25th Nov 2009, 15:14
Thanks for mentioning the trickle down effect. I have no automotive mfr direct income, but made money from those patronizing our company as well. We took a big hit. Low import salaries are not going to be able to buy from us.
27th Nov 2009, 13:46
True in my company's case as well. Japanese companies that pay very little and offer no benefits are not going to be of any help to the U.S. at all. Less than 10% of all auto related jobs in the U.S. are provided by all the foreign companies combined (including German, British and Swedish auto companies). Buying a Japanese car helps virtually no one in the U.S. at all. I can't believe we have commenters on here who are actually WANTING to destroy the jobs of 14,000,000 U.S. citizens and the lives of their families, especially at this time of year.
27th Nov 2009, 16:28
Here is some food for thought for you Ford lovers... It is an older article, but it really does tell it how it is, and most of it has come true now... The gist is that import companies are trying to create jobs here and build plants, while Ford and GM spend $BILLIONS to take their manufacturing elsewhere. So support them all you like, but read this carefully so you get every point in it okay?? Read the LAST LINE ESPECIALLY!! Can't wait to see the posts of "justification" on this one... HEH!!
http://www.dcathome.com/detail.aspx?dct=54&id=8626&mid=1410&loc=rss
27th Nov 2009, 19:38
I'm not sure how "world class" this Fusion is considering it's in DEAD LAST on the 10 Best Sellers list for 2009 with only 134,600 units sold. The "unreliable" Toyota Camry is number 3 at 264,357 units sold (which is almost TWICE the number of Fusions sold.) And the Honda Accord (which has now won the 28th annual Car and Driver 10 Best list for the 24th time) is in 4th place at 221,369 units sold. For how "world class" this Fusion is, it's not selling so well.
28th Nov 2009, 05:08
16:17 I did not write that comment, but I would rather go with 90% than belaboring how you are defending 10% of import car purchases. If someone has a brand new import in the driveway, it seems natural they will feel the need to defend a recent purchase. I had big issues with my last import. Not everyone is financially able to trade in a 41000 mile import that cost $34000 new and take a third, but we did. It was well worth getting rid of ours. The added plus is we are now with 3 late model domestics in our driveway. Maybe our one small family effort will help the local economy as an added benefit. As it was, we use to care less about anyone but ourselves. We could have been buying expensive domestics at the time.
28th Nov 2009, 21:52
"So now 10% equals "virtually no one in the U.S. at all?"
Well, 10% is STILL less than 90% (well except in import math I guess).
28th Nov 2009, 21:55
WOW!! I wish I had YOU for a neighbor!! I had begun to think, after reading the "LET 14,000,000 AMERICANS GET FIRED" rants that there was no hope left for sanity in the U.S. YES, you DO make a difference. I only wish more people were as concerned about their neighbors as you! THANK YOU.
30th Nov 2009, 08:28
I guess you didn't bother to paste the link above for the article I posted to find out the truth about your precious domestic auto companies. Just for the record I am not an import lover either and drive a Ford (for now), but I still am ashamed of our own auto companies and how they continue to pour $billions into other countries like Mexico and Canada.
Sorry, but if they cared so much about you and your neighbor they'd keep every last job here in the U.S. PERIOD, end of story. You justify this behavior because of that whole 90% argument, but the import companies keep building plants here in the U.S. creating jobs so pretty soon it'll be closer to a 50/50 deal on the job scale. This will probably happen pretty quickly too as the domestic auto companies are STILL looking to export their labor and are probably scoping out new sites for foreign plants as we speak (or type in this instance).
I also find the 90% argument flawed and the scale seems a bit generous toward the domestic brands. Any given time I am on the road, I can count as many or more import cars as domestics so they have at least 50% of the market share in my area, and I am sure it is similar in many other areas. Maybe Detroit would be skewed towards domestic cars.
It'll be interesting to see how much support they gain when this is more leveled in the industry. Will you still be so blind to their lack of care? I know, I know... this will NEVER happen right? Yeah, keep telling yourself that just like you did when you thought the housing bubble would never burst or the banks would never fail in this country... Yeah remember the good old days??
Ford is already building their one and only high quality competitor in a foreign plant. What would stop them from outsourcing most of their product when this has worked out so well for them? Give it a few years.... you'll see. 90% not only COULD become 50% or less, but it WILL at the rate we are going.
25th Nov 2009, 08:50
"Merry Christmas Honda and Toyota owners. I hope it was worth it."
This is priceless!! I just love how you die hard domestic supporters just completely forget that the big three are ENTIRELY to blame for their own predicaments! And also they feel that giving them BILLIONS in tax money isn't enough support. Now we should shell out even more money to support them and keep them from failing. Seems to me like it is a lost cause. If it takes this much wasted cash just to keep a company afloat, then the American dream is already dead.
ALSO, all I see now is posts on here about how well Ford and GM are doing... although a $1.2 Billion loss isn't really "doing well" in my book. If they are doing so well and make such great cars, then why do you all feel the need to attack Toyota and Honda buyers? Seems to me that the past 30 years or so that Toyota and Honda cars have been available to the U.S. buyers haven't really been a problem, since the big three currently hold 90% of the marketplace as far as jobs go.
I, however, find that number pretty inflated since there are so many imports on America's roads. I am sure there are ways to make it seem like the domestic car companies control so much of the auto job industry... and I am sure the "excellent" CNN has exploited all of them.
CNN was also the one who had a story stating that import competition is healthy for the domestic corporations. Seems you can find any story to support your beliefs in the news. I wonder if they do that purposely to attract more viewers? Hmmm... nawwww, no company in the U.S. is purely out for profits... That would be "unpatriotic"!