So what do you make of the long waiting list of consumers waiting to buy a new Camaro?
I think that, assuming GM is still in business when this car comes out, there will be an initial pent-up surge of buyers and then a year later sales will be rapidly declining. Within 4 years after introduction GM will discontinue the car. This is a fad car and the Mustang has already taken most of those buyers. Sort of like the PT Cruiser vs. HHR. GM is always late to the table.
That is crazy man. How about when the warranty is up and you get stuck with a $3000 repair bill? Is the UAW going to help you out because they may have been drunk that Monday when they assembled your engine?
Sorry you had such bad luck with your D3 car. $3000? That would be like losing the engine and tranny at the same time right? Oh wait, those have 100k mile warranty. The D3 factories that are having cuts in employment lately are some of the highest rated for quality in North America. I think your experience basis is stuck about a decade back in time.
I've been blessed with D3 cars that have things like batteries go bad after 7 years and a water pump leak a tiny bit at 75k miles. These hits didn't end up being life altering. My last 4 recently sold GMs were sold with 185k, 125k, 168k, and 157k miles, so I tried to get to the big failures but couldn't.
The economy was up for the past 3-4 years and even profitable SUVs were selling well, and GM was still not making a profit. They need to try a different formula.
I recall meeting the Ford Expedition employees at Black Lake, Michigan about 8 or so years ago. They were setting high on the hog. This was prior to the 2000 and a half Tahoe. There was money there. Ford had given each employee a computer.
That was about the time that the SUV was the American dream. Zero percent, employee pricing, and now the Red Tag Sale. All of the automakers saw this as a profitable market and rushed in to compete, not to fill a void. Each time someone gets that new SUV, there is a trade in, they glutted the market. These days its very common to see Mexican-Americans going to the garage sales in those traded in SUV's, which still have plenty of their life cycle left. Bottom line is that too many players (competition) watered down the profits. Then high fuel cost made them the American nightmare. I had one of the 2000 and a half 4WD Tahoe's built in Janesville. I dumped it in 2005 as fuel was just starting to rise. It was still in mint condition and still got $20,000 for it with 60,000 or so miles on it. That was a good move on my part. MSRP was $39,000, but I paid much less, I don't recall exactly.
I've been watching that Mini Cooper, and see the custom/personalized paint jobs. Much like what Nike/Converse and the shoe manufacturers are doing. They have favorite sports teams, many countries, and other personalized consumer oriented marketing gimmicks which keep them from looking like clones. This is something to consider and brings in more of an array of colors. Then again, I fear that they would all look like the Dallas Cowboy edition.
I feel that teenagers would know what is so called "TYTE". I know that navigation, and a ghetto blaster (sound system) is high on their priority list. As they say in Japan, "we have to think out of the box". then we have to consider the soccer mom, the executive, the six pack Joe, and all the demographics.
$3000 does not get you an engine + transmission anymore. I have seen dealerships charging over $1K to diagnose electronic issues, then changing out one little ECU (or some "chip") or oxygen sensor, or probably just resetting some code. While parts prices may still be reasonable, shops/dealers can easily manipulate their hours plus other ancillary parts to pad the bill, easily going over $ 1K, $2K, especially if the car is still under warranty (they bilk the factory).
This was the heyday of the SUV. Again I will repeat that Autos and housing almost always go into recession first and recover first as a rule of thumb.
Annual profits from selling SUVs increased ninefold from 1990 to 2000. For each Expedition it sold, Ford cleared $12,000 in profit courtesy of the vehicle’s cheaper, older truck manufacturing technique. The Michigan Truck Plant, which was where Expeditions (in addition to trucks) were made, became the single most profitable factory in any industry anywhere in the world in the 90s. The factory’s annual production, which included other profitable trucks as well, was worth $11 billion, or $2.4 billion in after-tax profits in 1998. Such prosperity trickled down to assembly line workers, some of whom pocketed $100,000 a year as factories ran around the clock. Bradsher attributes much of the mid-90s economic boom in the Midwest not to dot com companies, but to the SUV boom and the immense profits for Ford.
The economy was up for the past 3-4 years and even profitable SUVs were selling well, and GM was still not making a profit. They need to try a different formula.
In 04 Ford was $14 a share and has trended to about $2, in 4 years this regressive trend is empirical evidence that SUV's haven't been their savior. GM has company in this regard.
Merry Xmas to you and yours my friend and good luck on your sixty second solutions to the problems that plague mankind. I'm certain that some concern will see the executive analytical abilities in you and the CEO offers will be coming shortly.
Is it true that they sell beer out of a vending machine in Japan, much like soda?
Beer & Sake 1998: Yes, that's right... you can buy alchoholic beverages from vending machines. The sizes range from a cup-sized container of sake (pre-heated and everything!) to half-gallon cans of Asahi beer, with all the familiar American beers in between. Apparently, teenagers are on the honor system to not abuse these... though some newer machines include a camera that photographs the purchaser. Kinda common.
You can easily spend $1,000 on replacing a knock sensor these days (ask me how I know :sick: ).
"As the automakers scramble to renegotiate worker contracts and outstanding debt, the UAW has expressed concern over concessions its workers must make in the near future.
“While we appreciate that President Bush has taken the emergency action needed to help America's auto companies weather the current financial crisis, we are disappointed that he has added unfair conditions singling out workers,” UAW President Ron Gettelfinger said in a statement. "
"UAW President Ron Gettelfinger is upset the White House didn't involve the organization during its meeting with automakers this past Friday. He believes the Bush Administration placed unfair blame on the backs of hard working Americans. Gettelfinger says he hopes the incoming administration will treat the UAW with more respect."
He believes the Bush Administration placed unfair blame on the backs of hard working Americans. Gettelfinger says he hopes the incoming administration will treat the UAW with more respect."
Typical UAW reaction. Bite the hand that feeds you. Gettlefinger is a DOG... The Bush bailout just said get your act together by March 2009. Did not put any bite into the program. Just a big Christmas present to GM and Chrysler. And he has the nerve to whine. Just proves to me how ignorant UAW management has been for decades. I would have said cut the UAW contract by 20% across the board before GM sees a penny. And no more early buyouts or bonuses. Reduced retirement benefits and they are on their own for health care. To survive GM needs to set the clock back about 30 years. NO TWO TIERED wages. Cut everyone the same.
yeah, I didn't even hear from the Port Angeles job at all. My wife and I have since decided that it's probably best we stay in SE Arizona. We both are working for the hospital and making good money with good insurance and all. The Respiratory Care Department here has 3 peope(including me) and the one in PA has 8. Less office politics here by far!
I will still get a WA state RT license and keep it updated in case I want to work there someday in RT.
dallasdude, I don't know the percentage of hospital workers who get staph infections but it increses exponentially with the larger hospitals. More patients=more cases of staph=higher chances workers will catch it. Terrible affliction to get this staph infection and it really complicates things when people already have different diseases and infections they're running. :sick:
My wife and I have dental insurance and I tried out a Tucson dentist to get costs involved for my individual treatment plan. Not a pretty picture unfortunately, thousands of dollars of work will be required.
So, I am going to go to Mexico for my dental work, I already have an appointment in early Jan.'09. I estimate the costs in Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico to be $600-$800 where the same work would've cost me $3600 at the Tucson, Arizona dentist! No passport is required to go over the border until June of '09. I will just need a birth certificate and a piece of ID to get across. Our drug, hospital and dental bills are all too high in the U.S. This idea of crossing the border for both dental and medical treatment is gaining converts daily. Makes sense to me, they do speak English to you and, according to reports(one of them from my workmate in Willcox)they do excellent dental work and treat you right. Seems a no-brainer to this padre.
Oh, I think I'll leave my '08 Lancer GTS in a paid parking lot on the U.S. side in Douglas, AZ. I don't feel comfortable taking the baby over there to Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico.
Merry Xmas my friend, glad to hear that your happy. It amazes me that we do little to reform the health care. The AMA has done well for its membership. The value added leaning and other cost savings measures which most industries are missing in health care.
$650 billion in waste/muda $500 per person/year in no value added administrative/insurance cost We pay twice as much for drugs
I would highly recommend doing that. I have many friends in Alaska and CA that go just across the border for dental work. One friend I visited in Alaska had just gotten back from vacation with dental work. It costs about 1/4 the US price. He told me the dental clinic was walking distance across the border. It was the most modern Dentist office he has seen. All the latest equipment. It does not pay to waste money on dental coverage in the USA. The 50% copay is more than getting the work done in Mexico.
All those UAW retirees need to spend the winter in AZ and get all their dental work done across the border.
>Give up retirees medical? Where is this free lunch described in capitalism? There is no free lunch and your just pushing that cost off onto the taxpayers. Why is that different than a bail out?"
When IBM started getting into financial trouble and began reconstruction, a lot of changes took place. For instance they stopped paying OT for anything over 8 hours per day. Instead they adopted the over 40 hours per week scale.
Something else was to get the employees to contribute toward their health plan, that had been free. First it was $25 a month for the United Health Care plan that was excellent. Every year it went up and we eventually were paying $300+ monthly, as our contribution, for an HMO. I didn't care for the HMO, but I couldn't any longer justify the United Health Care insurance, as it was closer to $700 a month. Although the HMO was more of a hassle, we were still able to find excellent medical services.
I see absolutely no reason that UAW employees can't do the same thing. Saw somewhere, that may be wrong, that there are 750K GM retirees. If that is true and each contributed $300 monthly toward their insurance, it would save the company $ 22 million monthly, Add in all those still working and it can be a sizable chunk of change.
Questions: UAW talks of the sacrifices they have made. What are they as far as retirees and the workers that don't fall under the "New Hire" plan?
For a person retiring with 30 years at GM , that is earning say $30 hourly ($62,000 yearly), What is his retirement as far as pension and healthcare, and other bennefits ? Does he retire at $62K ? More? Less?
The question is, how much of the waste goes to the malpractice insurance and into the pockets of attorneys like John Edwards? As far back as the 1980s an OB-GYN was paying $30k to $60k per year in malpractice insurance. One nights stay in the hospital $15k. How much of that is Insurance to cover everyone's behind.
This is all part of the UAW-GM problem. There was no way when contracts were signed 30 years ago, to know that we would have so many ambulance chasing attorneys that would be running up the price of medical care.
Those that think there is waste in Health Care now. Just wait until the Feds get involved. Look at the fraud in Medicare.
MIAMI (AP) — Three days a week, Philip Audette sat in a cushy white chair at the St. Jude Rehab Center, a needle pumping HIV drugs into his arm. He talked and laughed with a dozen other patients, all in good health, all receiving drugs they didn't need. All for the money.
Audette says he made $100 to $200 every visit, nearly $10,000 over several months, selling his Medicare number to the clinic's three owners, the Benitez brothers, who were later indicted on charges of bilking $119 million from Medicare.
Authorities say there are thousands in South Florida like Audette, and federal officials say they play a large role in the fraud overwhelming the national Medicare system.
We have a government that is inept at anything of importance, and people mistakenly think they can administer Universal Healthcare. What a big joke on the Taxpayers.
Shoot, GM was late to the table the first time around. Ford had its Mustang out in mid 1964. The Chevrolet Camaro didn't arrive until 1967. AMC waited until 1968 with the Javelin. Truth is, Plymouth beat them all to the table with the 1964 Barracuda.
Wow, when my cars get up to those mileages, I just keep 'em until they die or are victims of accidents. The one good thing about 'Yotas and Hondas with those mileages is that you can sell them to chumps for close to their original prices.
Kids want what they want and smart marketers will provide it. I saw a young guy buying a .38 snubnose revolver. He got it in a red and stainless steel finish, (frame was red, barrel and cylinder were stainless) and the gunsmith engraved the logo of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team on it. It looked tacky as heck IMO, but the kid was happy.
The knock sensor on my '99 Quest costs around $170 and it's buried good. Shifty looked up the labor in the rate book and it came out to 5.2 hours of labor. My mechanic did it for about $550 total but ate some hours after I complained about getting charged $270 for the sensor. So figure $600 to $800 at the dealer... that's almost a Cleveland.
We've had the admin costs debate around here before - you're going to have a lot of that overhead whether it's the feds running health care or Blue Cross. And you can gleam a lot of good info from tracking health costs closely.
Nothing wrong with Mexican health care, unless you have a problem and try to seek relief. Who are you gonna sue? Edwards probably isn't a notary down there. Or go to China for your health care and enjoy having your immunizations laced with melamine.
Corker aka Sen. Nissan, is backpedaling: "GM is incredibly important to our state." (WRCB)
"The union has to be pretty bad if our union steward signed the petition,"
it's just that many of my co-workers at the Willcox hospital have gone to Mexico for tx. and it hasn't disappointed them. Evidently the equipment is primo and the dentist's skills are also excellent. I'll gladly give it a try.
MIAMI (AP) — Three days a week, Philip Audette sat in a cushy white chair at the St. Jude Rehab Center, a needle pumping HIV drugs into his arm. He talked and laughed with a dozen other patients, all in good health, all receiving drugs they didn't need. All for the money.
Audette says he made $100 to $200 every visit, nearly $10,000 over several months, selling his Medicare number to the clinic's three owners, the Benitez brothers, who were later indicted on charges of bilking $119 million from Medicare.
Authorities say there are thousands in South Florida like Audette, and federal officials say they play a large role in the fraud overwhelming the national Medicare system.
I just had a thought pop in to my head about their story. Do these drugs they're getting but not needing (and that they're getting decent money for taking) hurt their body's pH? That is one of the main reasons doctors have Respiratory Therapists get Arterial Blood Gases, to check their pt.'s body's pH, or homeostasis(the bodies internal balance of blood, organs, gas exchange in the lungs of O2 and blood, etc.). As an Allied Health Care worker I am getting the eebee-gee-bees reading that story. And the fact that it's bilking the Fed.Guv-Mint (draining taxpayer monies) just makes me want to puke...ummm....as well. :sick:
Very interesting article on de-certification. I remember a few cases of that against the AK Teamsters. The most interesting aspect is Johnson Controls asking for UAW representation. RCA did a similar thing with the Teamsters. When I was hired and moved to Anchorage the long distance was owned by the Air Force. We were getting the same wages as the Civil Service technicians. When RCA took over they cut everyone's pay by 50 cents. With the expectation we would sign cards and go Union. RCA Global was represented by Teamsters Worldwide so that was their choice and we sort of got screwed out of going with the IBEW. Many large companies do not want to deal with the individual when it comes to pay. It is easier to have a Union wage scale and everyone is treated the same. In 37 years as a Teamster, I do not remember a negotiation where we tried getting more than the company could afford. We never went on strike. Close but kept our cool. Too bad the UAW is run by hot heads that want more than GM can afford and strike at the least little reason. Now they want US to subsidize the mess they have created.
I can see why that group at Johnson Controls would like to distance themselves from the self destructive UAW.
The hospital in Mazatlan has a good reputation too. And lots of docs in Mexico are well trained in the US or the EU.
But even so, my few ex-pat friends down in Mexico say the best health care plan is to take two aspirin and get on a plane north. :shades:
Back in the day, Alaska was probably a stronger union state than Michigan ever hoped to be. The Teamsters were king makers. You have to wonder who was furnishing cigars to Jesse Carr.
And the fact that it's bilking the Fed.Guv-Mint (draining taxpayer monies) just makes me want to puke...ummm....as well
My wife got the same feeling reading the story. The wild part is these clinics going door to door recruiting people to defraud the Medicare system. I don't think they care if the infusions are detrimental. It is a scam just like Madoff. We need to re-instate the death penalty and use it on people like that. Not the stupid people being used. The doctors and clinic operators.
yeah, for medical care I will stay in my little town of Willcox. My wife and I are both getting state of the art health care. As hospital employees we both get some perks in cost of care for using our Emergency Room. If anybody in this little community(or those stopping along I-10 needing emergency health care) needs something we can't provide we fly them out on a helicopter to a Tucson ER, ICU or hospital bed. That is after intubating them if they need it, and providing any of all sorts of emergent-working drugs to stabilize them for flight, including drugs to keep them "asleep" or pain-medicated. It is work that must be done quickly and accurately-there's no room for error. My wife and I have insurance for the helicopter flight, too.
Ya never really know when you might need it. But for basic medical care we get it here in SE Arizona. And even though the traffic going south for Mexican healthcare, including serious operations for those with life-threatening diseases, is increasing, we are going to stay in America for the healthcare. Our insurance actually pays to use it in America.
As for our dental, well, that is another story, hence the short trip required south.
You have to wonder who was furnishing cigars to Jesse Carr
Easy there. He was my hero. Well not exactly. I did spend my share of time in his office for stirring up the members. Yes I would say during the 1970s he was probably the most powerful man in Alaska. Way above the governor. When he negotiated the Union hire agreement with the oil companies. At least 50% of all work on the pipeline was to be with Union workers. That agreement was in affect until 1990s.
My wife got the same feeling reading the story. The wild part is these clinics going door to door recruiting people to defraud the Medicare system. I don't think they care if the infusions are detrimental. It is a scam just like Madoff. We need to re-instate the death penalty and use it on people like that. Not the stupid people being used. The doctors and clinic operators.
gagrice, this is disgusting news. I say send them to the open floors and let the Chow Chows rip at them. I know it's not popular to let out statements like that in America, but, look at what happens when people think that they'll have little or no repercussions coming back at them? Pathetic, true. :sick:
People need to be made aware of the fraud in these government social programs. Take Obama's aunt being told to leave 4 years ago. She has lived in Boston on the tax payer ever since. There is just too much of that going on. San Diego figures treating illegal immigrants last year cost the County close to a billion dollars. It is not bad enough we are paying for our own health care. We are paying for every tom, dick and mary that comes into the country illegally. I think the problems with the automakers and the UAW are insignificant to the overall problems in our society. It seems like a gigantic dike, with leaks everywhere you look.
I am sure the rank and file UAW workers do not feel it is insignificant. Especially the ones laid off this week after the bailout was offered. To the 100s of 1000s that are laid off in every workplace in America this is a less than cheery Christmas. My heart goes out to them. I have friends and family in just their position. Including my son in Alaska. He was laid off when the Great Bear Brewery closed the end of November. He did not have the fancy jobs bank or big bucks UAW job that gave him a chance to save for a rainy or in the case of Wasilla a snowy day. Alaska was flying high with $140 oil. I would imagine next years Permanent fund will be much less with oil prices in the toilet. One persons gain is another persons loss.
I'm sure many of you are aware that GM is big in China and Africa . . . Ford is big in South America. Yet these companies are not big in Japan ,not because they can't offer a good product that they would be willing to build there but because the Japanese government makes doing business there difficult. Especially to an industry they feel will effect their similar industries,in this case the car business.
Here in the U.S. if Toyota,Honda,Nissan,etc. wants to do business here we open our doors . . . stand on our head for them . . . sure wanna avoid the UAW build your plants down in the south or in rural areas,away from big cities and the bad things that come with it . . . go where you can get a young work force ,sure will give you big tax breaks too . . . NO STRINGS ATTACHED !! Just the opposite of what the Japanees government does to American car companies !
So next time you just have to buy that Toyota,Honda,Nissan,Lexus,Infiniti ,etc. make sure it has a VIN number that starts with either a 1 ,4 or 5 . . . this indicates it was ASSEMBLED IN THE U.S. . . . better yet experts say "check" to see where 1 ) the car is assembled , 2 ) where the engine comes from and 3 ) where the transmission comes from.
If after checking that VIN number and the window sticker it is assembled say in Japan . . . tell Toyota or Honda,NO !!! I will not buy that model until you assemble it in the U.S. !! Attach strings just like the Japanese government does.
Same with buying a GM,Ford or Chrysler . . . get the one assembled in the U,S.A. not Mexico.
You might laugh at this thinking but BIG BUSINESS no matter if it is GM or Toyota THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO CARE WHERE A PRODUCT is made or assembled . . . think about why. They want the global economy thinking to have no boundries so they can "call the shots" all the time. Meanwhile our jobs disappear. Attach strings !!!!
"....I retired before 65 and just bit the bullet and paid my own health care for two years. Why is it always someone else that should pay the UAW retirees health care."
Merry Christmas, everybody!!!!
I think his point is that, as you said, you "bit the bullet", and paid your way. What is stopping anybody (you included) from just showing up at the ER or a free clinic for your healthcare, as opposed to paying for it?? I did 15 years on a volunteer rescue, and saw it all the time. People at the hospital who had no business being there ( kids w/ a cold, etc.). But, because the sign said "You have a RIGHT to treatment (to stabilze, MY paraphrasing)......"
".....If a union (or any) employee is not performing, fire him. It shouldn't matter how long they've been at the company. "
If they aren't performing, then fair enough. All things being EQUAL (performance included), seniority SHOULD prevail!!! Not pay. Not being your brother in law. Not because your good on your knees.....
".......That is crazy man. How about when the warranty is up and you get stuck with a $3000 repair bill?"
Assuming you mean something like a tranny, how are we supposed to know that the reason it failed wasn't the mechanic who disconnected the torque converter clutch, instead of adjusting the kickdown lever that was out of adjustment, causing the fliud to overheat threreby causing premature failure of the tranny, as opposed to the drunk UAW employee on Monday???
Lem, I hate to disagree with you, but many regard GM to be FIRST to the table with an unlikely source: The 1962 Corvair Monza coupe. Every bit as sporty as a 6 cyl version of any of them, just unconventional. The Mustang was Lee's answer to the Corvair.
I see absolutely no reason that UAW employees can't do the same thing.
Surely they have a plan such as ours. They are basically self insured and just pay a managed care such as HMO, POS, PPO, or other to administer and get them agreed rates. This is nothing new. So at the end of the year they get the actual cost and pay for the administration and then next years employee contribution/copays are calculated. The agreed rates are well worth it. I've seen a surgeon charge $21,000 and have to settle for $7,000, that is if he/she wants to have access to those patients. So managed care might be looked upon as a system where MD's are forced to take less in order to have access. So if you aren't insured by the managed care plans, is it right to be charged $21,000?
Then managed care also forces prescriptions from a formulary list to save of medicine. Then again they use their size to get better prices from drug makers. Is it right for those who have to pay out of pocket mare for the same medicine?
These and other tactics work well for the managed care industry in reducing cost to their membership/those whom are covered. Many argue that those who lack membership in managed care are making up the gap and in reality subsidizing the managed care folks.
Managed care is also been accused of practicing medicine, by either giving doctor incentives to do less testing and rebating savings. They have the number to blackmail doctors and drug makers.
Is their medical free?
If you wait a long time, maybe a whole day, the county hospital will see you for even the most simplistic of reasons. Such as the common cold. The cost to the taxpayers is a least ten fold when one enters the emergency room of the county hospital. Its serious when an indigent single parent takes their for an illness, which in reality wasn't as dire to begin with. Certainly/surely there should be clinics to save the taxpayers money in these situations and lost opportunity time/GNP to needy patients. Or is that a fitting punishment to the indigent/needy?
So! Apparently it is very arguable that the UAW leadership can readily destroy the American automotive industry. I have to think that The Big Three need to enter chapter 11 bankruptcy if they are to survive. That may be the only effective way of preventing the UAW from destroying the industry, if some of the popular news sources' analysts know what they are talking about. What do you think?
i saw beer vending mschines at disney world about 10 years ago. it made me rethink my inpression of disney. they are really catering to adults. they just want you to think it is 'about the kids'.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
The question is, how much of the waste goes to the malpractice insurance and into the pockets of attorneys like John Edwards?
Interesting question,
Fear of malpractice suits boosts care volumes too. Our research indicates that the direct costs of malpractice are limited—about $30 billion in 2006—but the risk of litigation creates an incentive to err on the side of caution.
So tort reform in California capped the malpractice to $200,000 and an OBGYN made an error. The child who was injured, would have to be taken care of his/her entire life. It was estimated that care would run $2,000,000. The California taxpayers will have to ante up $1,800,000. Sounds like a good deal for the insurance industry and not the taxpaying public.
Then there is Nevada
By Marshall Allen
Thu, Feb 28, 2008 (2 a.m.)
Hepatitis C outbreak springs from Endoscopy Center of Nevada; 40,000 at risk (02-27-2008) Southern Nevada Health District Web site regarding the Hepatitis C outbreak The medical director and majority owner of the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, where apparent negligence has triggered the largest hepatitis C scare in Nevada history, is one of the state’s most prominent physicians.
He is Dr. Dipak Desai, a former member of the Nevada Board of Medical Examiners who has served as chief of gastroenterology at local hospitals and taught at the University of Nevada School of Medicine.
Desai did not respond to the Sun’s request for comment. The question that would have been asked of him: How, in the era of AIDS and extreme concern about contamination of patients through the use of needles and syringes, could his employees have allowed the transgressions that will now require that 40,000 patients be notified that they should be tested for hepatitis C, hepatitis B and HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
“It was one of those policies where the staff members told us this was what they were told to do — they admitted this is what (they) have been doing,” Labus said. “It wasn’t any one particular staff member. It was something that was basically seen across the clinic as a common procedure.”
In Desai’s absence, another doctor from his practice, which sees about 60 patients a day, read a statement that said, in part: “We are on a mission to maintain the trust our patients have had in us.” Two doctors stood beside him, silent. Their lawyers would not allow them to answer questions, the statement said.
".....If a union (or any) employee is not performing, fire him. It shouldn't matter how long they've been at the company. "
If they aren't performing, then fair enough. All things being EQUAL (performance included), seniority SHOULD prevail!!!
Agree with your point. Problem is that in many unions the more senior staff don't work as hard and chastise the younger eager ones when they do work hard. Not the way to make a competitive company. The union would show its value by balancing the $$/benes for the union workers with the competitiveness and health of the company. When was the last UAW strike for a model that was not competitive enough against other companies' products?
As I watch the coverage of the fate of the U.S. auto industry, one alarming and frustrating fact hits me right between the eyes. The fate of our nation's economic survival is in the hands of some congressmen who are completely out of touch and act without knowledge of an industry that affects almost every person in our nation. The same lack of knowledge is shared with many journalists whom are irresponsible when influencing the opinion of millions of viewers. Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama has doomed the industry, calling it a dinosaur. No Mr. Shelby, you are the dinosaur, with ideas stuck in the '70s, '80s and '90s. You and the uninformed journalist and senators that hold onto myths that are not relevant in today's world. When you say that the Big Three build vehicles nobody wants to buy, you must have overlooked that GM outsold Toyota by about 1.2 million vehicles in the U.S. and Ford outsold Honda by 850,000 and Nissan by 1.2 million in the U.S. GM was the world's No. 1 automaker beating Toyota by 3,000 units. When you claim inferior quality comes from the Big Three, did you realize that Chevy makes the Malibu and Ford makes the Fusion that were both rated over the Camry and Accord by J.D. Power independent survey on initial quality? Did you bother to read the Consumer Report that rated Ford on par with good Japanese automakers. Did you realize Big Three's gas guzzlers include the 33 mpg Malibu that beats the Accord. And for '09 Ford introduces the Hybrid Fusion whose 39 mpg is the best midsize, beating the Camry Hybrid. Ford's Focus beats the Corolla and Chevy's Cobalt beats the Civic. When you ask how many times are we going to bail them out you must be referring to 1980. The only Big Three bailout was Chrysler, who paid back $1 billion, plus interest. GM and Ford have never received government aid. When you criticize the Big Three for building so many pickups, surely you've noticed the attempts Toyota and Nissan have made spending billions to try to get a piece of that pie. Perhaps it bothers you that for 31 straight years Ford's F-Series has been the best selling vehicle. Ford and GM have dominated this market and when you see the new '09 F-150 you'll agree this won't change soon. Did you realize that both GM and Ford offer more hybrid models than Nissan or Honda. Between 2005 and 2007, Ford alone has invested more than $22 billion in research and development of technologies such as Eco Boost, flex fuel, clean diesel, hybrids, plug in hybrids and hydrogen cars. It's 2008 and the quality of the vehicles coming out of Detroit are once again the best in the world. Perhaps Sen. Shelby isn't really that blind. Maybe he realizes the quality shift to American. Maybe it's the fact that his state of Alabama has given so much to land factories from Honda, Hyundai and Mercedes Benz that he is more concerned about their continued growth than he is about the people of our country. Sen. Shelby's disdain for 'government subsidies' is very hypocritical. In the early '90s he was the driving force behind a $253 million incentive package to Mercedes. Plus, Alabama agreed to purchase 2,500 vehicles from Mercedes. While the bridge loan the Big Three is requesting will be paid back, Alabama's $180,000-plus per job was pure incentive. Sen. Shelby, not only are you out of touch, you are a self-serving hypocrite, who is prepared to ruin our nation because of lack of knowledge and lack of due diligence in making your opinions and decisions. After 9/11, the Detroit Three and Harley Davidson gave $40 million-plus emergency vehicles to the recovery efforts. What was given to the 9/11 relief effort by the Asian and European Auto Manufactures? $0 Nada. Zip! We live in a world of free trade, world economy and we have not been able to produce products as cost efficiently. While the governments of other auto producing nations subsidize their automakers, our government may be ready to force its demise. While our automakers have paid union wages, benefits and legacy debt, our Asian competitors employ cheap labor. We are at an extreme disadvantage in production cost. Although many UAW concessions begin in 2010, many lawmakers think it's not enough. Some point the blame to corporate management. I would like to speak of Ford Motor Co. The company has streamlined by reducing our workforce by 51,000 since 2005, closing 17 plants and cutting expenses. Product and future product is excellent and the company is focused on one Ford. This is a company poised for success. Ford product quality and corporate management have improved light years since the nightmare of Jacques Nasser. Thank you Alan Mulally and the best auto company management team in the business. The financial collapse caused by the secondary mortgage fiasco and the greed of Wall Street has led to a $700 billion bailout of the industry that created the problem. AIG spent nearly $1 million on three company excursions to lavish resorts and hunting destinations. Paulson is saying no to $250 billion foreclosure relief and the whole thing is a mess. So when the Big Three ask for 4 percent of that of the $700 billion, $25 billion to save the country's largest industry, there is obviously oppositions. But does it make sense to reward the culprits of the problem with $700 billion unconditionally, and ignore the victims? As a Ford dealer, I feel our portion of the $25 billion will never be touched and is not necessary. Ford currently has $29 billion of liquidity. However, the effect of a bankruptcy by GM will hurt the suppliers we all do business with. A Chapter 11 bankruptcy by any manufacture would cost retirees their health care and retirements. Chances are GM would recover from Chapter 11 with a better business plan with much less expense. So who foots the bill if GM or all three go Chapter 11? All that extra health care, unemployment, loss of tax base and some forgiven debt goes back to the taxpayer, us. With no chance of repayment, this would be much worse than a loan with the intent of repayment.
So while it is debatable whether a loan or Chapter 11 is better for the Big Three, a $25 billion loan is definitely better for the taxpayers and the economy of our country. So I'll end where I began on the quality of the products of Detroit. Before you, Mr. or Ms. Journalist continue to misinform the American public and turn them against one of the great industries that helped build this nation, I must ask you one question. Before you, Mr. or Madam Congressman vote to end health care and retirement benefits for 1 million retirees, eliminate 2.5 million of our nation's jobs, lose the technology that will lead us in the future and create an economic disaster including hundreds of billions of tax dollars lost, I ask this question not in the rhetorical sense. Can you tell me, have you driven a Ford lately? Jim Jackson Elkins Ford
First of all, let me address the point of senior staffers. I have heard the same thing here at Verizon. I don't agree with it. I say, give 'em 8 for 8. From where I stand however, these older employees are far wiser than they are lazy. They know enough to not call attention to themselves. Just give them what they ask for. Our telephone cables are chock full of examples of shoddy workmanship done by people trying to "make a name for themselves". Now that's not to say that there aren't people who do have a screw the company attitude, and they should retire, but mostly, there is more to it than just chastising for working too hard.
As far as striking over lackluster products, I don't think that there is a contract in the world that would allow that. Biggest problem, define "not competitive" . That to me is a slippery slope. You could have a strike over nothing. Not to mention, it is "their company" and they can run it as they see, within the rules of the contract.
Do you think we ought to just shut the whole thing down?
While no automaker would be spared in the shakeout, the deep US presence of Toyota, Honda and Nissan Motor Co make them particularly vulnerable to any supply disruptions, analysts said.
Japanese automakers now represent 40 percent of US auto sales. They also build more than 60 percent of their vehicles sold to US consumers in North America.
“There isn’t a supplier out there that does not touch GM,” said Erich Merkle, an analyst at Crowe Horwath. Merkle said GM buys $31bn a year from suppliers, “so when you remove GM, the supply base will file for bankruptcy.”
Merkle and other analysts said a bankruptcy by an automaker would force many suppliers into liquidation because of the near impossibility of finding financing needed to restructure.
“If suppliers liquidate, you won’t have components any more. It’s not just GM, Ford, and Chrysler. It’s Toyota, it’s Honda and it’s Nissan,” Merkle said. The Bush administration is considering emergency aid for the US automakers after a proposed $14bn bailout collapsed in the face of opposition from Senate Republicans.
“Honda and Toyota themselves have started to say if these American automakers start to fail, and fail quickly, it will take out the supply base they all depend on,” said David Kudla, chief executive of Mainstay Capital Management.
Shares of Toyota, No. 2 in US sales after GM, tumbled 10 percent in Tokyo after the bailout talks failed. Honda and Nissan dropped 12.5 percent and 11.5 percent, respectively. “The US auto market is shrinking rapidly,” Toyota said in a statement. “A major bankruptcy would exacerbate an already difficult environment for Toyota and the industry. We hope to avoid this situation.”
Detroit's Big Three aren't the only automotive companies that want to see the government step in with some much-needed financial help.
Overseas automakers, most notably Toyota Motor, all endorse some form of federal aid to keep General Motors (GM, Fortune 500), Chrysler LLC and possibly Ford Motor (F, Fortune 500) out of bankruptcy.
"We support measures to help the industry," said Toyota Motor (TM) spokeswoman Mira Sleilati. "We just want a strong, competitive healthy industry."
Collateral damage The overseas automakers, who between them produce more than 3 million vehicles a year at U.S. plants, all worry their production would be hurt if one of the U.S. automakers went under. That's because a Big Three failure would likely lead to widespread bankruptcies in the auto parts supplier industry.
Erich Merkle, lead auto analyst with the consulting firm Crowe Horwath LLP, said there is much overlap between the automakers' suppliers. Since most parts in an automobile have only a single supplier producing them, the disruptions in production will be severe and prolonged.
"The U.S. economy would be in shambles," Merkle said. "The robust U.S. economy that Toyota and the others depend on would suddenly not be as lucrative."
The overseas automakers agree that the last thing they need is for the U.S. economy to slow further. The U.S. is the largest market for Toyota, Honda and Nissan (NSANY). All are expected to report lower U.S. sales this year for the first time ever.
Enter new competition The final concern for the overseas automakers is a longer-term problem. The failure of a U.S. automaker could open the door for a Chinese or Indian automaker to buy up the assets of the failed company and create a new low-cost competitor in the U.S.
"You could open the door for foreign companies to buy distressed assets at rock-bottom prices," he said. He pointed to India's Tata (TTM) and China's Geely as two automakers in the developing world that are already on record as being interested in expanding into western markets like the United States.
My youngest was playing. Its such good entertainment. In any case. Ted Nugent, I hear resides in near Waco Texas. I'm sure you have all heard of "The Motor City Mad Man". I've always liked his music. His son was out on the court playing too, playing one on one my son, defense or offense anyway. Anyone know how Ted feel about the UAW and the Big Three?
Comments
I think that, assuming GM is still in business when this car comes out, there will be an initial pent-up surge of buyers and then a year later sales will be rapidly declining. Within 4 years after introduction GM will discontinue the car. This is a fad car and the Mustang has already taken most of those buyers. Sort of like the PT Cruiser vs. HHR. GM is always late to the table.
Sorry you had such bad luck with your D3 car. $3000? That would be like losing the engine and tranny at the same time right? Oh wait, those have 100k mile warranty. The D3 factories that are having cuts in employment lately are some of the highest rated for quality in North America. I think your experience basis is stuck about a decade back in time.
I've been blessed with D3 cars that have things like batteries go bad after 7 years and a water pump leak a tiny bit at 75k miles. These hits didn't end up being life altering. My last 4 recently sold GMs were sold with 185k, 125k, 168k, and 157k miles, so I tried to get to the big failures but couldn't.
I recall meeting the Ford Expedition employees at Black Lake, Michigan about 8 or so years ago. They were setting high on the hog. This was prior to the 2000 and a half Tahoe. There was money there. Ford had given each employee a computer.
That was about the time that the SUV was the American dream. Zero percent, employee pricing, and now the Red Tag Sale. All of the automakers saw this as a profitable market and rushed in to compete, not to fill a void. Each time someone gets that new SUV, there is a trade in, they glutted the market. These days its very common to see Mexican-Americans going to the garage sales in those traded in SUV's, which still have plenty of their life cycle left. Bottom line is that too many players (competition) watered down the profits. Then high fuel cost made them the American nightmare. I had one of the 2000 and a half 4WD Tahoe's built in Janesville. I dumped it in 2005 as fuel was just starting to rise. It was still in mint condition and still got $20,000 for it with 60,000 or so miles on it. That was a good move on my part. MSRP was $39,000, but I paid much less, I don't recall exactly.
I've been watching that Mini Cooper, and see the custom/personalized paint jobs. Much like what Nike/Converse and the shoe manufacturers are doing. They have favorite sports teams, many countries, and other personalized consumer oriented marketing gimmicks which keep them from looking like clones. This is something to consider and brings in more of an array of colors. Then again, I fear that they would all look like the Dallas Cowboy edition.
I feel that teenagers would know what is so called "TYTE". I know that navigation, and a ghetto blaster (sound system) is high on their priority list. As they say in Japan, "we have to think out of the box". then we have to consider the soccer mom, the executive, the six pack Joe, and all the demographics.
today
http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/12/vitter_faulted_for_derailing_a.html
Annual profits from selling SUVs increased ninefold from 1990 to 2000. For each Expedition it sold, Ford cleared $12,000 in profit courtesy of the vehicle’s cheaper, older truck manufacturing technique. The Michigan Truck Plant, which was where Expeditions (in addition to trucks) were made, became the single most profitable factory in any industry anywhere in the world in the 90s. The factory’s annual production, which included other profitable trucks as well, was worth $11 billion, or $2.4 billion in after-tax profits in 1998. Such prosperity trickled down to assembly line workers, some of whom pocketed $100,000 a year as factories ran around the clock. Bradsher attributes much of the mid-90s economic boom in the Midwest not to dot com companies, but to the SUV boom and the immense profits for Ford.
http://www.tsc.berkeley.edu/newsletter/Summer05-SUVs/history.html
The economy was up for the past 3-4 years and even profitable SUVs were selling well, and GM was still not making a profit. They need to try a different formula.
In 04 Ford was $14 a share and has trended to about $2, in 4 years this regressive trend is empirical evidence that SUV's haven't been their savior. GM has company in this regard.
http://www.forbes.com/finance/mktguideapps/compinfo/AdvancedChart.jhtml?_DARGS=%- - 2Ffinance%2Fmktguideapps%2Fcompinfo%2FAdvancedChart.jhtml.1
Some dealers, well a lot of dealers.
Beer & Sake
1998: Yes, that's right... you can buy alchoholic beverages from vending machines. The sizes range from a cup-sized container of sake (pre-heated and everything!) to half-gallon cans of Asahi beer, with all the familiar American beers in between. Apparently, teenagers are on the honor system to not abuse these... though some newer machines include a camera that photographs the purchaser. Kinda common.
http://www.neatorama.com/2008/06/02/strange-and-wonderful-vending-machines/
"As the automakers scramble to renegotiate worker contracts and outstanding debt, the UAW has expressed concern over concessions its workers must make in the near future.
“While we appreciate that President Bush has taken the emergency action needed to help America's auto companies weather the current financial crisis, we are disappointed that he has added unfair conditions singling out workers,” UAW President Ron Gettelfinger said in a statement. "
Epoch Times
"UAW President Ron Gettelfinger is upset the White House didn't involve the organization during its meeting with automakers this past Friday. He believes the Bush Administration placed unfair blame on the backs of hard working Americans. Gettelfinger says he hopes the incoming administration will treat the UAW with more respect."
TV20 Detroit
Typical UAW reaction. Bite the hand that feeds you. Gettlefinger is a DOG... The Bush bailout just said get your act together by March 2009. Did not put any bite into the program. Just a big Christmas present to GM and Chrysler. And he has the nerve to whine. Just proves to me how ignorant UAW management has been for decades. I would have said cut the UAW contract by 20% across the board before GM sees a penny. And no more early buyouts or bonuses. Reduced retirement benefits and they are on their own for health care. To survive GM needs to set the clock back about 30 years. NO TWO TIERED wages. Cut everyone the same.
I will still get a WA state RT license and keep it updated in case I want to work there someday in RT.
dallasdude, I don't know the percentage of hospital workers who get staph infections but it increses exponentially with the larger hospitals. More patients=more cases of staph=higher chances workers will catch it. Terrible affliction to get this staph infection and it really complicates things when people already have different diseases and infections they're running. :sick:
My wife and I have dental insurance and I tried out a Tucson dentist to get costs involved for my individual treatment plan. Not a pretty picture unfortunately, thousands of dollars of work will be required.
So, I am going to go to Mexico for my dental work, I already have an appointment in early Jan.'09. I estimate the costs in Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico to be $600-$800 where the same work would've cost me $3600 at the Tucson, Arizona dentist! No passport is required to go over the border until June of '09. I will just need a birth certificate and a piece of ID to get across. Our drug, hospital and dental bills are all too high in the U.S. This idea of crossing the border for both dental and medical treatment is gaining converts daily. Makes sense to me, they do speak English to you and, according to reports(one of them from my workmate in Willcox)they do excellent dental work and treat you right. Seems a no-brainer to this padre.
Oh, I think I'll leave my '08 Lancer GTS in a paid parking lot on the U.S. side in Douglas, AZ. I don't feel comfortable taking the baby over there to Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
$650 billion in waste/muda
$500 per person/year in no value added administrative/insurance cost
We pay twice as much for drugs
http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Why_Americans_pay_more_for_health_care_2275
So good luck with your dental work. Vaja con Dios
I would highly recommend doing that. I have many friends in Alaska and CA that go just across the border for dental work. One friend I visited in Alaska had just gotten back from vacation with dental work. It costs about 1/4 the US price. He told me the dental clinic was walking distance across the border. It was the most modern Dentist office he has seen. All the latest equipment. It does not pay to waste money on dental coverage in the USA. The 50% copay is more than getting the work done in Mexico.
All those UAW retirees need to spend the winter in AZ and get all their dental work done across the border.
When IBM started getting into financial trouble and began reconstruction, a lot of changes took place. For instance they stopped paying OT for anything over 8 hours per day. Instead they adopted the over 40 hours per week scale.
Something else was to get the employees to contribute toward their health plan, that had been free. First it was $25 a month for the United Health Care plan that was excellent. Every year it went up and we eventually were paying $300+ monthly, as our contribution, for an HMO. I didn't care for the HMO, but I couldn't any longer justify the United Health Care insurance, as it was closer to $700 a month. Although the HMO was more of a hassle, we were still able to find excellent medical services.
I see absolutely no reason that UAW employees can't do the same thing. Saw somewhere, that may be wrong, that there are 750K GM retirees. If that is true and each contributed $300 monthly toward their insurance, it would save the company $ 22 million monthly, Add in all those still working and it can be a sizable chunk of change.
Questions:
UAW talks of the sacrifices they have made. What are they as far as retirees and the workers that don't fall under the "New Hire" plan?
For a person retiring with 30 years at GM , that is earning say $30 hourly ($62,000 yearly), What is his retirement as far as pension and healthcare, and other bennefits ? Does he retire at $62K ? More? Less?
Is their medical free?
Thanks,
Kip
The question is, how much of the waste goes to the malpractice insurance and into the pockets of attorneys like John Edwards? As far back as the 1980s an OB-GYN was paying $30k to $60k per year in malpractice insurance. One nights stay in the hospital $15k. How much of that is Insurance to cover everyone's behind.
This is all part of the UAW-GM problem. There was no way when contracts were signed 30 years ago, to know that we would have so many ambulance chasing attorneys that would be running up the price of medical care.
Those that think there is waste in Health Care now. Just wait until the Feds get involved. Look at the fraud in Medicare.
MIAMI (AP) — Three days a week, Philip Audette sat in a cushy white chair at the St. Jude Rehab Center, a needle pumping HIV drugs into his arm. He talked and laughed with a dozen other patients, all in good health, all receiving drugs they didn't need. All for the money.
Audette says he made $100 to $200 every visit, nearly $10,000 over several months, selling his Medicare number to the clinic's three owners, the Benitez brothers, who were later indicted on charges of bilking $119 million from Medicare.
Authorities say there are thousands in South Florida like Audette, and federal officials say they play a large role in the fraud overwhelming the national Medicare system.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MEDICARE_FRAUD_PROSECUTING_PATIENTS?SITE=- FLTAM&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=news_generic.htm
We have a government that is inept at anything of importance, and people mistakenly think they can administer Universal Healthcare. What a big joke on the Taxpayers.
We've had the admin costs debate around here before - you're going to have a lot of that overhead whether it's the feds running health care or Blue Cross. And you can gleam a lot of good info from tracking health costs closely.
Nothing wrong with Mexican health care, unless you have a problem and try to seek relief. Who are you gonna sue? Edwards probably isn't a notary down there. Or go to China for your health care and enjoy having your immunizations laced with melamine.
Corker aka Sen. Nissan, is backpedaling: "GM is incredibly important to our state." (WRCB)
"The union has to be pretty bad if our union steward signed the petition,"
Johnson Controls workers in Kentwood seek to break from UAW representation
MIAMI (AP) — Three days a week, Philip Audette sat in a cushy white chair at the St. Jude Rehab Center, a needle pumping HIV drugs into his arm. He talked and laughed with a dozen other patients, all in good health, all receiving drugs they didn't need. All for the money.
Audette says he made $100 to $200 every visit, nearly $10,000 over several months, selling his Medicare number to the clinic's three owners, the Benitez brothers, who were later indicted on charges of bilking $119 million from Medicare.
Authorities say there are thousands in South Florida like Audette, and federal officials say they play a large role in the fraud overwhelming the national Medicare system.
I just had a thought pop in to my head about their story. Do these drugs they're getting but not needing (and that they're getting decent money for taking) hurt their body's pH? That is one of the main reasons doctors have Respiratory Therapists get Arterial Blood Gases, to check their pt.'s body's pH, or homeostasis(the bodies internal balance of blood, organs, gas exchange in the lungs of O2 and blood, etc.). As an Allied Health Care worker I am getting the eebee-gee-bees reading that story. And the fact that it's bilking the Fed.Guv-Mint (draining taxpayer monies) just makes me want to puke...ummm....as well. :sick:
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
I can see why that group at Johnson Controls would like to distance themselves from the self destructive UAW.
But even so, my few ex-pat friends down in Mexico say the best health care plan is to take two aspirin and get on a plane north. :shades:
Back in the day, Alaska was probably a stronger union state than Michigan ever hoped to be. The Teamsters were king makers. You have to wonder who was furnishing cigars to Jesse Carr.
My wife got the same feeling reading the story. The wild part is these clinics going door to door recruiting people to defraud the Medicare system. I don't think they care if the infusions are detrimental. It is a scam just like Madoff. We need to re-instate the death penalty and use it on people like that. Not the stupid people being used. The doctors and clinic operators.
They make the UAW management seem like nice guys
Ya never really know when you might need it. But for basic medical care we get it here in SE Arizona. And even though the traffic going south for Mexican healthcare, including serious operations for those with life-threatening diseases, is increasing, we are going to stay in America for the healthcare. Our insurance actually pays to use it in America.
As for our dental, well, that is another story, hence the short trip required south.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Easy there. He was my hero. Well not exactly. I did spend my share of time in his office for stirring up the members. Yes I would say during the 1970s he was probably the most powerful man in Alaska. Way above the governor. When he negotiated the Union hire agreement with the oil companies. At least 50% of all work on the pipeline was to be with Union workers. That agreement was in affect until 1990s.
gagrice, this is disgusting news. I say send them to the open floors and let the Chow Chows rip at them. I know it's not popular to let out statements like that in America, but, look at what happens when people think that they'll have little or no repercussions coming back at them? Pathetic, true. :sick:
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
The rank and file probably don't think that the automakers' problems are insignificant.
Yet these companies are not big in Japan ,not because they can't offer a good product that they would be willing to build there but because the Japanese government makes doing business there difficult.
Especially to an industry they feel will effect their similar industries,in this case the car business.
Here in the U.S. if Toyota,Honda,Nissan,etc. wants to do business here we open our doors . . . stand on our head for them . . . sure wanna avoid the UAW build your plants down in the south or in rural areas,away from big cities and the bad things that come with it . . . go where you can get a young work force ,sure will give you big tax breaks too . . . NO STRINGS ATTACHED !!
Just the opposite of what the Japanees government does to American car companies !
So next time you just have to buy that Toyota,Honda,Nissan,Lexus,Infiniti ,etc. make sure it has a VIN number that starts with either a 1 ,4 or 5 . . . this indicates it was ASSEMBLED IN THE U.S. . . . better yet experts say "check" to see where 1 ) the car is assembled , 2 ) where the engine comes from and 3 ) where the transmission comes from.
If after checking that VIN number and the window sticker it is assembled say in Japan . . . tell Toyota or Honda,NO !!! I will not buy that model until you assemble it in the U.S. !!
Attach strings just like the Japanese government does.
Same with buying a GM,Ford or Chrysler . . . get the one assembled in the U,S.A. not Mexico.
You might laugh at this thinking but BIG BUSINESS no matter if it is GM or Toyota THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO CARE WHERE A PRODUCT is made or assembled . . .
think about why.
They want the global economy thinking to have no boundries so they can "call the shots" all the time.
Meanwhile our jobs disappear.
Attach strings !!!!
Happy Holidays.
Merry Christmas, everybody!!!!
I think his point is that, as you said, you "bit the bullet", and paid your way. What is stopping anybody (you included) from just showing up at the ER or a free clinic for your healthcare, as opposed to paying for it?? I did 15 years on a volunteer rescue, and saw it all the time. People at the hospital who had no business being there ( kids w/ a cold, etc.). But, because the sign said "You have a RIGHT to treatment (to stabilze, MY paraphrasing)......"
If they aren't performing, then fair enough. All things being EQUAL (performance included), seniority SHOULD prevail!!! Not pay. Not being your brother in law. Not because your good on your knees.....
It's only fair, First in.....last out.
Assuming you mean something like a tranny, how are we supposed to know that the reason it failed wasn't the mechanic who disconnected the torque converter clutch, instead of adjusting the kickdown lever that was out of adjustment, causing the fliud to overheat threreby causing premature failure of the tranny, as opposed to the drunk UAW employee on Monday???
Surely they have a plan such as ours. They are basically self insured and just pay a managed care such as HMO, POS, PPO, or other to administer and get them agreed rates. This is nothing new. So at the end of the year they get the actual cost and pay for the administration and then next years employee contribution/copays are calculated. The agreed rates are well worth it. I've seen a surgeon charge $21,000 and have to settle for $7,000, that is if he/she wants to have access to those patients. So managed care might be looked upon as a system where MD's are forced to take less in order to have access. So if you aren't insured by the managed care plans, is it right to be charged $21,000?
Then managed care also forces prescriptions from a formulary list to save of medicine. Then again they use their size to get better prices from drug makers. Is it right for those who have to pay out of pocket mare for the same medicine?
These and other tactics work well for the managed care industry in reducing cost to their membership/those whom are covered. Many argue that those who lack membership in managed care are making up the gap and in reality subsidizing the managed care folks.
Managed care is also been accused of practicing medicine, by either giving doctor incentives to do less testing and rebating savings. They have the number to blackmail doctors and drug makers.
Is their medical free?
If you wait a long time, maybe a whole day, the county hospital will see you for even the most simplistic of reasons. Such as the common cold. The cost to the taxpayers is a least ten fold when one enters the emergency room of the county hospital. Its serious when an indigent single parent takes their for an illness, which in reality wasn't as dire to begin with. Certainly/surely there should be clinics to save the taxpayers money in these situations and lost opportunity time/GNP to needy patients. Or is that a fitting punishment to the indigent/needy?
I could have sworn you told me that nationalize health was bad. Next thing you know you will be telling folks to cross the border to get drugs.
What do you think?
it made me rethink my inpression of disney.
they are really catering to adults. they just want you to think it is 'about the kids'.
Interesting question,
Fear of malpractice suits boosts care volumes too. Our research indicates that the direct costs of malpractice are limited—about $30 billion in 2006—but the risk of litigation creates an incentive to err on the side of caution.
http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Why_Americans_pay_more_for_health_care_2275
So tort reform in California capped the malpractice to $200,000 and an OBGYN made an error. The child who was injured, would have to be taken care of his/her entire life. It was estimated that care would run $2,000,000. The California taxpayers will have to ante up $1,800,000. Sounds like a good deal for the insurance industry and not the taxpaying public.
Then there is Nevada
By Marshall Allen
Thu, Feb 28, 2008 (2 a.m.)
Hepatitis C outbreak springs from Endoscopy Center of Nevada; 40,000 at risk (02-27-2008)
Southern Nevada Health District Web site regarding the Hepatitis C outbreak
The medical director and majority owner of the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, where apparent negligence has triggered the largest hepatitis C scare in Nevada history, is one of the state’s most prominent physicians.
He is Dr. Dipak Desai, a former member of the Nevada Board of Medical Examiners who has served as chief of gastroenterology at local hospitals and taught at the University of Nevada School of Medicine.
Desai did not respond to the Sun’s request for comment. The question that would have been asked of him: How, in the era of AIDS and extreme concern about contamination of patients through the use of needles and syringes, could his employees have allowed the transgressions that will now require that 40,000 patients be notified that they should be tested for hepatitis C, hepatitis B and HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
“It was one of those policies where the staff members told us this was what they were told to do — they admitted this is what (they) have been doing,” Labus said. “It wasn’t any one particular staff member. It was something that was basically seen across the clinic as a common procedure.”
In Desai’s absence, another doctor from his practice, which sees about 60 patients a day, read a statement that said, in part: “We are on a mission to maintain the trust our patients have had in us.” Two doctors stood beside him, silent. Their lawyers would not allow them to answer questions, the statement said.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/feb/28/officials-clinic-procedures-put-thou- sands-risk/
If they aren't performing, then fair enough. All things being EQUAL (performance included), seniority SHOULD prevail!!!
Agree with your point. Problem is that in many unions the more senior staff don't work as hard and chastise the younger eager ones when they do work hard. Not the way to make a competitive company. The union would show its value by balancing the $$/benes for the union workers with the competitiveness and health of the company. When was the last UAW strike for a model that was not competitive enough against other companies' products?
Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama has doomed the industry, calling it a dinosaur. No Mr. Shelby, you are the dinosaur, with ideas stuck in the '70s, '80s and '90s. You and the uninformed journalist and senators that hold onto myths that are not relevant in today's world.
When you say that the Big Three build vehicles nobody wants to buy, you must have overlooked that GM outsold Toyota by about 1.2 million vehicles in the U.S. and Ford outsold Honda by 850,000 and Nissan by 1.2 million in the U.S. GM was the world's No. 1 automaker beating Toyota by 3,000 units.
When you claim inferior quality comes from the Big Three, did you realize that Chevy makes the Malibu and Ford makes the Fusion that were both rated over the Camry and Accord by J.D. Power independent survey on initial quality? Did you bother to read the Consumer Report that rated Ford on par with good Japanese automakers.
Did you realize Big Three's gas guzzlers include the 33 mpg Malibu that beats the Accord. And for '09 Ford introduces the Hybrid Fusion whose 39 mpg is the best midsize, beating the Camry Hybrid. Ford's Focus beats the Corolla and Chevy's Cobalt beats the Civic.
When you ask how many times are we going to bail them out you must be referring to 1980. The only Big Three bailout was Chrysler, who paid back
$1 billion, plus interest. GM and Ford have never received government aid.
When you criticize the Big Three for building so many pickups, surely you've noticed the attempts Toyota and Nissan have made spending billions to try to get a piece of that pie. Perhaps it bothers you that for 31 straight years Ford's F-Series has been the best selling vehicle. Ford and GM have dominated this market and when you see the new '09 F-150 you'll agree this won't change soon.
Did you realize that both GM and Ford offer more hybrid models than Nissan or Honda. Between 2005 and 2007, Ford alone has invested more than $22 billion in research and development of technologies such as Eco Boost, flex fuel, clean diesel, hybrids, plug in hybrids and hydrogen cars.
It's 2008 and the quality of the vehicles coming out of Detroit are once again the best in the world.
Perhaps Sen. Shelby isn't really that blind. Maybe he realizes the quality shift to American. Maybe it's the fact that his state of Alabama has given so much to land factories from Honda, Hyundai and Mercedes Benz that he is more concerned about their continued growth than he is about the people of our country. Sen. Shelby's disdain for 'government subsidies' is very hypocritical. In the early '90s he was the driving force behind a $253 million incentive package to Mercedes. Plus, Alabama agreed to purchase 2,500 vehicles from Mercedes. While the bridge loan the Big Three is requesting will be paid back, Alabama's $180,000-plus per job was pure incentive. Sen. Shelby, not only are you out of touch, you are a self-serving hypocrite, who is prepared to ruin our nation because of lack of knowledge and lack of due diligence in making your opinions and decisions.
After 9/11, the Detroit Three and Harley Davidson gave $40 million-plus emergency vehicles to the recovery efforts. What was given to the 9/11 relief effort by the Asian and European Auto Manufactures? $0 Nada. Zip!
We live in a world of free trade, world economy and we have not been able to produce products as cost efficiently. While the governments of other auto producing nations subsidize their automakers, our government may be ready to force its demise. While our automakers have paid union wages, benefits and legacy debt, our Asian competitors employ cheap labor. We are at an extreme disadvantage in production cost. Although many UAW concessions begin in 2010, many lawmakers think it's not enough.
Some point the blame to corporate management. I would like to speak of Ford Motor Co. The company has streamlined by reducing our workforce by 51,000 since 2005, closing 17 plants and cutting expenses. Product and future product is excellent and the company is focused on one Ford. This is a company poised for success. Ford product quality and corporate management have improved light years since the nightmare of Jacques Nasser. Thank you Alan Mulally and the best auto company management team in the business.
The financial collapse caused by the secondary mortgage fiasco and the greed of Wall Street has led to a $700 billion bailout of the industry that created the problem. AIG spent nearly $1 million on three company excursions to lavish resorts and hunting destinations. Paulson is saying no to $250 billion foreclosure relief and the whole thing is a mess. So when the Big Three ask for 4 percent of that of the $700 billion, $25 billion to save the country's largest industry, there is obviously oppositions. But does it make sense to reward the culprits of the problem with $700 billion unconditionally, and ignore the victims?
As a Ford dealer, I feel our portion of the $25 billion will never be touched and is not necessary. Ford currently has $29 billion of liquidity.
However, the effect of a bankruptcy by GM will hurt the suppliers we all do business with. A Chapter 11 bankruptcy by any manufacture would cost retirees their health care and retirements. Chances are GM would recover from Chapter 11 with a better business plan with much less expense. So who foots the bill if GM or all three go Chapter 11? All that extra health care, unemployment, loss of tax base and some forgiven debt goes back to the taxpayer, us. With no chance of repayment, this would be much worse than a loan with the intent of repayment.
So while it is debatable whether a loan or Chapter 11 is better for the Big Three, a $25 billion loan is definitely better for the taxpayers and the economy of our country.
So I'll end where I began on the quality of the products of Detroit. Before you, Mr. or Ms. Journalist continue to misinform the American public and turn them against one of the great industries that helped build this nation, I must ask you one question. Before you, Mr. or Madam Congressman vote to end health care and retirement benefits for 1 million retirees, eliminate 2.5 million of our nation's jobs, lose the technology that will lead us in the future and create an economic disaster including hundreds of billions of tax dollars lost, I ask this question not in the rhetorical sense. Can you tell me, have you driven a Ford lately?
Jim Jackson
Elkins Ford
As far as striking over lackluster products, I don't think that there is a contract in the world that would allow that. Biggest problem, define "not competitive" . That to me is a slippery slope. You could have a strike over nothing. Not to mention, it is "their company" and they can run it as they see, within the rules of the contract.
So which group of tourist frequent Disney the most?
While no automaker would be spared in the shakeout, the deep US presence of Toyota, Honda and Nissan Motor Co make them particularly vulnerable to any supply disruptions, analysts said.
Japanese automakers now represent 40 percent of US auto sales. They also build more than 60 percent of their vehicles sold to US consumers in North America.
“There isn’t a supplier out there that does not touch GM,” said Erich Merkle, an analyst at Crowe Horwath. Merkle said GM buys $31bn a year from suppliers, “so when you remove GM, the supply base will file for bankruptcy.”
Merkle and other analysts said a bankruptcy by an automaker would force many suppliers into liquidation because of the near impossibility of finding financing needed to restructure.
“If suppliers liquidate, you won’t have components any more. It’s not just GM, Ford, and Chrysler. It’s Toyota, it’s Honda and it’s Nissan,” Merkle said. The Bush administration is considering emergency aid for the US automakers after a proposed $14bn bailout collapsed in the face of opposition from Senate Republicans.
“Honda and Toyota themselves have started to say if these American automakers start to fail, and fail quickly, it will take out the supply base they all depend on,” said David Kudla, chief executive of Mainstay Capital Management.
Shares of Toyota, No. 2 in US sales after GM, tumbled 10 percent in Tokyo after the bailout talks failed. Honda and Nissan dropped 12.5 percent and 11.5 percent, respectively. “The US auto market is shrinking rapidly,” Toyota said in a statement. “A major bankruptcy would exacerbate an already difficult environment for Toyota and the industry. We hope to avoid this situation.”
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=business_news&month=de- cember2008&file=business_news2008121452843.xml
Overseas automakers, most notably Toyota Motor, all endorse some form of federal aid to keep General Motors (GM, Fortune 500), Chrysler LLC and possibly Ford Motor (F, Fortune 500) out of bankruptcy.
"We support measures to help the industry," said Toyota Motor (TM) spokeswoman Mira Sleilati. "We just want a strong, competitive healthy industry."
Collateral damage
The overseas automakers, who between them produce more than 3 million vehicles a year at U.S. plants, all worry their production would be hurt if one of the U.S. automakers went under. That's because a Big Three failure would likely lead to widespread bankruptcies in the auto parts supplier industry.
Erich Merkle, lead auto analyst with the consulting firm Crowe Horwath LLP, said there is much overlap between the automakers' suppliers. Since most parts in an automobile have only a single supplier producing them, the disruptions in production will be severe and prolonged.
"The U.S. economy would be in shambles," Merkle said. "The robust U.S. economy that Toyota and the others depend on would suddenly not be as lucrative."
The overseas automakers agree that the last thing they need is for the U.S. economy to slow further. The U.S. is the largest market for Toyota, Honda and Nissan (NSANY). All are expected to report lower U.S. sales this year for the first time ever.
Enter new competition
The final concern for the overseas automakers is a longer-term problem. The failure of a U.S. automaker could open the door for a Chinese or Indian automaker to buy up the assets of the failed company and create a new low-cost competitor in the U.S.
"You could open the door for foreign companies to buy distressed assets at rock-bottom prices," he said. He pointed to India's Tata (TTM) and China's Geely as two automakers in the developing world that are already on record as being interested in expanding into western markets like the United States.
http://money.cnn.com/2008/12/15/news/companies/overseas_automakers/?postversion=- 2008121517
Now what do those southern senators want? I suspect that their home state subsidized/lured transplants will set them straight.
The Strangehold brought it to mind.
Dunno what the Motor City Madman thinks about the UAW and the Big Three. Someone ask him and post it in here.
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