Buying American Cars What Does It Mean?

7263 messages, Last post on May 27, 2009 at 4:31 AM

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What is this discussion about? Car Buying

With parts coming from everywhere, does "Buying American" have much meaning anymore? Is quality and price the bottom line?

Outline

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#6609 of 7263 Re: Big Day Coming Up!!!!!!!! [nvbanker] by gagrice Nov 26, 2008 (12:46 pm)
Replying to: nvbanker (Nov 26, 2008 10:56 am) I do agree with you. However it is perception. One of the things that appealed to me about Sarah Palin was the fact she sold the state's jet and started flying coach around the state on Alaska Airlines. This gives the perception of being as conservative with state money as you are asking others to be. I see no reason that Pelosi and Reid should fly anything but commercial. I don't think the other members of Congress have that kind of wasteful perk. If they fly enough to get Gold status and fly First Class that is fine. Congress is supposed to be the Servants of the people. They are anything but subservient to the voters. Replies to this message: steve_ (Nov 26, 2008 12:52 pm) gagrice (Nov 26, 2008 1:35 pm) bumpy (Nov 26, 2008 3:59 pm)
#6610 of 7263 Re: Big Day Coming Up!!!!!!!! [gagrice] by steve_ HOST Nov 26, 2008 (12:52 pm)
Replying to: gagrice (Nov 26, 2008 12:46 pm) Let the Big 3 execs fly one of these to DC and see if that gets anyone's attention. Replies to this message: gagrice (Nov 26, 2008 1:35 pm) bumpy (Nov 26, 2008 3:59 pm)
#6611 of 7263 Re: Big Day Coming Up!!!!!!!! [steve_] by gagrice Nov 26, 2008 (1:35 pm)
Replying to: steve_ (Nov 26, 2008 12:52 pm) I think they better stick with Cessna and Gulfstream. That was also interesting about the Ford family voting rights. I have not figured out how they keep 40% control with 2.97% of the stock. Sounds like old man Ford was pretty sharp. Replies to this message: bumpy (Nov 26, 2008 3:59 pm)
#6612 of 7263 Re: Big Day Coming Up!!!!!!!! [gagrice] by bumpy Nov 26, 2008 (3:59 pm)
Replying to: gagrice (Nov 26, 2008 1:35 pm) Ford was privately held by Henry's heirs until the early 1950s, when they held what amounted to an IPO to raise some capital. IIRC, at that point the (diluted) ownership stakes of the family were converted into preferred, nontradeable stock.
#6613 of 7263 Re: Big Day Coming Up!!!!!!!! [grbeck] by cooterbfd Nov 26, 2008 (4:53 pm)
Replying to: grbeck (Nov 26, 2008 8:06 am) First, anything that can fit in the trunk of my Park Ave IS a little metal can Second, in spite of you THINKING they lack skill, if Honda makes so much money on them, and the Civic is put together as well as you guys claim, then maybe the workers DESERVE more than $15/ hr. Replies to this message: bpizzuti (Nov 27, 2008 4:56 am) cooterbfd (Nov 27, 2008 12:45 pm) bpizzuti (Nov 27, 2008 5:43 pm) and 5 more... m1miata (Nov 30, 2008 5:21 pm) nvbanker (Nov 30, 2008 7:32 pm) bpizzuti (Dec 01, 2008 2:24 am) and 6 more...
#6614 of 7263 Re: Big Day Coming Up!!!!!!!! [cooterbfd] by bpizzuti Nov 27, 2008 (4:56 am)
Replying to: cooterbfd (Nov 26, 2008 4:53 pm) You think that them being put together so well has to do with the design and engineering maybe? Inserting Tab A into Slot B, wash, rinse, repeat, is not skilled labor. Just for comparison, an entry-level job in information technology, doing operations, PC, and network troubleshooting and such, makes $15 per hour in my area of the Hudson Valley, which is a fairly high-rent area for the suburbs. That job requires an education in information technology. $15 per hour for unskilled labor jobs on an assembly line is quite good as a starting salary, especially when it's not in McMansion-ville. By the way, the term "skilled" and "unskilled" labor are not judgments on actual skill; they're technical terms indicating the level of training and vetting they have to go through to be in the profession. Most contractors, particularly electrical and plumbing for example, are considered skilled labor. They had to get educated, study, and be certified or licensed in their trade. Unskilled labor is typically when Joe Bloe can step off the street, be shown how to do a particular task, and then do it. It's a lot more complex than that, but that's the general gist of it. Replies to this message: cooterbfd (Nov 27, 2008 12:45 pm) bpizzuti (Nov 27, 2008 5:43 pm) cooterbfd (Nov 27, 2008 6:03 pm) and 4 more...
#6615 of 7263 Re: Big Day Coming Up!!!!!!!! [bpizzuti] by cooterbfd Nov 27, 2008 (12:45 pm)
Replying to: bpizzuti (Nov 27, 2008 4:56 am) Don't get me started on the IT theme. What is disgusting to me is the thought that someone making that $15/hr, with their education, would have their job threatened by someone in India making $400/mo. We can tarriff a car, but how do you tarriff a service??? Replies to this message: bpizzuti (Nov 27, 2008 5:43 pm) cooterbfd (Nov 27, 2008 6:03 pm) 62vetteefp (Dec 01, 2008 4:36 am) and 1 more... lemko (Dec 01, 2008 7:48 am) and 1 more...
#6616 of 7263 Re: Big Day Coming Up!!!!!!!! [cooterbfd] by bpizzuti Nov 27, 2008 (5:43 pm)
Replying to: cooterbfd (Nov 27, 2008 12:45 pm) Hey, it's my field. I could have chosen an example I knew nothing about, but then I'd look like an idiot. Luckily, my particular job isn't threatened by that in any way, though many of the entry-level operations-type jobs are. Interesting parallel with what the UAW is afraid of by the way, but the IT business responded by becoming more competitive to keep more of the jobs here. The UAW...I don't have a problem with unions in general, but the UAW seems to just have issues sometimes. That's the really sad part, because American labor really IS the best in the world on a per-dollar basis, except when it comes to UAW workers, it seems. Replies to this message: cooterbfd (Nov 27, 2008 6:03 pm) 62vetteefp (Dec 01, 2008 4:36 am) steve_ (Dec 01, 2008 7:17 am) lemko (Dec 01, 2008 7:48 am) cooterbfd (Dec 02, 2008 6:04 pm)
#6617 of 7263 Re: Big Day Coming Up!!!!!!!! [bpizzuti] by cooterbfd Nov 27, 2008 (6:03 pm)
Replying to: bpizzuti (Nov 27, 2008 5:43 pm) "...Hey, it's my field." I figured as much. It just gets my gall to think that someone could spend tens of thousands of dollars on an education, only to be undercut by someone who makes literally a fraction of what you make. Pretty soon we'll need a Phd just to get a job at Mcdonalds. Replies to this message: 62vetteefp (Dec 01, 2008 4:36 am) steve_ (Dec 01, 2008 7:17 am) lemko (Dec 01, 2008 7:48 am) cooterbfd (Dec 02, 2008 6:04 pm)
#6618 of 7263 Re: Big Day Coming Up!!!!!!!! [cooterbfd] by m1miata Nov 30, 2008 (5:21 pm)
Replying to: cooterbfd (Nov 26, 2008 4:53 pm) Actually quality cars are often smaller and building a car lighter requires more engineering and expense for materials. If you believe your Park Ave to be of higher build quality and drive ability, that is your own reality. To each his own. As for wages, it is the market for workers with the ability to do that particular work which will set the wage, unless you are talking socialism, communism or union scales. I would imagine somewhere between $15 and $25 per hour to make sense for the job at hand - in other words, that is what I would expect to make. Replies to this message: nvbanker (Nov 30, 2008 7:32 pm) bpizzuti (Dec 01, 2008 2:24 am) nvbanker (Dec 04, 2008 8:49 am) and 5 more...