In Reply to: The government should be helping GM and Ford, Caarma [Profile/Gallery] , Fri, 10 Jun 2005 10:34:03

to quote Iacocca when he pled his case before Congress a long time ago. Iacocca said he could not compete then; look who owns Chrysler now. GM spends something on the order of $1600 per car now. This is the only industrialized country that puts health care costs on the back of the employer, and that is an historic accident of WWII wage and price controls when employers had no other legal way to raise "pay." Sure, GM needs better suspensions, long term reliability, etc. However, to cheapen a car to meet a competitive price with a ~$1500 burden for employee and retiree health care costs is that much lost engineering and lost quality material cost per car that could gone into the car for the same price. Never mind the disparity in health care between Americans who labor for the government (health care an iron clad guarantee), major corporations (a dwindling priveleged class -- try Walmart health care some day), or small businesses who provide no coverage or junk coverage if at all. If American industry is to remain competitive, even exist, in a world economy, industry cannot be burdened with costs that foreign automakers, to include Toyota, do not have to build into their vehicles. Those who religiously rail against government involvement in health care insurance will finally see the light about the time the last GM light bulb is turned off for good. This issue is much bigger than shrinking GM. It affects all of us who would like Saabs or any other car associated with American ownership. The health care cost hit is a quality hit as well as a price hit.
Another $.02 on the pile.

posted by 24.39.21...

• Toyota may help out GM and Ford, J, Fri, 10 Jun 2005 06:40:36
  • Re: Toyota may help out GM and Ford, Bill in Va, Fri, 10 Jun 2005 11:02:37
  • The government should be helping GM and Ford, Caarma , Fri, 10 Jun 2005 10:34:03
    • At time of Chrysler Bail Out medical $1000/car,, DER, Fri, 10 Jun 2005 11:01:02 <-- Viewing This Message
      • CNN reporting at 1:37PDT - Union agrees to shoulder..., Scott Paterson , Fri, 10 Jun 2005 13:38:26
        • JD Powers says GM has #1, #2, and #3 plants?, Scott Paterson , Fri, 10 Jun 2005 14:39:01
          • #1 Plant, Trev, Fri, 10 Jun 2005 15:22:37
            • Ah, it's JD Powers Initial Satisfaction... Not sure..., Scott Paterson , Fri, 10 Jun 2005 17:00:58
        • GM Shares Rally Today..., Scott Paterson , Fri, 10 Jun 2005 14:37:11
      • And what is the cost of corporate gold...?, Bill in VA, Fri, 10 Jun 2005 11:29:14
        • supposedly..., Bob M, Fri, 10 Jun 2005 12:40:16
      • It's time Health Care is added to the Bill of Rights, diskullman, Fri, 10 Jun 2005 11:27:04
        • not going to happen, Trev, Fri, 10 Jun 2005 15:20:05
    • Re: The government should be helping GM and Ford, Randy Thatcher , Fri, 10 Jun 2005 10:44:03
      • malpractice insurance, Scott Paterson , Fri, 10 Jun 2005 11:34:42
  • Re: Toyota may help out GM and Ford, TML , Fri, 10 Jun 2005 10:27:58
  • GM needs all the help it can get if it's to survive, Canadian_Saab, Fri, 10 Jun 2005 09:17:49
  • Re: Toyota may help out GM and Ford, Dan , Fri, 10 Jun 2005 07:50:56
    • Re: Toyota may help out GM and Ford, Randy Thatcher , Fri, 10 Jun 2005 08:38:08
      • 25% import duty on imported light trucks to USA, DER, Fri, 10 Jun 2005 14:23:41
        • Safety exemptions?, Randy Thatcher , Sat, 11 Jun 2005 00:23:54
          • Re: nicely put, t_mokes, Sat, 11 Jun 2005 01:14:50
            • Re: nicely put, Dan , Sat, 11 Jun 2005 03:43:54
              • Re: nicely put, Randy Thatcher , Sat, 11 Jun 2005 13:07:02
      • Re: Toyota may help out GM and Ford, Bill in VA, Fri, 10 Jun 2005 11:58:02
  • Re: Toyota may help out GM and Ford, RS , Fri, 10 Jun 2005 07:19:17

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