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Aother made in the usa rant...

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by jamesgs4, Nov 26, 2008.

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  1. testpilot
    Joined: Apr 18, 2006
    Posts: 207

    testpilot
    Member
    from Denver

    east penn deka they make batteries for many ... harley cat etc.. made in pa
     
  2. skwurl
    Joined: Aug 25, 2008
    Posts: 1,620

    skwurl
    Member

    Unfair to keep jobs here. What a crock. We are destoying ourselves from the inside out. Liberals are going to ne the death of us. Our government has failed us and thats UNCONS***UTIONAL!
     
  3. TagMan
    Joined: Dec 12, 2002
    Posts: 6,364

    TagMan
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Employees are just another 'tool' to management. Their secondary responsibility (primary responsibility being to provide for themselves) is to the stockholders of the company. That's just a fact.

    Unfortunately in the USA, management has never gotten over the adversarial relationship with labor that exploded with the Battle of the Overp*** at Ford in the 30's and other union / management confrontations of the last 100 years or so. This is not only unfortunate, but ultimately a major waste of one of their most valuable ***ets - labor. Other countries don't seem to have that division and can work together to the betterment of the business.
     
  4. Another *****in' part of a deal like this is that those losing their jobs will have to show the f****xg Mex's how to do the work or will lose severence and other termination benifits,,,,,,,that ****S big time,,too bad everybody can't just walk out and let the white shirts show 'em how it's done,,,LOL
     
  5. Allan Songer
    Joined: Apr 25, 2008
    Posts: 141

    Allan Songer
    Member

    We've sold our children's (and grandchildren's) future down the river for the right to buy $19 DVD players at Wal*Mart. That's what happens when you think you can sustain an economy with most folks selling hot dogs to each other.

    How 'bout some REAL "free trade?" Look back on the "salad days" of the US economy in the 50's and 60's and what do you see? REAL tarrifs, protection for USA manufacterers, 75% income tax rates on the super-wealthy (how do you think we paid for the interstate highway system?).

    Reaganomics ruined this country. Don't know if there's any way back, but I haven't thrown in the towel yet. Can we turn things around? Well, being the ****eyed optomist, I say


    YES WE CAN!
     
  6. well ****. another one gone. i preach about this **** almost daily, nobody cares. i get tired of hearing myself talk. we need to take our country back. american revolution-2009.
     
  7. 29nash
    Joined: Nov 6, 2008
    Posts: 4,542

    29nash
    BANNED
    from colorado

    Tough deal to face unemployment.

    My penny's worth; I've been out of the job market for a while, but was unemployed a few times over the years. Times haven't changed. It's history repeating itself. One time I held out for "the job of my choice" almost two years. It was tough. I had to do a lot of little things including detailing cars and hauling trash, But, I never once blamed my Country for the problem.

    I had to get out from under a big mortgage on a house, move into a rental. The next time I bought a house, I had to fight the wife because she wanted another big one. Well, guess what? She learned to live in houses half the size that she wanted.

    I was in the aviation industry. I went to work as auto mech. Eventually I found out, to my (dismay!) that a food equipment mechanic made more money than an airline or auto mechanic. The second I recognized that it was a good thing, that I didn't HAVE to work on airplanes, it became a (good) thing instead of a (dismay) thing. Looking back I see it as a revelation, put in perspective. If a company laid me off, then offered me something else, I would see it as a ploy to use me, to keep me dependent on them. I work on my own terms.

    You youngsters need to learn one thing. When a situation arises, adapt. If it means moving, move. If it means changing direction in your life, change. Don't spend time, even a minute, trying to place blame, it's counter-productive. It ain't what CNN commentators think. It ain't the auto manufacturers. It ain't the foreigners. It ain't the greedy big business. It ain't any more of an economic "crisis" than it has ever been. It's alway economics, but the Congress and the new President Elect would have us believe that THEY are the answer. The promises most likely will be empty, so .....Don't hold your breath..................

    I look around and see people that are in charge of their lives, that adapt to the situation, and I see mostly happy people. On the other hand the people that think the government can fix their problems, I see more of them are unhappy people.

    I hear a lot of people favoring the Govt stepping in and making yet more rules, to fix the rules they have already made to force companies to do this and that. Well, in the USSR they did that, the government ran all of the companies, everybody was guaranteed a job. Look where that got them. Here in the good old USA, we still have that right, to change, to control our lives.

    We should be careful what we wish for......
     
  8. HotRod_Joe
    Joined: Dec 23, 2007
    Posts: 252

    HotRod_Joe

    Someone who makes sense!

    Better throw in my two cents before this gets locked.

    Parts of the big three's problem is the unions. Now, I'm not anti-union they certainly have their place and need. However, thanks to the unions the big three have to pay their employees nearly twice that of the foreign manufacturers. Thanks to government regulations, the average car in the united states has about $4,000 worth of un-needed safety and environmental equipment. I think management has plenty of responsibility in the problems, but to say that they are killing the business with their salaries is rediculous. The only reason some in washington want to bail out the big three is so they can have partial control. They couldn't give a rat's **** about the employees or their jobs. They want control so they can force the big three to build cars that the government thinks you should have, not what you want.
     
  9. did anyone else see the mayor of lansing michigan on tv last sunday morning? that man needs to be president.
     
  10. Allan Songer
    Joined: Apr 25, 2008
    Posts: 141

    Allan Songer
    Member


    Heard him on the radio on Thursday (Bill Press Show). I agree--this man should have a BIG future in Michigan politics . . .
     
  11. 29nash
    Joined: Nov 6, 2008
    Posts: 4,542

    29nash
    BANNED
    from colorado

    .....one final word. Anybody that thinks the government can control the economy is foolish. The more rules they make, the worse it will get. Basic "survival of the fittest" ideas would work better than government controls. Read the US Cons***ution.
     

  12. we can start it controlling today. start checking labels and buy american, even if it cost a little more.
     
  13. ClayMart
    Joined: Oct 26, 2007
    Posts: 7,805

    ClayMart
    Member

    In a nutshell! Nail on the head! Spot on!

    Too much speculation and investment in intangible "services" (insurance, banking, cell phone service, internet service, cable TV service, extended service contracts, credit card interest, etc.) and not enough left to spend on physical, durable goods (homes, cars, food, clothing, furniture, appliances).

    For a few years it has allowed some of us to build this beautiful "house of cards" which looks great but isn't terribly strong or stable, and now the wind is starting to kick up a little. I'd think that the real sign of a shake-up would be when people decide to get out from under some of their "intangible" debt load. They'll need to shift some of this spending to more immediate, essential purchases. And maybe they won't have to shop at WalMart for them.

    Manufacturers have always existed to make money, which is how it should be. They provided jobs, security and money for us as well. But years ago these businesses made their money by designing, making and selling a better product. Now there seems to be less interest in actually making a product and more interest only in making a profit. Why invest in designing and building your own product when you can buy it cheaper somewhere else and just market it by slapping your name on it? And sadly, more and more consumers are forced to adopt that same "cheaper is always better" mentality.
     
  14. Allan Songer
    Joined: Apr 25, 2008
    Posts: 141

    Allan Songer
    Member

    Well, the primary responibility of the government these days IS "controlling the economy." Shall we abolish the Federal Reserve and the SEC and thus solve all of our problems? Let the Chinese government take over our economy? Let the Chinese government buy GM or Ford?

    If we play the "survival of the fittest" game, China will own our ***es in about a generation and a half. But maybe you think that's good.

    Face it,

    KEYNES WAS RIGHT!!!
     
  15. Mad~Max
    Joined: Jun 4, 2008
    Posts: 277

    Mad~Max
    Member

    When a company goes public, it's the shareholders who run it. These are the cells of a companies cancer. The end justifies the means.

    A privately owned company is usually in business because it is fun, it employs people, and the customers come first.

    1) Buy guns, 2) cash-in your 401K, 3) Build private owned companies.
     
  16. 29nash
    Joined: Nov 6, 2008
    Posts: 4,542

    29nash
    BANNED
    from colorado

    The current Congress, can't find their *** with both hands.

    Beyond that, the more the government "controlls" the more things go south. Read your history of the USSR, with the government in "full control".
     
    Last edited: Nov 27, 2008
  17. chitbox dodge
    Joined: Apr 25, 2005
    Posts: 598

    chitbox dodge
    Member
    from dunlap tn

    too late for that. who do you think owns our bond debt already? likewise they are heavily vested in our nation's mortgage "security" (used to be mortgages were commodities, not securities) funds. i just cant wait til the day they decide to collect.
     
  18. banjo
    Joined: Jan 23, 2008
    Posts: 87

    banjo
    Member

    pretty much the same topic over in ford barn, as i stated over there, 8% of direct labor (uaw) goes into the price of a car, do the math on a $25.000 car! you cant lay all of this at the unions door! union jobs are gone by the millions! when all the unions are gone, who are you gonna blame then? how much different do you think it would be if there were no unions?
     
  19. Allan Songer
    Joined: Apr 25, 2008
    Posts: 141

    Allan Songer
    Member


    Well, we are still at the point where the Chinese need US more than we need THEM, but we're getting close to the teeter-totter flipping the other way. We send them PAPER and they send us DVD players. Not a "bad deal" on the face of it--until your start to understand what this "deal" has done to the foundations of the "middle cl***" here in America.

    Let's face it!

    KEYNES WAS RIGHT!!
     
  20. i can't let that go.....while that sounds all nice , the real reason for anyone to be in business is to make a profit for the owners. if they can't do that , why bother and take the risk.
     
  21. wingedexpress
    Joined: Dec 24, 2006
    Posts: 893

    wingedexpress

     
  22. Mad~Max
    Joined: Jun 4, 2008
    Posts: 277

    Mad~Max
    Member

    I guess what I meant was that satisfied customers, and satisfied employees, makes for huge profits. But what to do with the profits?

    You can sit on it, or you can add products and employees.

    Being profitable (filthy rich) isn't the end, it's the means.
     
  23. HOLLYWOOD GRAHAM
    Joined: Apr 11, 2007
    Posts: 1,437

    HOLLYWOOD GRAHAM
    Member
    from Ojai,Ca

    We have become a nation of consumers..Our industrial might has been forced out of the country for dozens of reasons. In time we will start to disintregrate, oops I guess it is here now.
     
  24. bardahl1
    Joined: Oct 16, 2005
    Posts: 353

    bardahl1
    Member

    Last 4th of July I rode bikes with my daughter down to the neighborhood celebration for kids put on by my city......... they were giving away little flags like the ones above, she put them all over her bike....... they were clearly labeled 'Made in China'........... that said it all in my opinion.......
     
  25. TagMan
    Joined: Dec 12, 2002
    Posts: 6,364

    TagMan
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    "how much different do you think it would be if there were no unions? "

    Ask the profitable foreign car builders now doing buisness in the USA.

    Like everything else, Unions were necessary back in the 30's when Labor was exploited. The table has now turned and the Unions are the exploiters with outrageous wages, benifits and perks. That's the major reason companies are going offshore, to save labor costs, where labor is satisfied to earn enough to survive. Someday, when they start wanting more and more, the business will move again to another cheap labor market. Like it or not, it's a world ecconomy and the American worker can't expect to make 10x what a foreign worker does, providing the same production quan***y - it just ain't going to happen.

    It's no different today that it was when the Industrial Revolution began. The small, independant, at-home builder was put out of business because he couldn't produce goods at a cheaper price than a factory could. Yes, quality suffered, but as long as the consumer accepted the inferior product due to its' affordability, the cheaper supplier survived.<!-- / message -->
     
  26. 1950ChevySuburban
    Joined: Dec 20, 2006
    Posts: 6,185

    1950ChevySuburban
    Member Emeritus
    from Tucson AZ

    I'm not touching the politics here.

    But I will say I'm sorry for you and your bud's jobs, that ****s.
    I'll also say that in the last couple of years, the Optima quality has gone down tremendously. I've personally sent back for warranty THREE batteries THIS YEAR. And thats for MY OWN CARS!!!!! Now, how many more do you think we've swapped out for the U of A fleet (where I work)? Yellow and red top batts.

    Our Optima rep said something about them already being made in Mexico, don't know if thats true or not.

    Again, I'm truly sorry about your jobs, but the quality already died before your job did. I wish you well.
     
  27. Racrdad
    Joined: Jul 27, 2007
    Posts: 1,208

    Racrdad
    Member

    First thing, Sorry to hear about your job loss, that ****s!

    Second thing, I am needing to replace the battery in my truck and was going to put another optima in it. I have bought only optima batteries for my vehicles for 7 or 8 years now. But - Not now! They have lost me as a loyal customer. Screw 'em!
     
  28. Von Rigg Fink
    Joined: Jun 11, 2007
    Posts: 13,401

    Von Rigg Fink
    Member
    from Garage

    Here is the winning strategy..and as a sales slogan you can say American made Batteries..Made by americans for americans

    Cut that fat cats throat!
     
  29. safari-wagon
    Joined: Jan 12, 2008
    Posts: 1,457

    safari-wagon
    Member

    I'm calling ******** here!
    1st-
    The unions know that they're in deep doo-doo, so they are trying to work with the auto makers & the last contract showed that (somewhat). The Toyota plant in TX is 75% staffed with $10 pr hour temp workers, that get no benefits! Toyota has 200 retirees in the US, GM has tens of thousends.
    2nd- The business cases that I work with for the OEMs now, show the US & Mexico as the lowest cost suppliers of parts, worldwide (incl shipping in equation). Mexico has a small edge right now, but that is disappearing quickly.
    3rd- While I am an ardent supporter of NAFTA, I believe that it is in the best interest of the US to keep jobs here in the states. It seems that for many corporations, greed has overshadowed patriotism & that for a few bucks in quarterly dividends, they will move operations out of the country.

    We need to start ignoring the Mao-mart or the $ stores & re-focus on buying US goods.
    I want to give these companies my Singlefinger Salute!!!
     
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