Now that's classy right there!

Jstas

Ford gives GM a giant B-day card!

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/16/ford-wishes-gm-a-happy-100th-birthday/



Pretty cool.

b_dick

Those two are like sailors from warring navies sitting in the same lifeboat.

ben62670

I'll take good American over import any day:)

F1nut

Pretty cool, indeed!

audiobliss

Haha, wow, that's awesome!

brettw22

I did get a chuckle out of one of the comments that said something like "I'm surprised to find out that Ford has money to leave the lights on at night".............lol........

kgingras

Time to let both of them die.

Jstas

kgingras wrote: »

Time to let both of them die.

Wow. If that's not flame bait, I dunno what is.

Joe08867

kgingras, Well lets let GM, Ford and Chrysler die off. That would be great for the economy. Where do these people come from. WHAT A TOOL!!!!

Jstas, I have never been an overall fan of Ford products (Mustangs are cool) but, doing something like that for one of your biggest competitors is real classy.

Nice Job FoMoCo.

kgingras

Jstas wrote: »

Wow. If that's not flame bait, I dunno what is.

Nah not really. I was just reading Marketwatch this morning and see that their execs are in DC today meeting with lawmakers to rally support for $25 billion in low cost federal loans. Being an election year of course it is going to happen so lets all get ready to pony up (again).

Joe08867

Well that and AIG should only cost us about 45 billion dollars. Who do I write the check too.

kgingras

Joe08867 wrote: »

kgingras, Well lets let GM, Ford and Chrysler die off. That would be great for the economy. Where do these people come from. WHAT A TOOL!!!!

Jstas, I have never been an overall fan of Ford products (Mustangs are cool) but, doing something like that for one of your biggest competitors is real classy.

Nice Job FoMoCo.

Why do you feel the gov't needs to bail companies out? Where does it end? How about we bail out everyone who is upside down in their mortgage too? Or do you think that would be irresponsible?

kgingras

Joe08867 wrote: »

Well that and AIG should only cost us about 45 billion dollars. Who do I write the check too.

Make out your 2009 tax retun check to Pay to the order of: Ford, Fannie, and F**K me in the **** one more time.

Joe08867

kgingras wrote: »

Why do you feel the gov't needs to bail companies out?

I didn't say let the Government bail them out. I still think they should do it on there own. They should have seen this coming years ago. With that being said 25 billion is less than what it would cost all of us to pay the unemployment for the thousands upon thousands of employees they employee. Not to mention the fact of what it would do to the economy and job market.

Do you have any idea how many companies rely on the big three for work?

And then there's AIG. Do you know you can't build in this country legally without insurance. What do you think would happen if AIG closed up shop. How many construction compnaies and contractors that would have to stop working. That would be great for the country.

Think before making dumb comments about things. Pick and poke fun at the product all you want. Heck I did in my post. But to say they should go away is ludicrious.

Any other questions smart guy?;)

bobman1235

I understand the reasons for government bailouts of large companies; but I think it should be handled differently. I'm not quite sure how, but there has to be some accountability. These companies shouldn't be bailed out and just be allowed to go on with business as usual. The American taxpayer has effectively bought a share in the company, and should get the benefits that go along with it. The CEO who allowed it to get to that position shouldn't be allowed to keep his post; that's absurd. The entire management hierarchy should be tossed, honestly. They couldn't handle their own funds, I wouldn't trust them handling those of the American people.

kgingras

bobman1235 wrote: »

The American taxpayer has effectively bought a share in the company, and should get the benefits that go along with it.

Doubtful there will be any benefits. If there were then someone else besides the gov't would have bought them. We will not see that money again. Buh bye.

Face

kgingras wrote: »

Why do you feel the gov't needs to bail companies out? Where does it end? How about we bail out everyone who is upside down in their mortgage too? Or do you think that would be irresponsible?

I agree, f them all. Let's turn this place into a 3rd world country while we're at it. Good job derailing the thread. :rolleyes:

bobman1235

kgingras wrote: »

Doubtful there will be any benefits. If there were then someone else besides the gov't would have bought them. We will not see that money again. Buh bye.

One of the stated purposes of the gov't is to "promote the general welfare." GM or Ford going out of business would MASSIVELY hurt the economy when tens of thousands lost their jobs, which would cascade and eventually affect you as well when your dollar was worth a quarter after consumer confidence tumbles.

I know smart-asses like you like to think the economy is some simple little equation and you have it all figured out, but it's amazingly fragile and complex.

ben62670

Off to a real good start k:rolleyes:

kgingras

Joe08867 wrote: »

I didn't say let the Government bail them out. I still think they should do it on there own. They should have seen this coming years ago. With that being said 25 billion is less than what it would cost all of us to pay the unemployment for the thousands upon thousands of employees they employee. Not to mention the fact of what it would do to the economy and job market.

Do you have any idea how many companies rely on the big three for work?

And then there's AIG. Do you know you can't build in this country legally without insurance. What do you think would happen if AIG closed up shop. How many construction compnaies and contractors that would have to stop working. That would be great for the country.

Think before making dumb comments about things. Pick and poke fun at the product all you want. Heck I did in my post. But to say they should go away is ludicrious.

Any other questions smart guy?;)

I consult for an automotive manufacturer so yes I am well aware of the situation. Whatever happened to pure market capitalism? Chysler has made a go at it through private equity.

Joe08867

kgingras wrote: »

I consult for an automotive manufacturer so yes I am well aware of the situation. Whatever happened to pure market capitalism? Chysler has made a go at it through private equity.

You work for a auto manufacturer and you want to loose your job? That's smart.

You think Chrysler will be around for the next ten years? The company that bought them will eventually sell off the assets and leave. They have done it many times before. Why do you think Daimler got out.

The main reaon the big three are having trouble is the price of oil and the fact they don't build cars that can compete with foreign products on that front. Not to mention the dollar isn't worth squat right now.

This is fun. Anymore questions?

Joe08867

Oh by the way kgingras, Welcome to the board.

kgingras

Joe08867 wrote: »

You work for a auto manufacturer and you want to loose your job? That's smart.

You think Chrysler will be around for the next ten years? The company that bought them will eventually sell off the assets and leave. They have done it many times before. Why do you think Daimler got out.

The main reaon the big three are having trouble is the price of oil and the fact they don't build cars that can compete with foreign products on that front. Not to mention the dollar isn't worth squat right now.

This is fun. Anymore questions?

I never said I consulted for the big three.

So wonderful that you embrace socialism.

Next: WaMu.

bobman1235

kgingras wrote: »

So wonderful that you embrace socialism.

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

Demiurge

Let's start with the 2 latest examples...

Merrill Lynch? Thank God they got bought out. Merrill Lynch is the ultimate 2 faced organization. They're invested in businesses and then they turn around and give financial advice to individuals about businesses they're invested in. The principle part of their business is retail brokerage. Talk about a total conflict of interest. A lot of people who did business with them were complete suckers. Henry Blodgett anyone?

Lehman Bros. went under because it's assets were overpowered by it's obligations and tried to get the government to bail them out like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which are special circumstances that Lehman Bros. didn't fall under. Finally government was wise enough to say no in this case, being that Lehman Bros. was not an aberration like the aforementioned companies. It's awesome that the government didn't do anything.

To those who are left holding the proverbial bag -- too frickin' bad. Cry more. Companies fail all the time and this truly is no different, despite the trickle down effect it may have for those invested in them.

Two badly managed companies, and not the only ones. They took on too much risk. It's good to see that there are actual consequences for poor management. I suspect other financial institutions will learn a lesson.

It's funny though, so many people love to rail on business and try to tear them down. Then one falls on it's own stupidity and the stupidity of their investors and all of a sudden we need to get involved? **** that noise.

ben62670

Demi tell us how you really feel:D

sucks2beme

WE are a country where business is being run by bean counters instead of
go-getters. Ford, GM and others were build by guys that understood
the business. They have been replaced with MBA's. I'm waiting for my
company to go belly up. Not automotive, but the same crap. Clueless
on what makes a customer happy.

Demiurge

ben62670 wrote: »

Demi tell us how you really feel:D

I will!

brettw22

Everyone knows it's not Demi's style to be overly opinionated.......capiche?

carpenter

There's this guy who works with me, who used to be a major quant
(deals with Math modeling in the fixed income trading desks) with Lehman.
He begged them like a dog, that Lehman invested in technology that properly models the
risk structure in the CDOs market (and other mortgage backed financial assets),
because the risk rating (by moodys or fitch) was (evidently) a joke.

Eventually that guy (math PHD, specialized in high frequency trading) moved to better things.
why am I telling you this? his salary structure (while on Lehman) was 2/3 regular salary and 1/3
in Lehman stock options ... with a few years of vesting to go.
He lost in the last few weeks so much money, that I can't even begin to imagine how I'd feel if I was in his shoes.

B.T.W

Ford is indeed a class act.

zingo

I have always been an import guy (Civic, 626, Pathfinder), but the last car I bought was a 2008 Focus because of the price, quality, and gas mileage. My next car will also be an American made car (possibly Cadillac CTS-V ) because it might help the economy and let me drive a load of awesomeness...