worth ignoring too. Hey, this ad hominem thing is fun!
Yeah, I ignore things that cite Rockwell
Neil Stevens (Diary) Friday, May 1st at 11:30PM EST (link)And Rockwell founded and runs Mises.
I distance myself from Ronulans. They’re intellectually dangerous because they’re normal right up until the point they’re completely bonkers. So if you’re not super careful you end up in big trouble allying with them.
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Paul Johnson-another kook.
Diogenes314 (Diary) Friday, May 1st at 11:48PM EST (link)The historian, that is. He quotes AGD extensively in his book Modern Times so I guess everything he wrote is suspect. As is Mises himself, since Rothbard was his student. And Hayek of course.
That’s okay. But you probably should have stopped at “Huh?”
BTW, I meant “2 1/2 years to live” above. But it doesn’t matter, that whole diary is obviously garbage since it linked to Mises.
Somebody's getting defensive
Neil Stevens (Diary) Friday, May 1st at 11:55PM EST (link)And yes, I think the whole Austrian School has a real kooky edge to it, given how it goes beyond economics and starts lecturing on the role of the state in all of society, including foreign policy.
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If by defensive you mean amused...
Diogenes314 (Diary) Saturday, May 2nd at 12:08AM EST (link)Then I guess so. Ad Hominems in general are pretty weak, and the fact that you’re dismissing Rothbard’s book out of hand says more about you than it.
That’s okay, it probably isn’t your cup of tea. All those pesky facts and stuff…
Go buy a gold-foil hat (nt)
Neil Stevens (Diary) Saturday, May 2nd at 1:05AM EST (link)RS contributing editor, technical administrator, and “a hardy variety of crabgrass.”
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Dio I think you are missing a distinction...
Aaron Gardner (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 4:43PM EST (link)Strategically the Keynesian formula was being used by Hoover, but as a matter of practice he can’t be compared to what FDR actually did.
conform and celebrate diversity….or else!!!
“We’d be much better off if We The People had desired small government enough to keep it.” acat
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It's a Lew Rockwell thing. Heh. (nt)
Neil Stevens (Diary) Friday, May 1st at 8:32PM EST (link)RS contributing editor, technical administrator, and “a hardy variety of crabgrass.”
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It's called UAWO demo-corruptionism!
Rod_Patrick (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 3:52PM EST (link)UAWO simply means UAW for Obama.
Quin Hillyer contrasts
redneck_hippie (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 4:39PM EST (link)totalitarianism with authoriatarianism.
There seems to be little doubt in his mind we are looking at the next thing to fascism.
http://spectator.org/archives/2009/04/30/the-facts-on-fascism
h/t hotair
A link is always helpful.
redneck_hippie (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 4:49PM EST (link)http://spectator.org/archives/2009/04/30/the-facts-on-fascism
C_T, I hate to have been so right with this piece:
Achance (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 5:48PM EST (link)http://www.redstate.com/achance/2009/02/20/gleichschaltung-a-german-word-we-should-understand/
If what we have isn’t fascism, it’ll do ’til the real thing comes along.
In Vino Veritas
Facism in the classic sense? you nailed it. nt
olsmithie (Diary) Friday, May 1st at 11:50PM EST (link)Francis,
texas214 (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 3:31PM EST (link)can the creditors ask for a Chapter 7 liquidation? this would put an end to this Obama/UAW take over.
Short answer, no
Francis Cianfrocca (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 4:28PM EST (link)Of course the creditors can ask for whatever they want, but by making the 11 filing, Chrysler acquires court protection from them. They’re not going to be allowed to seize assets or security.
Now keep in mind that in a normal 11 proceeding, the company’s management is required to show an ability to continue in business in return for restructured covenants with creditors. That’s what makes this deal so problematic.
It’s because the President of the United States has personally joined the dispute on one side. I can’t think of a case where that’s ever happened before, and it’s going to completely change the negotiating dynamic.
Specifically, Chrysler is going to be under no obligation to show that they have a viable business plan going forward, because the US President is committed to their survival in something like their current form.
There’s no understating how new and different this is.
Probably a poor question
texas214 (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 7:12PM EST (link)In court can the senior debt asked to be made whole prior to other debtors? ie.UAW. In real estate, which I’m more familar with, lien superiority is first and foremost. If so this could get messy if Obama tries to trump contract law.
I seemed to remember that they could
Lammo (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 8:06PM EST (link)so I checked and found this at the US Courts website:
A party in interest may file a motion to dismiss or convert a chapter 11 case to a chapter 7 case “for cause.” Generally, if cause is established after notice and hearing, the court must convert or dismiss the case (whichever is in the best interests of creditors and the estate) unless it specifically finds that the requested conversion or dismissal is not in the best interest of creditors and the estate. 11 U.S.C. § 1112(b).
Link: http://www.uscourts.gov/bankruptcycourts/bankruptcybasics/chapter11.html#condis
Only farmers and charitable institutions are exempt from an involuntary conversion.
Don’t be so open minded that your brains fall out. (John Corapi, The Black Sheep Dog)
Lammo
texas214 (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 10:04PM EST (link)I thought so, appreciate the research. My hope is that these “rogue” bond holders are a bunch of Republicans and would just as soon make an example out of ZerO and the UAW. By law they are due more than the UAW and probably Treasury, It would be worth it to see how ZerO explains losing taxpayer money.
There's the law and then there's the law
JamesLBurns (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 10:30PM EST (link)I don’t practice bankruptcy (thankfully, although it’s a booming buisness right now), but I’ve been involved in enough cases to say with some experience that getting a case converted to 7 from 11 is near impossible if management doesn’t want it to happen. I’m on the service list for a case that went into 11 in 2001, all of the business assets were sold in late 2002, and there is still a fight going on over converting to a 7.
My standard answer to
Lammo (Diary) Friday, May 1st at 2:53AM EST (link)“Can they really sue me for that?” is always sure they can but the real questions are “Can they win?” and “How much is this going to cost me?” Prosecution is my game (almost 22 years) but the firm I worked for during law school did a lot of bankruptcy work. I was trying to answer the general question as to whether or not there were any options to try to fight this. I had to head out for home so I didn’t have time to think about or answer whether there was any chance of success.
Don’t be so open minded that your brains fall out. (John Corapi, The Black Sheep Dog)
I would like someone
10ksnooker (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 3:41PM EST (link)To point me to the section of the Constitution that allows this.
If I were an investor, I would sue. Since allegedly the corporation will still exist, can you say big target.
Article "I," Section "WON"
Francis Cianfrocca (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 4:01PM EST (link)n/t
now that was funny blackhedd...5∞....nt
Aaron Gardner (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 4:47PM EST (link)conform and celebrate diversity….or else!!!
“We’d be much better off if We The People had desired small government enough to keep it.” acat
Follow @Aaron_RS
Francis this may not be THE best comment ever,
mbecker908 (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 6:33PM EST (link)but it’s close enough to not matter.
Rimshot of the day (week? month? forever? :-)
eburke (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 6:37PM EST (link)Touche’, Francis, brevity being the source of all wit and all that
“All that need be done for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
Unified Patriots
Yep, good one! nt
Achance (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 6:40PM EST (link)In Vino Veritas
55555 (nt)
Thrhheggeegwc Jjtkylkfofud (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 6:45PM EST (link)Best comment ever 55555 - nt
peg_c (Diary) Friday, May 1st at 6:18AM EST (link)Government cannot be the solution when government is the problem.
I must concur
Matthew Morris (Diary) Friday, May 1st at 6:35AM EST (link)all 5s. Wish I had commented when I first saw it this afternoon!
“I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
Ipsum esse subsistens
The Leader Principle section (nt)
Neil Stevens (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 4:06PM EST (link)RS contributing editor, technical administrator, and “a hardy variety of crabgrass.”
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DANGEROUS! People's money now being used to finance LOSING INVESTMENTs. Typical of Democrat-type investments. Catch? CORRUPTION AND POLITICAL PAYBACKS. nt
Rod_Patrick (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 3:55PM EST (link)So The Taxpayer Bought Chrysler As A Gift To The UAW
DavidSage (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 4:12PM EST (link)Bush should have let these companies fold while he was still President.
Despite how big a failure this new Chrysler will be in the private market, the Democrats will find ways to give Chrysler lavish government contracts so the UAW can keep the checks coming.
Eventually, there WILL be backlash if Obama and the Democrats keeps doing this. My guess is Chrysler will be back in 2 years asking for another $10 billion. When the Democrats no longer control every lever of government, these companies are going to fall HARD.
Again, conservatives should boycott buying from the Big 3 altogether. You can find high-quality, American made, non-UAW cars from Toyota, Honda, Nissan, etc. They also won’t break down as much, and have much higher resale value.
Pretty much, DavidSage
eburke (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 4:18PM EST (link)Just another Bush legacy. Had the chance and the support of the vast majority of Pub CongressCritters to stick a fork in ‘em but good ol’ ‘Compassionate Conservatism” rode to the rescue…again.
Sigh!!
“All that need be done for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
Unified Patriots
Pretty ironic now that it is more patriotic NOT to buy American cars...
conservativemusician Thursday, April 30th at 4:25PM EST (link)It is amazing how far we have fallen as a country…and apparently how much further we are going to have to fall before the Obama dunderheaded voters wake up!
We're a couple of car buying nuts
peg_c (Diary) Friday, May 1st at 6:16AM EST (link)I have final approval on all buys. This family will NEVER, I repeat NEVER, buy an “American” car again.
We have a VW and a Honda. Hubby is looking at Subaru but I won’t allow that Alec Baldwin crap in our garage. I’m not kidding when I say I have the Veto.
My Galt thing is taking some interesting turns.
Government cannot be the solution when government is the problem.
Leave Ford out of this mess
pascasha Thursday, April 30th at 4:34PM EST (link)Ford was not bailed out by the government. Ford has been libeled a bit by the media. They are part of “The Big Three” but they were NOT bailed out. Of course I was always a Chevy girl (I love my internal combustion and American steel). I HATE to buy a car that wasn’t American born, from concept to production…
I do however have to balk at something involved with the Unions. Obama is blaming lenders for not wanting to take a 66% hit on their investments. If they would have done away with the Union think of how much THAT would have saved?
Yup, I've never been a big Ford fan, but I really would like to buy American cars going forward.
Vegas_Rick (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 5:42PM EST (link)Ford will be my only choice, at least for the foreseeable future. Almost everyone I talk to about this subject has become a big Ford fan lately.
I do like the Mustang GT and F-150.
“God is great, beer is good and people are crazy.”- Billy Currington
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” Calvin Coolidge.
ot but saw the New Mustang
larryp Friday, May 1st at 12:47AM EST (link)today, gone like a shot…
I still think Ford smelled a rat
TNJim (Diary) Friday, May 1st at 1:05AM EST (link)when it came to the government bailouts, then they decided they wanted no part of it. Now Obama’s blasting the hedge fund investors who didn’t want to lose their shirts over a losing government deal. Don’t be surprised if they are the targets of the next round of congressional hearings.
Don't lump in Ford!
JoeG Thursday, April 30th at 4:55PM EST (link)They haven’t taken any money.
who is going to buy these vehicles
larryp Friday, May 1st at 12:46AM EST (link)from this company or GM. I could no more see myself, at least, spend a dime on a car or truck from GM or Chrysler. So I guess the Unions will keep the cars sales going. Forced purchases
Doesn’t all this seem like Mussolini’sItaly? Haven’t we been here before? A kind of echo from the past?
All the craven appeasement of our enemies then makes sense….
This is scary
Old_Crow (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 4:18PM EST (link)Obama lashes out: (from bloomberg)
A dissident group of 20 investment firms and other lenders turned down administration loan-reduction proposals, leading to a breakdown in talks last night. The firms include OppenheimerFunds Inc., Perella Weinberg Capital Management LP and Stairway Capital Advisors,
Obama said while many of the stakeholders worked constructively, others didn’t. “A group of investment firms and hedge funds decided to hold out for the prospect of an unjustified taxpayer-funded bailout,” he said.
So the President calls out companies by name to incite the public against them if they don’t agree with his socialist scam. Someone needs to put this fool back in his box before he destroys our economy.
“Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm.” — James Madison
I applaud the investment firms that stood up to Obama's Chicago thuggery...
conservativemusician Thursday, April 30th at 4:37PM EST (link)And actually put the interests of their shareholders ahead of what Obama wants for a change. You could hear the anger in his voice today when he made the bankruptcy announcement, citing that (gasp) these companies didn’t want to “sacrifice” and, instead, wanted to make unreasonable profits. He made it sound like they were unpatriotic. Of all the nerve! Businesses in business to make money. This isn’t supposed to happen in the Obama Utopia.
I really hope that other companies will have the same resolve to stand up to these Chicago gangland thugs. Maybe this is the beginning trickle that will lead to a river of true opposition from the business community.
When management compensation
redneck_hippie (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 4:45PM EST (link)is no longer linked to profitability, there will not be anyone to fight back any more. The stakeholders will be on the outside as everyday taxpayers who are held accountable for the failure while having lost the right to control their own destiny.
It's worse than that though!
vettepilot (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 5:03PM EST (link)These companies already ARE “sacrificing” and it’s absolutely ludicrous for him to imply they are looking to “unreasonably profit” when they were looking at receiving cents on each dollar they invested!
But of course, it’s ok for the UAW to come out smelling like a rose. They offer up their pension fund, which (please correct me if I’m wrong here) is ultimately federally backed anyway, in exchange for a controlling share in the company. They’re also secure in the knowledge that there is no way that their new investment is going to be allowed to fail anytime in at least the next 2 years, if not the next 4.
The fact is that these hedge fund managers knew that they were getting a raw deal.
I wonder
kyle8 (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 5:06PM EST (link)what is “Unreasonable Profit”? Perhaps it is the millions paid to Sean Penn for his latest piece of crap movie?
“Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty”
Kyle
In the end, Obama is not really interested in profit.
conservativemusician Thursday, April 30th at 6:19PM EST (link)All profit outside of the government tentacles is “unreasonable”. In Obama’s eyes, we are not individuals…we are the collective and he runs our lives. Resistance is futile…we must conform…NOT!
we are the borg...
larryp Friday, May 1st at 1:46AM EST (link)reistance is futile, We will assimilate you!…
A great question to ask the one in next press conference.
Common_Cents (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 6:44PM EST (link)About excess pay for actors in hollyweird.
Obama=Golfer in Chief, Leading from,
behind, the Back Nine.Leaders don’t create movements. Movements create leaders. Get involved. Your future depends on it.
Govt “invests” YOUR tax money for POLITICAL return rather than economic return.
Yeah...with their plummeting box office sales, there probably on the takeover list as well
conservativemusician Thursday, April 30th at 8:06PM EST (link)Not that Hollywood would care anyway.
Examples of unreasonable profit:
Next93 (Diary) Friday, May 1st at 3:45PM EST (link)1) Million-doallar advances for the autobiography of a man who’s essentially never done anything except write his autobiography.
2) Trippling the salary of a woman who’s husband has just become a US Senator, in order to reap more than a million dollars in federal earmarks six monthls later.
Obama was The One in 2008.
He’ll be a BIGGER one in 2012.
President Pitchforks
antisocial (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 8:14PM EST (link)Lynch Mob
Obama Doctrine – Boot On The Throat
—————————–
What is to be done?
——————————
No. You can’t – Moe Lane
——————————
The Emperor has no clothes!!!
Since September 2008, I have been scared of this. Bushed opened up the Hell's Gate of Socialist Bailout. And the Socialist Obama went loose. nt
Rod_Patrick (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 8:41PM EST (link)I have dealt with Cerberus....
Jonah Shumate (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 4:25PM EST (link)First hand and let me say this; Francis is right about questions that should be asked and answers that should be sought.
There is a lot more to this story and making it come out in the light might make a lot of people look very, very bad.
In that case...
Next93 (Diary) Friday, May 1st at 3:49PM EST (link)I wouldn’t hold my breath on the MSM actually doing any digging, if there’s a chance that it might make the Obmasiah look bad.
All of thier investigative reporters are up in Wasilla sifting through the Palin family’s garbage cans.
Of course, we can always hope that someone with a little journalistic integrity goes after the story, like the National Enquirer had to be the ones to uncover the story of John Edwards’ love-child.
Obama was The One in 2008.
He’ll be a BIGGER one in 2012.
Bottom line: customers don't want these cars
jonreagan (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 4:28PM EST (link)Obama, flanked by his cast of thousands, talked this morning about everyone related to Chrysler—-except for the customer. If he had ever worked in the private sector, he’d understand that the businesses that win today are customer-driven. His plan is clearly to have state-sponsored car companies, that produce the preferred cars of the state: “clean, green cars.” Geekmobiles represent a very small segment of the market, not enough for a company to survive on.
Secondly, he can try to protect his union friends all he wants. But a Hyundai plant in Tennessee with labor costs of $45/hour will beat a UAW plant in Michigan any day of the week. Perhaps their plan is to subsidize this new company, because there is no way it can be profitable at low margins, selling a product that people don’t want.
I agree with you that his lashing out at the investor class in his remarks was pretty despicable. He reminded me of Nixon (apologies to our 37th President) as he used the occasion to demonize one segment of the country, while praising others. I almost expected him to tell us that we wouldn’t have the old Chrysler to kick around anymore…. suffice it to say that true leaders try to bring people together, while demagogues attempt to divide and conquer.
Subsidize... yup!
LoveThatConstitution Thursday, April 30th at 4:55PM EST (link)Its my guess that is the only way they are going to be able to stay competitive. A couple posts up DavidSage wondered if they are going to ask for another 10 billion. That wouldnt be popular, so now what does the new owner of his auto company to do. It would be too embarrassing to let it fail.
Well, if you also luckily control the tax code you just subsidize your new ‘peoples car’ and make a 20k car $12k. Taxpayers, who now will have to lump say $4k more in taxes (hypothetical and totally made up numbers) wont be able to afford the same toyota because, in a sense they already put a downpayment on the chrysler. so, lots of people will just sigh and say, its not SO bad and i can afford it.
But its because it would be really hard to buy the (what used to be) comparable car. And to make it easier, add some anti-people’s meaniehead surcharge on the “free market” cars.
Kind of like public education. In 20 years we can fight for auto credit vouchers.
Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
- Ronald Reagan
Or, you could extend all of this to energy
jonreagan (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 6:59PM EST (link)The “state-preferred” form of energy going foward will be wind and solar. I don’t use the term “clean energy”, because nuclear power is clean, and they are opposed to it purely for ideological reasons.
Solar is expensive, less efficient, and here in the water-challenged Southwest, not exactly environmentally-friendly. There is no way one can rationally make the case that this is the most economical choice for our future. But because Obama and a few ideologues have declared this to be the state-preferred choice of energy, that’s the way policy is being crafted. They’ll simply tax the hell out of coal, natural gas, etc., and force the price of traditional energy sources to skyrocket. If you think the economy is challenged now, wait until their energy plans play out.
It's all rather sad
kyle8 (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 4:31PM EST (link)They never made a horrendous piece of crap like the Chevy Nova, the AMC Gremlin, or the Ford Pinto.
In fact all mopar engines were well designed, just not very user friendly ( you had to remove the water pump in some engines just to change some of the spark plugs).
I always liked Chrysler products in general, but they never had the kind of brand loyalty of GM or Ford. And they were always overpriced.
Chrysler made most of our M1 Abrams tanks.
“Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty”
Kyle
i beg to differ
LoveThatConstitution Thursday, April 30th at 4:56PM EST (link)while the quality is much better you cant say chrysler NEVER made a crummy car. Have you forgotten the K car? Ever own an Aspen or Volare?
Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
- Ronald Reagan
Those were not terrible cars
kyle8 (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 5:01PM EST (link)at least not in the same strata as pinto and vega. Not even close.
They were inexpensive cars with some recurrent problems but they were not total useless pieces of crap like the above mentioned.
“Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty”
Kyle
yeah... they were
LoveThatConstitution Thursday, April 30th at 5:34PM EST (link)trust me. if you owned one you wouldn’t have called it some recurrent problems. “Worst car you’ve ever owned, new or used” might sooner pop to mind
as bad as the cars you mentioned? maybe not. but also not in the “good” column either.
Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
- Ronald Reagan
you might have just got a lemon
kyle8 (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 5:48PM EST (link)statistically the cars produced after 1980 had much longer lifetimes than the cars from the 1970′s. And Chrysler-Plymouth always ranked slightly higher than GM and sometimes higher than Ford.
“Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty”
Kyle
Yes they were!
Vegas_Rick (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 7:20PM EST (link)I had to drive one for four years as an Army Recruiter. They sucked!
“God is great, beer is good and people are crazy.”- Billy Currington
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” Calvin Coolidge.
I had an '88 LeBaron Coupe w/
Achance (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 6:15PM EST (link)the 2.2 L turbo and all the bells and whistles; great car except it had gotten a little heavy for the K-Car underpinnings so it was hard on brake discs. I drove it about 90K miles then the kids drove it a couple or three more years before we sold it to a kid for $3500; not bad for a car about 12 or 13 years old by then. Until the kids got it, it had been meticulously maintained, after, it had a hard, hard life!
I replaced it with a ’99 300M, which Car and Driver was rating among the ten best cars in the World at the time. It too has been a great car. Zero problems ever until the driver’s window mechanism broke last year because it had been frozen one time too many; power windows have a hard life in this climate. And this year a bushing siezed in the heater blower and the load burnt out the fan control. It has the automatic temp and fan speed control, so that was a spendy repair. Likewise, heating systems have a hard life in this climate. But as to true mechanical problems, I’ve owned Chryslers for the last twenty years, albeit top of the line ones, with no real engine or driveline issues whatsoever, and few other issues. My wife has an ’01 Chrysler Sebring that has been a little more troublesome, but it is mostly a Mitsubishi product and had the misfortune of being driven by the boys a good bit as well.
In Vino Veritas
Chrysler quality?
olsmithie (Diary) Saturday, May 2nd at 12:00AM EST (link)As an engineer and former owner of various Chrysler products, (also GM and Ford products,family also operates a garage,)
I would have to classify typical Chrysler engineering and quality as “crap.” ( before ’75 is a total different story.)
How’s that for a bold statement?
Regards,
Fiat (Fix It Again Tony)
WarEagle01 (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 4:38PM EST (link)“Fiat is giving nothing but access to small-car technology.” And crappy small-car technology at that. This is supposed to help Chrysler?
“A wise, doughy leg with rich tingly experiences will always reach better conclusions than will a more tanned, muscular leg that hasn’t felt those thrills.” –Chris Matthews’ Leg
“The alternative to the awful extremity of abortion is the indispensable joy of introducing this flawed world to someone who might make it better.”–John Hayward (AKA Dr. Zero)
Italy's problem?
Kyle-MI (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 4:43PM EST (link)If we sell Chrysler to an Italian company, maybe Obama hopes that the taxpayers of Italy will now be on the hook.
Good point
WarEagle01 (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 4:48PM EST (link)nt
“A wise, doughy leg with rich tingly experiences will always reach better conclusions than will a more tanned, muscular leg that hasn’t felt those thrills.” –Chris Matthews’ Leg
“The alternative to the awful extremity of abortion is the indispensable joy of introducing this flawed world to someone who might make it better.”–John Hayward (AKA Dr. Zero)
I don't want to make this about Fiat
Francis Cianfrocca (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 4:50PM EST (link)But don’t sell them short. Under Marchionne, they’ve become one of the best automakers in the world. What they don’t have, and this is a point Marchionne has made many times, is size. He would like to double Fiat’s production capacity to get up to critical mass as a global automaker.
But he’s not stupid enough to try to do that by paying money for Chrysler. He’s very sharp and very impressive.
I had a fiat in college, it ran well,
kyle8 (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 5:04PM EST (link)and was a babe magnet. (which is of course why I bought it)
Of course it was a useless two seater.
But no real mechanical problems, Until I was blindsided by a drunk in a truck.
“Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty”
Kyle
I had a Fiat 850 Spyder back in 70,
Achance (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 6:25PM EST (link)what a pretty little baby Ferrari and a great chick magnet! That said, that tiny little thing with only a .9 liter engine really wasn’t up to American freeways. It is disconcerting to be sitting there looking UP at the tires of tractor-trailer rigs. Lot’s of required maintenance and if you didn’t do it, they predictably broke. I think that is a lot of the reason for the Fix It Again Tony reputation; they were cheap cars often bought by young people lacking both money and sense, so they didn’t get well maintained and, of course, the inevitable repair couldn’t be the owner’s fault.
‘Course, can you imagine the average driver/owner today actually dealing with the maintenance that went into carburetted, points ignition, manual transmission cars back then? I hang on some boat boards and most boats still have carburettors and many still have points ignitions. The bitching and moaning from people who’ve never known anything but the “tune it up at 100K miles” fuel injected, electronic ignition car engines is incredible; they simply can’t believe you have to do all that “stuff” to an engine to keep it running.
In Vino Veritas
I guess that was the difference Achance
kyle8 (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 6:53PM EST (link)My dad, who was a mechanic taught me to change all the fluids regularly, check the points and plugs, and listen for anything that sounds unusual.
“Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty”
Kyle
Yeah, me too, mostly.
Achance (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 6:58PM EST (link)I was a farm boy who had grease under his fingernails at a very early age, so I could and usually would take care of it. I don’t know what young men do these days to curry a girl’s favor since you don’t have to work on cars much anymore. Being able to fix a girl’s car was often the first step on the stairway to heaven.
In Vino Veritas
Speaking of...
kyle8 (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 7:11PM EST (link)I have lately gotten into an appreciation of old engines and old technology.. there are shows held around the country where people bring their still working models of old farm equipment or old engines.Including steam power.
I went to one recently and there was an old steam tractor from 1904 that was still in operation, and an 1912 tractor that ran on kerosene.
I don’t know why, but I am fascinated by this.
“Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty”
Kyle
Same here, I can spend hours staring at a steam engine.
Achance (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 7:13PM EST (link)When I lived in ATL, the Southern Railway still existed and still had its exhibition steam engine fleet. I’ve travelled all over the Southeast behind steam power and in early 20th Century cars.
In Vino Veritas
Grandad was a 55 year veteran of N&W
Jack_Savage (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 10:42PM EST (link)Now Norfolk Southern. You would dig the Transportation Museum in Roanoke, VA.
I have a couple of great N&W steam videos.
Achance (Diary) Friday, May 1st at 11:34AM EST (link)One is of the big Y6b Mallets working in the ’50s, the other is of the restored A Class 4-6-6-4s. The Y6b was a huge 2-8-8-2 compound mallet that used high pressure steam on the fixed engine and low pressure cylinders using exhaust steam on the front, articulated engine. The most striking sequence is one of them being used as a switcher and going down a very steep mine spur to pick up some loaded coal hoppers. The engineer hooks the string of hoppers with the front coupler and is backing up the grade to put the cars in his train. The grade is so steep that with the load all the wheels, all sixteen driving wheels, break lose repeatedly; sparks flying off the wheels, stack shotgunning and throwing cinders high in the air. Great steam locomotive drama! What did you Grandad do for N&W?
I’d like to get to the N&W museum. I went to the B&O museum in Baltimore a few years ago. I’ve also been to the California rail museum in Sacramento. They have a Southern Pacific Cab Forward 2-8-8-2 that is a very impressive locomotive, though I don’t think it is operable anymore. I used to go to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga back when I lived in ATL. They had lots of good stuff including SR 4501 when it wasn’t out doing steam excursions.
In Vino Veritas
Cool - check out the photos of O. Winston Link sometime
Jack_Savage (Diary) Friday, May 1st at 12:51PM EST (link)He took black and whites of N&W trains back in the fifties and the O. Winston Link Museum is also in Roanoke.
Grandad was a station master at a small local station in SW VA. I have the telegraph that he used there. He was also an entrepreneur, farming cattle, operating a country store and running a tomato canning factory. Rumor has it that sometimes the tomato trucks were useful for transporting corn liquor, but all family members deny this was the case.
Pardon the Hijack
Alone_in_the_Dotte Friday, May 1st at 2:10AM EST (link)Go to Rollag! A must for any engine geek–steam, gas, tractors…you name it.
Worth the trip just for the Snow engine!
http://www.rollag.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn7u6xoeIMs
If it was a babe magnet
LoveThatConstitution Friday, May 1st at 11:18AM EST (link)How can you call it useless?
Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
- Ronald Reagan
Strange indeed
Kyle-MI (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 4:41PM EST (link)Normally under a chapter 11, wouldn’t a judge make decisions on the restructuring? If Obama is calling all the shots, isn’t this a violation of the separation of powers? I don’t remember any provisions in the bailout law for this situation.
Bottom line for Chrysler is that they would be better off if they had filed for chapter 11 in the first place instead of taking federal money.
I had the same thought
red4ever (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 6:23PM EST (link)With all the blathering about how they will come out of bankruptcy in 30 or 60 days, it seems they are making judicial pronouncements.
The Dems already control Congress and the White House, interfering with the courts (even before a SCOTUS appointment) was the final step. Courts are not supposed to be politicized.
The bankruptcy judge should rule based on what is the best interest of the creditors, not what Obama wants. Those creditors that did not agree to reduce their exposure were actually doing exactly what they are supposed to do. Their duty is to their company, not to Chrysler, not to Obama’s agenda. If the lawyers had given too much, they would have committed malpractice.
The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.
Dante
30 to 60 days My A**
JamesLBurns (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 10:43PM EST (link)Unless Obama is going to rewrite bankruptcy law there is no possible way to get into and out of bankruptcy in 60 days. You wouldn’t even get a claim bar date within 60 days
Uh-huh
red4ever (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 11:19PM EST (link)Bankruptcy law is what Obama says it is — because he won.
The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.
Dante
Chrysler
smitch61 Thursday, April 30th at 4:58PM EST (link)I live in Michigan, today is not a good day….. News is flowing fast, I can get you updated when I have all the facts….. small snag occurred today that was not expected (by the president apparently and his task force that knows everything) Plants closed immediately today as the suppliers will stop shipping to Chrysler in fear they will not get paid. The hopemeister said today that business would carry on as usual. Just another reason he does not have a clue. The Bankruptcy organized through the government is being filed in NY, most of the creditors are in MI / another snag as the laws are different in that state..
I was saying this when Obama took office
izoneguy (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 5:20PM EST (link)any supplier for Chrysler or GM should stop shipping to them….
Better to have some business with the rest of the auto industry then to get dragged down. Kinda like chopping your foot off when it gets caught in a bear trap. It hurts like hell but you will live another day.
The point cannot be made often enough: Modern liberalism, as embodied in the Obama presidency, is the defender of the status quo. And the status quo is a road to economic ruin. Political forces cannot redistribute the wealth that the economic system does not produce.
So, let's play a game...
vettepilot (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 5:26PM EST (link)How will the administration intervene with the suppliers to “encourage” them to continue filling the United Auto Work’s, er Chrysler’s, supply chain?
Manipulation of suppliers’ credit lines via TARP banks is my first guess. Maybe a closed door session in Washington with ACORN outside holding pitchforks?
Yep, Ford is keeping one eye open at all times
izoneguy (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 5:36PM EST (link)This situation really sucks. All the while Chrysler & GM will keep running ads paid for by the taxpayers to buy cars made by union workers that are bailed out by the taxpayers as they get loans from the bailed out banks using taxpayer dollars….All dollars loaned that will have to be paid back with plenty of interest…..
In the end all of this is not sustainable. The sooner the American public resist’s the better. I would not be comfortable spemding my sons future tax dollars to bail out Obama & the UAW.
The point cannot be made often enough: Modern liberalism, as embodied in the Obama presidency, is the defender of the status quo. And the status quo is a road to economic ruin. Political forces cannot redistribute the wealth that the economic system does not produce.
BUY FORD
smitch61 Thursday, April 30th at 5:45PM EST (link)Or any foreign vehicle made in the USA. The only entity the president cares about is the UAW, he needs them for his re election. The estimate here is that it would take at least three years for the plants to be ready to take FIAT vehicles. Then there are the United State regulations the government has strangled the auto companies with.
Ford operates under the UAW doesn't it?
kyle8 (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 5:52PM EST (link)But Saturn does not,does it? I have been very satisfied with Saturns, I hope they are spun off on their own.
“Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty”
Kyle
Saturn is dead.
cwilson (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 7:27PM EST (link)Read all about it.
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom — go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! –Samuel Adams
Interesting quote from the article
Jack_Savage (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 9:41PM EST (link)“Working with its dealers, GM anticipates reducing its U.S. dealer count from 6,246 in 2008 to 3,605 by the end of 2010, a reduction of 42 percent.”
So the government is backing GM cars, but you won’t be able to find a dealership within 100 miles to do warranty work. PERFECT.
what due you want to bet
JoeG Friday, May 1st at 12:35AM EST (link)That all dealers closed will get their full contract payout from GM and Chrysler even though both will be bankrupt?
It pays to be heavy political donors.
I like Saturn too
smitch61 Thursday, April 30th at 6:02PM EST (link)There is a rumor….. again rumor that FORD may pick up saturn
Under Mussolini
jimmuy8 (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 6:03PM EST (link)the trains ran on time. Under Obama, the cars just keep getting built.
Never mind that no one is buying them. Did anyone ride the trains?
If the unions members thought the private management was bad, they ain’t seen nothing yet. The pigs have moved into the farmhouse and there will be greater equality.
Mark my words: There will be all sorts of pay cuts, lay-offs and other perks getting slashed that the union members never thought would happen now that profitability * is the only thing keeping the union bosses fat. When it was someone else’s turnip they didn’t mind trying to squeeze a few more drops of blood.
* Of course, that now means profitability by government standards which means anything up to or less than a double-digit loss is “profitable.”
PS: Expect the “jobs saved” rhetoric to now include some multiple of Chrysler jobs.
Absolutely correct, esp. on the "jobs saved" point
Jack_Savage (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 6:18PM EST (link)Obama made a BIG point of saying in the news conference today that “this will save thirty thousand jobs at Chrysler, and tens of thousands more at suppliers across the country.” Chalk those up on the Obamameter.
I wouldn’t buy a Chrysler or Chevy now if you swore to shoot me if I didn’t, which may be coming soon.
Rush made a great observation today about this...
conservativemusician Thursday, April 30th at 10:08PM EST (link)When he joked about how the salary negotiations would go now that the leadership and workers are both union based. What a wake up call this will be to the union boss/thugs who worked at every turn to screw over management during union contract negotiations in the past.
This is going to get messy…and as much as Obama doesn’t want to think about profits, reality is going to set in when no one buys his stupid green glorified lawnmower cars.
How can Ford compete?
Common_Cents (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 6:47PM EST (link)with Chrysler and Government Motors having an employee pricing sale, buy a car and get a free pension and health care funded by the taxpayers.
I’m only half kidding.
Obama=Golfer in Chief, Leading from,
behind, the Back Nine.Leaders don’t create movements. Movements create leaders. Get involved. Your future depends on it.
Govt “invests” YOUR tax money for POLITICAL return rather than economic return.
Yeah...especially since Chrysler and GM will have union employees in the showrooms...
conservativemusician Thursday, April 30th at 9:37PM EST (link)Who will kneecap anyone who leaves without buying anything.
Nobody walks. Nobody! nt
Common_Cents (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 9:54PM EST (link)Obama=Golfer in Chief, Leading from,
behind, the Back Nine.Leaders don’t create movements. Movements create leaders. Get involved. Your future depends on it.
Govt “invests” YOUR tax money for POLITICAL return rather than economic return.
Ford's advantage
Kyle-MI (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 10:02PM EST (link)Ford has been able to renegotiate UAW contracts based on the concessions they are giving to GM and Chrysler. Most importantly Ford has more freedom to actually try to satisfy the demands of their customers.
death of Hummer
JLenardDetroit (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 10:18PM EST (link)agree with your point about Ford, though the Liberals will still push them through Government regulations and whatever means of Taxation (they will either by taxes or pathetic Energy policies drive up the cost of Gasoline again) to push them into shrinking vehicles….
The Liberals simple DO NOT CARE what happens to/with GM as long as the Unions get control and HUMMER DIES. They DO NOT want Hummer to be Sold, they want it DEAD!
Regards from NoMoTown (the MOTORlessCITY)
“Liberals, looking to do for? America what they’ve done for? Detroit! which is DESTROY IT!”
“I think, therefore I am Conservative”
“Conservative by choice, Republican by necessity”
“You can lead a Liberal to the Truth/Facts, but you cannot make them THINK!”
“Romney [No, not my first choice] does NOT have a MORMON problem. He has a, far too many Americans; these days; are MORONS problem!”
Follow @JLenardDetroit
(RS:Help) (JLD) (Hollyweird) (Brain-deads) (SPIN-cycle) (Obamaocare) (Party of kNOw) (Conservatism) (TEApeats) (respectful) (message) (Warning: Children Will Die!!)
Heil “O” Hell No Obamao is NOT MY PRESIDENT! “No U won’t”
I want “O” to FAIL (here, here, & whole Diary (Ofail) here, is why)
“The first Liberal was Satan” – a Rush caller (other Quotes)
Breaking News: Obama to rename Chrysler....Lada! n/t
stang (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 6:54PM EST (link)http://newsletters.cii.in/newsletters/russian_newsletter/july07/images/industry_automobile.pdf
“Whenever the legislators endeavor to take away and destroy the property of the people, or to reduce them to slavery under arbitrary power, they put themselves into a state of war with the people, who are thereupon absolved from any farther obedience, and are left to the common refuge which God hath provided for all men against force and violence.”
John Locke
Actually, FIAT Has Great Product These Days-
reaganiterepublicanresistance Thursday, April 30th at 7:05PM EST (link)And Obama is a hypocrite, criticizing Mopar for not making enough small cars… his last car in Chicago was a Chrysler 300M… with Hemi power, please.
BTW, I spend a lot of time in Europe, and believe it or not, FIAT makes a fantastic car these days. IMO they might put some decent product in Chrysler showrooms. The CEO is an Italian-Canadian, Marchionne, who’s a genius… completely turned FIAT, Alfa, and Lancia around., Nice cars. And their small car tech is impressive, they got a lot of cars that have good power and get 40-50mpg..,. sounds like what Obama is looking for.
Other than those positives, I agree with all you say here, Francis- great piece. The deal isn’t really very good for we the taxpayer, but in this enviroment nobody else is going to pay to take a crack at it.
.[Photo]http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com
The Reaganite Republican
What happened between last night and this morning?
SoFiMil (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 7:06PM EST (link)Francis, aka Blackhedd,
Can you provide insight on this, please? Was Chrylser’s declaration of bankruptcy expected this soon?
At last night’s prime time presser, Obama said: “I am actually very hopeful, more hopeful than I was 30 days ago, that we can see a resolution that maintains a viable Chrysler auto company out there.”
Did the Obama know this was coming this morning? If not, should he and his advisors have seen it coming (this morning). [Admittedly, the bankruptcy itself is not a surprise.]
www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com
I think what changed is that...
wdgf Friday, May 1st at 1:36AM EST (link)…he got his 100 day hoo-haw out of the way. Didn’t want a Chrysler bankruptcy to mar that “magic”.
I wish that Jeep could escape this somehow, but I’m not hopeful.
Oregon? Could O give them Oregon?
Alberta (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 7:39PM EST (link)I kid.
Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.
Abraham Lincoln
Be The First On Your Block....
rcov092 (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 8:19PM EST (link)to own a new Chrobamiat. You’ll marvel at the following specifications:
.75 litre 1 & 1/2 cylinder cylinder engine desighned to return 44 mpg of burnt canola oil.
A zippy 0-60 in 4 minutes, if it could go 60.
Beatufil Cjartreuse Interio appointments selected by Barney Frank and Nancy Pelosi.
Braking Distance determined by what shoes you are wearing.
A sticker price of $ 4,500. (after $97,000 government subsidy).
All backed by a 48 year warranty with a meager 4,700 dollar deductible per occurrance.
But of course, you will have to apply 13 yeasr in advance and submit the proper evidence of your voting habits to qualify.
But then of course, it will be proudly driven by the comrades of the UAW leadership.
Boycott Chrysler and GM as long as The US and UAW are the largest shareholders. Let”s drive a stake through the heart of Fascism. Do not drive a zerOmobile.
“Not One Red Dime for the NRSC or NRCC till they stop trying to elect liberals”
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I have got to get my glasses changed.
rcov092 (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 8:21PM EST (link)n/t
“Not One Red Dime for the NRSC or NRCC till they stop trying to elect liberals”
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from fiasco to Fiat...
JLenardDetroit (Diary) Thursday, April 30th at 10:07PM EST (link)I just love how the Obamunists keep saying “they don’t want the Government to own or control the auto companies.” So true, why would they bother when they can hand them over to the Unions to own/operate – it’s just like having a Democrat Administration dictating/controlling them! Socialist control without the actual Government meddling!
Union concessions… will be overturned by extortion the time Auto up-turn… Happens every Auto business cycle….
Regards from NoMoTown (the MOTORlessCITY)
“Liberals, looking to do for? America what they’ve done for? Detroit! which is DESTROY IT!”
“I think, therefore I am Conservative”
“Conservative by choice, Republican by necessity”
“You can lead a Liberal to the Truth/Facts, but you cannot make them THINK!”
“Romney [No, not my first choice] does NOT have a MORMON problem. He has a, far too many Americans; these days; are MORONS problem!”
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(RS:Help) (JLD) (Hollyweird) (Brain-deads) (SPIN-cycle) (Obamaocare) (Party of kNOw) (Conservatism) (TEApeats) (respectful) (message) (Warning: Children Will Die!!)
Heil “O” Hell No Obamao is NOT MY PRESIDENT! “No U won’t”
I want “O” to FAIL (here, here, & whole Diary (Ofail) here, is why)
“The first Liberal was Satan” – a Rush caller (other Quotes)
These deals change meaning of the "Motor Voter" laws
GregInFla (Diary) Friday, May 1st at 12:49AM EST (link)Buy a car and just vote at same time, don’t bother to register!
– A true evolutionist would let endangered species die off. Think about it.
– The sign outside the courthouse said no signs allowed. So I took it down.
– Atlas Shrugged is now on the non-fiction aisle at Amazon.
If Obama bought an airline
larryp Friday, May 1st at 1:53AM EST (link)it could be called Swine Flew,,,,
Obama releases pictures of the future of Automobiles...95% will be able to afford it..
speciallist (Diary) Friday, May 1st at 1:59AM EST (link)THE NEWS STORY IS THIS: IN 100 DAYS, OBAMA'S BAILOUT OF THE AUTOMAKING INDUSTRY IS A BIG FAILURE. AND HE OWNS IT BIGTIME. nt
Rod_Patrick (Diary) Friday, May 1st at 3:43AM EST (link)He owns it, literally and figuratively, and we Owe it...
speciallist (Diary) Friday, May 1st at 4:27AM EST (link)We can not even wrap our minds around the amount of money he has WASTED…..what an incompetent, dangerous Jerk
yeah, bro. Obama owns it! nt
Rod_Patrick (Diary) Friday, May 1st at 5:17AM EST (link)Is this completely dependent on the judge being a puppet?
bk (Diary) Friday, May 1st at 4:31AM EST (link)It seems like Obama made all sorts of arrangements just before he announces the bankruptcy. How is that any different than someone like Madoff or Stanford getting ready to go down and paying off whatever money he’s got to selected friends and family members before going down?
Maybe it’s more limited under Chapter 11 than under Chapter 7, but could a judge with balls throw out these prearranged deals? If I was a bondholder getting completely shafted out of my bond money over and above my tax money while the UAW and Cerberus were protected, I’d be raising holy hell in court.
The New York judge angle
Kyle-MI (Diary) Friday, May 1st at 11:06AM EST (link)Heard today on the radio that the reason this is in a New York court is to reduce any influence of the UAW. The finance people who have been pushing against some aspects of this deal were worried that no Michigan judge could be impartial enough about the UAW. Since the finance people are based in NY, they pushed for a NY court. Take this information for what it is worth, but it does sound somewhat hopeful in light of all the other bad things about this situation.