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Can GM make Cadillac the standard of the world Again?

6098 messages,  Last post on Aug 14, 2009 at 4:43 PM

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What is this discussion about? Cadillac Escalade, Cadillac XLR, Cadillac STS, Automotive News


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#5781 of 6098
Re: With the Big Three gone... [62vetteefp] by kernick
Oct 30, 2008 (4:44 am)
Reply

Replying to: 62vetteefp (Oct 29, 2008 7:30 pm)

I went thru similar. 20 years ago I bought a townhouse for $92K. While I didn't work there, the closure of Wang and Digital computers in the area sent the real estate market into a steep slide. The condo was worth about $30K five years later when I got a new job about 75 miles away. This was the price because many people were just walking away from their properties as they owed more then they would be auctioned for.
 
I kept my place, and rented it. Lo and behold other businesses rented these buildings, and new jobs came in. I sold my condo about 5 years after renting for $110K.
 
So while no one necessarily wants to move or to change jobs, its part of life. I now work at a company that was in a family for 95 years, but was sold 2 years ago, and there are all sorts of changes. It happens.
 
If GM goes under and it will someday - check how many companies 50 or 100 years ago in the Dow 30 are still around; then you adapt. Autos will still need to be made somewhere, and Detroit will have to make it look competitive for someone to do business there.
#5782 of 6098
Re: Quality [62vetteefp] by tlong
Oct 30, 2008 (7:29 am)
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Replying to: 62vetteefp (Oct 30, 2008 3:25 am)

It was required by California mandate.
 
62, thanks for the info.
#5783 of 6098
Re: With the Big Three gone... [tlong] by cooterbfd
Oct 30, 2008 (2:20 pm)
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Replying to: tlong (Oct 29, 2008 9:03 pm)

"No, all of this competition across the country is GOOD. I'm in a very high tax state (CA), and it's GOOD that other states can steal work and companies from us. CA deserves to hurt if they overtax us and make us business-unfriendly. It's GOOD that FL has no state income taxes, people retire to FL and it supports their economy. Any state that cannot compete should SUFFER. Anybody who can't find work in their state when there's lots of work elsewhere should MOVE"
 
Well, in that case maybe we should rename ourselves the Every State for Themself of America instead of UNITED.
 
I'm not saying that competition is bad, it IS good. Bad decisions SHOULD be punnished with bad results. But to say that states that CAN'T (as opposed to WON'T) compete should suffer is wrong.
 
I'm sure that an entertainment company could "out Disney" Disney, and RI could give them all the incentives in the world to do so, but the fact that it averages 39 degrees in the winter makes that IMPLAUSIBLE. Not RI's fault, just a fact of life, and we souldn't be punnished for it.
 
I'm all for states rights, but there comes a point in time where the federal government has to step in for the "GOOD OF THE COUNTRY".
 
Labor laws, for example, should be standardized throughout the country.
#5784 of 6098
Re: With the Big Three gone... [jimbres] by lemko
Oct 31, 2008 (5:49 am)
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Replying to: jimbres (Oct 29, 2008 2:48 pm)

"Hooptie" is synonymous with jalopy or beater car.
#5785 of 6098
Re: With the Big Three gone... [circlew] by lemko
Oct 31, 2008 (5:55 am)
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Replying to: circlew (Oct 30, 2008 3:28 am)

A more apt title should be "Who Stole My Cheese?" If you think everything is cool with those former PA steel towns these days, you're dead wrong. They're either ghost towns or ghettoes these days.
#5786 of 6098
Re: With the Big Three gone... [cooterbfd] by jimbres
Oct 31, 2008 (8:18 am)
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Replying to: cooterbfd (Oct 30, 2008 2:20 pm)

Good post, but I have to agree with tlong on this. I live in NY, possibly the most highly taxed state of all (particularly for those of us who live downstate), & I'm certain that our esteemed lawmakers would drive our taxes even higher if there were no competition from lower-taxed states.
 
After all, it was a New Yorker who coined the expression, "No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe while the Legislature is in session”. That was in 1866 - more than 140 years ago. Things haven't gotten better since then.
 
We're grossly over-taxed not for reasons beyond our control, like the weather, but because we've become a paradise for public employees. We not only have more of them but we pay each of them more money. Civil service unions wield enormous political clout here, & they make it almost impossible to reduce their numbers or their salaries.
 
In my county, for example, the base salary for a patrol officer with 5 years of experience is $100K. Sergeants & higher ranks make more, & overtime sweetens the pot further.
 
Given this, would you build an auto plant or any other factory in NY?
#5787 of 6098
Re: With the Big Three gone... [lemko] by circlew
Oct 31, 2008 (8:39 am)
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Replying to: lemko (Oct 31, 2008 5:55 am)

Do you think everyone just stayed put and felt sorry for themselves? I doubt that.
 
You follow the cheese.
 
Regards,
OW
#5788 of 6098
Re: With the Big Three gone... [lemko] by jimbres
Oct 31, 2008 (9:02 am)
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Replying to: lemko (Oct 31, 2008 5:49 am)

Ah, one of those colorful Pennsylvania-Dutch expressions.
 
The equally colorful NY equivalent is "piece of s---".
#5789 of 6098
Re: With the Big Three gone... [jimbres] by cooterbfd
Oct 31, 2008 (1:13 pm)
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Replying to: jimbres (Oct 31, 2008 8:18 am)

Well, I must say that NY has NOTHING on RI when it comes to high taxes. Unfortunately, as far as the legislatures (state and federal), lobbyists probably account for more wasteful spending and higher taxes than a $100k cop.
 
Would I build a plant in NY??? Well, I've thought about that for RI as well, and I'd say yes, as NY could be a central spot for supplying the entire northeast, from Md. to Me., as well as southern Ontario. Also, if a company (say VW) were there, they could, in essence, use local ports to export cars back to Germany.
 
I do agree that here up North, we have to get our ducks in a row as far as taxes and other types of regulations go, but I don't think that unionization should be enough to scare people away from up here.
#5790 of 6098
by m4d_cow
Nov 01, 2008 (10:58 pm)
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"The Oshawa plant where the Camaro, and hopefully future Zetas, are built is consistently one of the highest quality plants in the US."
Huh? I thought Oshawa build Hummers??? Or is it Mishawa... something.... Fairly speaking yes I do hear good things about cars built there, but I've yet to hear any good reviews on GM's other plants. The big question is: how is GM going to improve things when only 1 or 2 plants are doing great jobs?
 
"I do not know where the exchange rate would put the US built G8 at but you sure are going the wrong way. It would be cheaper here. And US GM is selling it at quite a bit lower price than what the same vehicle is sold for in' Austrailia. "
Err, the GM products sold in Aussie are priced higher because they come from the European market division, where the Euro-Dollar rate affects pricing more than Aussie dollar to US dollar. The bomber is the fact that most European market parts are NOT avaialable in the US plants, leaving only 2 options should they wish to build foreign GM cars in US:
1) Replace the foreign parts with local parts, or
2) Produce these parts or import them to US plants.
The former will lower both cost AND the vehicle quality, while the latter will bloat the price even more.
 
"He roots for HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of AMERICANS to LOSE THEIR JOBS.
He's not OW, he's GW. "
My goodness. Honestly, I feel sorry for those losing their jobs, but its NOT OUR FAULT. Do I feel simpathy? Yes. Do I care to save them by buying GM products? I sure as hell dont. I'm not talking patriotism here, people, I'm talking cold hard reality. When its my turn to choose a side, I choose with my green, my hard earned green, not my red-white-blue. This is reality, and I KNOW I'm with the majority.
Why do most Americans buy foreign? Because they choose logic over patriotism. Should "buy american" really resonate with customers, foregners like Honda would've lost a huge chunk of sales by now. Years from now, when quality really catch up (assuming it really happens), buyers will turn back to domestics, I'll take a second look when it happens.
I wont buy Cadillac Ford etc the same way I'd stay away from RCA like plague. Yes I did consider STS but not anymore, too many bad reviews there. OTOH I will buy American, in the form of Apple and Intel. Oh wait, theyre built in China now, whatever. Do I care if companies like RCA, GM and FoMoCo perish? Nope. Its competition = its inevitable.
Oh and btw, I used to drive a Ford Escape, so unless I'm totally mistaken I think its made in US.
 
"In addition to what you say about Hummers, at the time GM had canceled an electric car of theirs that was in demand (EV1) to promote the environmentally grotesque and obscene Hummer line, which now thankfully seems to be going the way of the dodo bird. "
Now this is somewhat absurd. Sorry, media, but the so called EV is in high demand by a bunch of loyalist. Second, lets not forget the cost of development, including battery chargers, will bloat the vehicle price UNLESS heavy federal incentives are on the way, which will NOT happen because our government dont have the money!!!!! However I'm interested in how the Volt will fare.
 
See? I dont dish GM all the time, just most of the time

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