[PRCo] Re: Gazzz

[hwandrews at wowway.com]

I believe the saying goes: 



"What's good for GM is good for the Country" 



And, if I remember my history correctly it was uttered by a GM P= resident
ina congressional hearing. 



On a serious note=85 I 'escaped' the Steel Industry in the 1970'= s to join
the Auto Industry (out of the frying pan and into the fire?).=A0 I currently
work for Ford Motor Co= mpany and the current problems worry me but don't
alarm me. 



Remember =96 the US = auto industry has been on the ropes before, 1974 with
the oil embargo (will= the last one out of Detroit= turn = off the lights!)
and 1981 recession which was really a depression for us he= re in Detroit= .




The Steel Industry disappeared for many reasons including: outda= ted
plants,environmental laws, foreign dumping, outdated labor agreements,=
greedy management, etc. (put them in what every order you political leanin=
gs want them in).=A0 



My point being =96 the Auto Industry is not the Steel Industry.=A0 We have
the advantage that our = plants are keep current, we are international, we
are working to get the la= bor agreements we need and management, at least
atFord today, isn't totall= y greedy =96 William Clay isn't taking a salary
right now.=A0 So, I believe the Auto industry will survive = =96 maybe much
smaller than it is today. 



The real question in my mind is will the US = economy survive?=A0 Unless we
as a= nation start emphasizing economic growth and improved education we
faceth= e real possibility of becoming a 'has been' super power just like
Britain= , France and the USSR. 



Howard And= rews 



On Mon, 21 Nov 2005 08:19:20 -0500, Dietrich, Rober= t J. wrote=20 
>Geez Jim you must be from Texas! =A0Where I come from the old sa= ying=20 
>was """As steel goes, so goes the country"&q= uot;". =A0:-)=20 
>=20 
>-----Original Message-----=20 
>From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org=20 
>[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org] On Behalf= Of=20 
>James B. Holland=20 
>Sent: Sunday, November 20, 2005 11:09 PM=20 
>To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org=20 
>Subject: [PRCo] Re: Gazzz=20 
>=20 
>The Old Sayin' used to be:=20 
>=20 
>"""As GM goes, So Goes The Country""&qu= ot;=20 
>=20 
>Very Interesting Observations, Bill!!=20 
>=20 
>While the Investing World is watching High-Tech companies and th= e
future=20 
>=20 
>seems to be centered around computers, Autos Still Drive The Eco= nomy,=20 
>=A0 to=20 
>=20 
>use a phrase. =A0 =A0 =A0 The Big =A0*-D-* =A0*-may-* =A0 be in = the
process =A0--=20 
>=A0I hope I am wrong but History Does Repeat. =A0 =A0 =A0 GM and= USA
auto=20 
>industry have slid some already in the past couple decades compa= red=20 
>to Japanese autos and appear poised to slide much further =A0 = =A0---- =A0
=A0=20 
>some see the possibility of GM filing bankruptcy!!! =A0 =A0 =A0 = Can't=20 
>happen today(??) =A0 =A0=20 
>---- =A0 =A0over simplistic, but this is definitely one of the r= easons
it=20 
>can! =A0 =A0 =A0 Hope I am wrong but I believe we are just seein= g the
tip=20 
>of the iceberg on the downside.=20 
>=20 
>Bill Robb wrote:=20 
>.=20 
>=20 
>>There may be a fundamental change in the economy occurring.= We have=20 
>>seen high gas prices for two summers in a row. It's been ca= used by=20 
>>somewhat uncontrollable factors. Auto makers are faced with= suppliers=20 
>>going bankrupt. Last time something like this happened was = when many=20 
>>of the manufacturing jobs disappeared in the late 80s and e= arly 90s.=20 
>>It'll be interesting to see what happens to gas prices next= summer=20 
>>=20 
>>Not too long ago I was in a local cafe and one of most prom= inent
local=20
>=20 
>>car dealers was there. He was very publicly telling another= business=20 
>>man that business is much harder than it used to be. Cars l= ast longer=20

>>(usually about seven years), people keep their cars longer = and the=20 
>>auto companies don't even seem to make money making cars an= y longer.=20 
>>GM makes more money on financing than auto sales. As gas pr= ices kill=20 
>>SUV and truck sales and the huge SUV profits disappear it c= an only
get=20
>=20 
>>worse.=20 
>>=20 
>>I recently read an article suggesting the reason that troll= eys=20 
>>disappeared from the scene was that they did not have the p= rofit=20 
>>potential that autos, road building, gas refineries, auto i= nsurance,=20 
>>and hospitality facilities brought to the economy. Macro ec= onomics=20 
>>killed the trolleys. The car culture provided more employme= nt and=20 
>>wealth creation opportunities than the efficient networks o= f
trolleys.=20
>>=20 
>>Now the car culture that supports much of the economy could= be on life=20

>=20 
>>support.=20 
>>=20 
>>Bill Robb=20 
>>=20 
>>=20 
>>>Fred Schneider wrote:=20 
>>>.=20 
>>>=20 
>>>>.......Suggested solutions are to tax people by the= miles they drive=20

>=20 
>>>>instead of the gasoline consumed, start a campaign = to get people to=20

>>>>drive more and to discourage the use of mass transi= t.=20 
>>>=20 
>=20 
>Jim__Holland=20 
>=20 
>I__Like__Ike.......And__PCCs!!=20 
>=20 
>down with pantographs ---- UP___WITH___TROLLEYPOLES!!!!!!!=20 


Thanks,=20 
Howard Andrews=20