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The Big 3 and the domestic issues that will affect them
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>>>I was one of four US citizens out of twenty-three incoming students at a major US university.
Oh, it is a very similar here, unfortunately. I am sure, however, that your department would have loved to bring in more Americans. We take all we can get even if they are less qualified than the foreign applicants ...
I recently read that the portion of science and engineering students in the US has fallen below 10% while
it is above 20 some other countries, Korea and China, I think - I can dig it out if somebody wants to know. I think, this is where the discussion should start ...
>>>I'd like to hear how money that went to a US university decreased my taxes last year or somehow cut the deficit.
Well, money flowing from a foreign country into the US by definition reduces the deficit. (not the governments deficit, the overall current account deficit of the US as a whole - and it badly needs balancing).
>>>If you disagree with my assessment of professor competence, tabulate the percentage of US affiliated based papers in the major science journals (Nature, Science, Applied Physics Letter, JACS, Cell, etc.) as a function of time.
Blaming this fact (which is unfortunately true) on the competence of the professors seems a bit far fetched, don't you think? Maybe, just maybe, other countries also have smart people, AND have recently spent MORE on research and development.
Now, these are all very useful things to talk about (though not here, as we are getting seriously OT).
For the record, this entire discussion has NOT produced any proof for Rockys allegations of "grants" paid towards the college costs of foreigners.
I am out of here.
We should make all government officials drive /use vehicles that match the CAFE standards!
Regards,
OW
Of course, that would require creative thinking and a proactive stance, both of which have been in short supply around Dearborn these past few years.
Poor Mitt Romney probably grew up on a steady diet of Ramblers and AMC cars, given his father's occupation, so he would be especially appreciative!
The heck with CAFE - start small and just make them wear their seatbelts. :P
Actually, it has. Those grants are paid my their home governments, whereas students in the USA do not get such grants from their (our) government for the most part (I speak from direct experience). Those other governments know that it's money well-invested, because those students will come back with education and knowledge that will help that country's economy and industry (here is where it comes back on topic) including such things and engineering and design of vehicles and vehicle components.
Whereas the American government buys advertising to encourage people to spend their own money on these degrees instead. Instead of paying for the students to go to school, they're subsidizing the advertising industry. :P
HAHAHAH!
Regards,
OW
Of course, that would require creative thinking and a proactive stance,"
We can't answer your questions if you answer them first..... Amen!
What could you possibly mean by government officials not earing seat belts? (Please note, I'm a New Jersey resident....actually that little bit of creative driving and passengering (?)happened about 20 miles from my house.)
Regards,
OW
It's getting to the point where the middle working class can't afford a new car as often becausethey need to set a side money to pay for medical benefits. The priceofcars keeps going up while real wages keep going down. I can take a look around at my family and friends for the results of capitalism. :mad: I also will note while I was getting my car serviced at Grand Allegan, my good buddy who's the General Manager did interview me for a sales job but told me it would be tough as the volume at the dealership has plummeted because of all the good jobs have left.
-Rocky
Leaders of General Motors, Ford and the Chrysler Group on Wednesday were to discuss the impact of health care, trade and energy policies on their companies, and urge Senate leaders at a private luncheon meeting to consider an alternative to a proposed overhaul of Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards for vehicles.
This is where they say "We do not know how to do that!"
Regards,
OW
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/opinion/20070606_Graduating_to_Starbucks.html
I couldn't agree with you more pal. The auto plants are good indicator's of how tough life can really become. Your generation enjoyed the best this country had to offer. My generation will have to work 2 or 3 McJobs to buy a Chevy Aveo. :sick:
-Rocky
"The CEOs of Ford and Chrysler are begging the Fed to lower rates. I mean, on their hands and knees," Stahl remarks.
"I would suggest they focus on selling, creating better cars for their customers," Greenspan says.
Period...THE END.
Regards,
OW
-Rocky
For Jim Press, Chrysler LLC's new co-vice-chairman, the welcome has been not quite so welcoming. On one of his first days on the job, Toyota's former top U.S. executive got pulled over for speeding on Interstate 75 in Oakland County. Press confessed he was motoring about 10 miles over the speed limit in the right-hand lane.
"I was being passed by a number of cars," Press told reporters at a recent Chrysler event in Las Vegas. He gingerly sought some sympathy from the officer, asking if he "could go with the flow of traffic." The officer simply replied, "You're going over the posted speed limit."
At least Press had his Michigan driver's license. And he was driving a Chrysler vehicle -- a Dodge Nitro.
Imagine the late show fodder if he had been stopped in a vehicle from the lineup of his former employer.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071020/AUTO01/710200317/1148- /rss25
-Rocky
P.S. I'm surprised they even pulled him over. Hope he only got a warning.
-Rocky
I agree with the previous posting. When I traveled through Detroit 15 years ago, you'd be hard-pressed to find a non-Big3 vehicle. Foreign cars were seemingly outnumbered by domestic brand vehicles 99-1. Today, if you drive through Detroit, you'll find the ratio running much closer to 50/50 (with a possible bias toward domestics).
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071023/OPINION03/710230332/1- 148/AUTO01
-Rocky
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071214/AUTO01/712140358/1148-
GAGRICE, what do you think pal ???? :surprise: Looks like a giant mess !!!! :surprise:
-Rocky
If you're a Detroit 3 dealer, don't expect a blowout factory sale this winter. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler are planning big first-quarter production cuts -- a clear sign they want to limit factory rebates.
-Rocky
I thought we would never see a Explorer, again !!! :surprise:
-Rocky
Those who grew-up as Tom Brokaw’s “Greatest Generation” sacrificed a great deal before and during World War II, to protect us from Nazism and Fascism, but they were greatly rewarded at the end of the conflict. The domestic factories which had pulled together for the war effort had reversed back into peacetime activities, providing good jobs for many a returning vet. Inflation was on the low side, and colleges were more affordable. Then there was the GI Bill which funded many a higher education for a returning vet. Even those who didn’t take advantage of Uncle Sam’s offer, found good jobs in manufacturing and other disciplines. It was a time of boom - both in housing and in birth rates. However, as the “Greatest Generation” depart, so do the good times in the job and career market. Under current laws, corporations have become worldwide behemoths beholding to nobody. Most factory work is now shipped overseas for cheap labor to be resold here. The benefit - products cost less, the cons - more people are laid off, and those with only a high school education are being relegated to part time minimum-wage, working for multinational discount stores who only offer pseudo benefits at best.
We’ve gone from the “Greatest Generation“, to the “Free Love Generation“, to the preppy “Me Generation” to the “X-Generation” and going directly into the “Sold-Out Generation” and after that, into the trash. Right now, we are worried that America will soon have a sign on the pedestal of Lady Liberty saying “Foreclosed!...Best Offer Accepted” by the World Banking community.
Sadly, much of the last few generations of middle to lower classes are not encouraging their children to be bullish about their futures. Too many parents who spent their youth in the “Hippy Culture” and dropped out, have children that are dropping out because they see no hope in their future. I guess you might call the next generation, “The Accept It Generation” as they adapt to a life of second, and later, third world status.
The past eight years under the Bush Administration has been a travesty for America - it shows what can happen when we make poor judgments in picking a President. And the "No Child Left Behind" program is a sick joke. It was only campaign rhetoric, with no thought on how to implement it beyond the election. Simply ask school administrator and teachers what they think of it off the record. We are now paying for it...and we will continue to pay for it into the next Administration. I really pity the next President in her/his Administration - rather then moving ahead, they will be obsessed to repairing the damage left by the current Administration. And what that means for us is getting ready to pay the Piper with interest.
So, how will the current President cope with his failed Administration...he won’t! He gets a nice golden parachute for the damage he’s done. And he knows that he and the Republicans can blame the next President for all the problems he left the new administration when it reaches the end of it’s term.
But lets get back to that high school student of yours. What can you do as a parent to prepare your child for the future. Be honest, be direct, offer encouragement. First, get your son or daughter to understand the current dilemmas that we face at present by having a fact-filled conversation. Examples of the current political and career environment will help. Point out that a high school experience is the end of their basic training. Encourage them to research their future with just a high school degree compared to a higher degree. Even if you can’t financially help them, you can help them emotionally gain the strength they need to carry on and go forward. Never, ever, discourage your child as to what goals they can attain. A little story on that. My dad didn’t want me to achieve beyond high school...to him college was out of the question. He worked very hard on convincing me to get a factory job beyond graduation. Thankfully, I didn’t buy his idea about my future. And I perceptively knew industries had a slippery slope at best. I also knew that other than a factory, I’d be forced to work in a minimum wage job in a restaurant or store with little, and really no benefits. Our school system had a scholarship program for high school seniors, and if we were interested, to apply for the program. I did! And I went a step further and earned a limited scholarship as well. My dad had a really bad habit of opening my personal mail and reading it. So when I got my award letter and acceptance letter from a state college, he walked into my bedroom with the open letter in hand and said “I really think you should pass on this college thing” as he smirked at my surprise. I sat up in bed and told him to go f#%k himself, I was going to college! Its a sad commentary, and as parents, I hope you don’t make the same mistake!
No one can predestine someone’s future. In one psychology, they may not want to have another build themselves up for a disappointment. In other thoughts, a parent may be jealous of their child’s achievements might lessen theirs. But the bigger question is what right does a parent have to discourage their child(s) growth. If its a matter of (many times it is) money, offer them encouragement to seek financial aid, work-study program - and if possible, free meal, board and a quiet place to study. I got none of that - I was forced to pay rent from junior high school onward - and no, the money was not put away to help me - my brothers shared the same fate. I’m glad I took control of my own life!
So how do I wrap this up? Well, first, be an encouragement to your child’s educational growth - believe in that child’s potential. Get your daughter(s) and son(s) to understand the real world they face. Let them experience life with a low-paying job in junior high and high school. Ask them where they see their future and how they plan to achieve it - get them thinking! Try to work out a deal with them that one half of their net pay goes to (your child) them...more important, the other half goes for savings bonds to help finance their higher education. One note, even if a child decides not to go to college, encourage them to go to a good trade school, and seek an internship in their area of interest. I did that on my own by hanging out at a local public, and later, network-affiliated television station - my interest was broadcasting - both on the talent and production ends.
...at the very least, give your children emotional encouragement to reach for their dreams - and their potential. It will make you a real hero to many generations to come!