Ford asks employees to "urge Congress to act".

[Cattlegod]

So I got this note today and thought it would spark some interesting discussion here:

Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 3:37 PM
To: U.S. Salaried Employees
Subject: Congressional Support for Domestic Auto Industry

I am asking for your help in urging Congress to act - now - to approve a package of short-term financial support for the U.S. auto industry.


In September, Congress approved and President Bush signed into law a $25 billion direct, low-interest federal loan package for our industry. This package, the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive Program, will provide support for us to retool our plants and invest in new fuel-saving, advanced technologies. As important as this loan package is to our business, these loans will take time to reach us and will support only future investment.

Ford's product-led plan to deliver more of the safe, affordable, high-quality and fuel-efficient vehicles that consumers want and value remains solidly in place. We are also well positioned to take advantage of our global scale and strengths and we are working diligently to reduce costs. While we are confident in our plan, the situation facing the overall industry today is extremely serious. U.S. automobile sales have plummeted to their lowest volume in 25 years, putting our industry at risk. According to the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), a collapse of the U.S. auto industry could lead to an economy-wide loss of 3 million jobs and cost the U.S. government more than $150 billion over a three year period. We need to ensure that our elected representatives clearly understand that any further decline of the auto industry threatens to drive our economy even deeper into recession.

We need Congress to approve the short-term financial support package before they leave Washington next week. You can help to ensure that they do by making your voice heard and encouraging your friends and family to do the same.

Please contact your U.S. House of Representatives member and U.S. Senators and ask them to support the proposed bridge loan to help the U.S. auto industry weather this economic environment.

The following websites provide all of the information you and your employees need to either call or email your U.S. Representative and Senators:

To call your elected officials, please go to

http://capwiz.com/ford/callale...ex.tt?alertid=12188421

To send an email please go to

http://capwiz.com/ford/issues/alert/?alertid=12190901

Please feel free to send these links to your family and friends and ask them to take action to support our industry and our economy.

There are many who question why the U.S. industry should receive any additional assistance and are quick to assert that the current situation is due to the failure of the automakers to bring new technology to market and an alleged resistance to producing fuel-efficient vehicles. Here are some important points that clearly illustrate Ford's commitment to a new way of doing business and to bringing the newest, most fuel-efficient technologies to market quickly:

· Ford's product-led plan to deliver more of the safe, affordable, high-quality and fuel-efficient vehicles that consumers want and value remains solidly in place. We are also well-positioned to take advantage of our global scale and strengths.

· Ford has committed to leading in the development of advanced technologies, including EcoBoost, Flexible-fuel vehicles, clean diesel, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and hydrogen cars.

· Ford alone has invested more than $22 billion in research and development (2005-07).

· Ford's quality is now on par with Honda and Toyota and rising every year.

· The new Ford Fusion Hybrid beats the Toyota Camry Hybrid in fuel mileage.

Please take just a few minutes to make your voice heard and ensure that lawmakers understand the urgency for them to act now. With your help, we can ensure that all of the hard work that all of you do every day results in a strong Ford Motor Company positioned for growth as the economy rebounds.

Thank you for your support.

 

[filetitan]

my thoughts are .. we are in a big puddle of shit at this point.
(not to helpful but I thought I would share my opinion)

 

[OCGuy]

The government opened the checkbook, so everyone wants a piece. Holy hell.

 

[Balt]

All they are really asking people to do is lobby a bit on their own behalf.

It's more democratic than hiring lobbyists and PACs (which everyone does anyway) imo.


That doesn't mean everyone else should approve of what they want to get passed, though.

 

[Dari]

If this was any other country, there wouldn't even be a debate. Why is America sometimes exceptionally stupid sometimes? Instead of worrying about profit maximization, government should take the healthcare burden of our companies so that they can compete better.

 

[BarneyFife]

Originally posted by: Dari
If this was any other country, there wouldn't even be a debate. Why is America sometimes exceptionally stupid sometimes? Instead of worrying about profit maximization, government should take the healthcare burden of our companies so that they can compete better.

I agree. Toyota doesn't have to worry about that.

 

[StageLeft]

Hopes for a GM bailout dim Ford won't get a bump up on the priority list. I am surprised, well disgusted, that the democrats pushing it don't seem to have any sense of trying to solve any underlying problem, which boehner rightfully has an issue with.

 

[Stunt]

Originally posted by: Dari
If this was any other country, there wouldn't even be a debate. Why is America sometimes exceptionally stupid sometimes? Instead of worrying about profit maximization, government should take the healthcare burden of our companies so that they can compete better.

If you want socialized medicine yes...but you might want to look at the corporate tax rates. American companies pay the highest tax rate in the world.

Remember politicians are elected by people and they refuse to pay higher income tax; the money has to come from somewhere.

 

[BigDH01]

Originally posted by: Stunt

Originally posted by: Dari
If this was any other country, there wouldn't even be a debate. Why is America sometimes exceptionally stupid sometimes? Instead of worrying about profit maximization, government should take the healthcare burden of our companies so that they can compete better.

If you want socialized medicine yes...but you might want to look at the corporate tax rates. American companies pay the highest tax rate in the world.

Remember politicians are elected by people and they refuse to pay higher income tax; the money has to come from somewhere.

American companies aren't as burdened as you think.

 

[IEC]

Originally posted by: Ocguy31
The government opened the checkbook, so everyone wants a piece. Holy hell.

Corporate communism FTW!

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: BarneyFife

Originally posted by: Dari
If this was any other country, there wouldn't even be a debate. Why is America sometimes exceptionally stupid sometimes? Instead of worrying about profit maximization, government should take the healthcare burden of our companies so that they can compete better.

I agree. Toyota doesn't have to worry about that.

:roll: Toyota in the US doesn't have to worry about it?

 

[bozack]

sad as I like some of fords cars but I say let them fail, the unions are killing competition and have to be shut down.

 

[manowar821]

Originally posted by: Spartan Niner

Originally posted by: Ocguy31
The government opened the checkbook, so everyone wants a piece. Holy hell.

Corporate communism FTW!

AKA Fascism.

 

[conehead433]

Don't give them a dime. Let them file for bankruptcy and then restructure. I'm sick of this bailout crap where companies get billions from the gov and then give parties, or top execs billions in bonuses, or use the money to acquire other companies. To hell with all of them.

 

[Dari]

Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY

Originally posted by: BarneyFife

Originally posted by: Dari
If this was any other country, there wouldn't even be a debate. Why is America sometimes exceptionally stupid sometimes? Instead of worrying about profit maximization, government should take the healthcare burden of our companies so that they can compete better.

I agree. Toyota doesn't have to worry about that.

:roll: Toyota in the US doesn't have to worry about it?

No.

 

[AFMatt]

My vote is the government stay out of it and let the market recover on it's own. This whole debacle is only building one big circle of innevitable failure.
Government gives or "loans" mass amounts of money, government is so far in the hole it can't see sunlight, programs get slashed, rich get taxed, middle-class gets taxed, poor get taxed, corps get taxed, small business gets taxed, taxes get taxed, prices go up, pay goes down, people have fewer dollars to spend, and GM still in the hole because they can't sell enough cars, and are paying a loan back to the government. Eventually, GM files for bankruptcy like they should have in the first place.

 

[Budmantom]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Hopes for a GM bailout dim Ford won't get a bump up on the priority list. I am surprised, well disgusted, that the democrats pushing it don't seem to have any sense of trying to solve any underlying problem, which boehner rightfully has an issue with.

Why does that surprise you?

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: BigDH01

Originally posted by: Stunt

Originally posted by: Dari
If this was any other country, there wouldn't even be a debate. Why is America sometimes exceptionally stupid sometimes? Instead of worrying about profit maximization, government should take the healthcare burden of our companies so that they can compete better.

If you want socialized medicine yes...but you might want to look at the corporate tax rates. American companies pay the highest tax rate in the world.

Remember politicians are elected by people and they refuse to pay higher income tax; the money has to come from somewhere.

American companies aren't as burdened as you think.

I love how he claims US allows generous deduction, then doesn't offer foreign examples where he shows strict deduction rules.

Detroit needs to bankrupt so the leeches can die.

 

[Budmantom]

The Democratic party works for the unions and the unions work for the Democratic party, we will see more and more of these types of policies.


Here is what I see happening the Dem's will bail out the big 3 and put out more legislation regarding cafe standards and "green" rules and regulations that will bankrupt the big 3 after that they will need to"fix" the problem(that they created again) by bailing them out again, costing us the tax payers more and more money.

 

[RichardE]

Originally posted by: Budmantom
The Democratic party works for the unions and the unions work for the Democratic party, we will see more and more of these types of policies.


Here is what I see happening the Dem's will bail out the big 3 and put out more legislation regarding cafe standards and "green" rules and regulations that will bankrupt the big 3 after that they will need to"fix" the problem(that they created again) by bailing them out again, costing us the tax payers more and more money.

and still saving the jobs of 3 million people. The 50 billion dollar plan makes sense if these people pay more than 1600$ in tax, (break even) if they pay more the government comes out ahead. If you include the cost of unemployment, the government saves money by bailing these guys out. This is why you will see a bailout, because government beancounters go "if we don't bail them out for X amount it will cost us Y amount".

 

[RU482]

Say no and let a poorly run good ole boy industry die, but drag the economy as a whole further into the muck

Say yes and risk letting a domestic industry burn through billions of our dollars, with no improvement to the situation.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: Budmantom
The Democratic party works for the unions and the unions work for the Democratic party, we will see more and more of these types of policies.


Here is what I see happening the Dem's will bail out the big 3 and put out more legislation regarding cafe standards and "green" rules and regulations that will bankrupt the big 3 after that they will need to"fix" the problem(that they created again) by bailing them out again, costing us the tax payers more and more money.

The Republican party works for the unions and the unions work for the Republican party, we will see less and less of these types of policies.


Here is what I see happening the Dem's will NOT bail out the big 3 and will NOT put out more legislation regarding cafe standards and "green" rules and regulations that will bankrupt the big 3 after that they will have fixed the problem(that the Republican`s created), costing us the tax payers less and less money.

 

[Budmantom]

Originally posted by: RichardE

Originally posted by: Budmantom
The Democratic party works for the unions and the unions work for the Democratic party, we will see more and more of these types of policies.


Here is what I see happening the Dem's will bail out the big 3 and put out more legislation regarding cafe standards and "green" rules and regulations that will bankrupt the big 3 after that they will need to"fix" the problem(that they created again) by bailing them out again, costing us the tax payers more and more money.

and still saving the jobs of 3 million people. The 50 billion dollar plan makes sense if these people pay more than 1600$ in tax, (break even) if they pay more the government comes out ahead. If you include the cost of unemployment, the government saves money by bailing these guys out. This is why you will see a bailout, because government beancounters go "if we don't bail them out for X amount it will cost us Y amount".

The solution to money problems is not money.

If we bail them out it will only prolong the problem it will not be a solution, last quarter Gm & Ford lost $5 billion.

If they go bankrupt and restructure they may be able to do away with the unions and get rid of the legacy costs, they will have to make jobs cuts but they can comeback leaner and meaner.

 

[Budmantom]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda

Originally posted by: Budmantom
The Democratic party works for the unions and the unions work for the Democratic party, we will see more and more of these types of policies.


Here is what I see happening the Dem's will bail out the big 3 and put out more legislation regarding cafe standards and "green" rules and regulations that will bankrupt the big 3 after that they will need to"fix" the problem(that they created again) by bailing them out again, costing us the tax payers more and more money.

The Republican party works for the unions and the unions work for the Republican party, we will see less and less of these types of policies.


Here is what I see happening the Dem's will NOT bail out the big 3 and will NOT put out more legislation regarding cafe standards and "green" rules and regulations that will bankrupt the big 3 after that they will have fixed the problem(that the Republican`s created), costing us the tax payers less and less money.

Denial.....

First step is to acknowledge we have a problem.

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: Budmantom

Originally posted by: RichardE

Originally posted by: Budmantom
The Democratic party works for the unions and the unions work for the Democratic party, we will see more and more of these types of policies.


Here is what I see happening the Dem's will bail out the big 3 and put out more legislation regarding cafe standards and "green" rules and regulations that will bankrupt the big 3 after that they will need to"fix" the problem(that they created again) by bailing them out again, costing us the tax payers more and more money.

and still saving the jobs of 3 million people. The 50 billion dollar plan makes sense if these people pay more than 1600$ in tax, (break even) if they pay more the government comes out ahead. If you include the cost of unemployment, the government saves money by bailing these guys out. This is why you will see a bailout, because government beancounters go "if we don't bail them out for X amount it will cost us Y amount".

The solution to money problems is not money.

If we bail them out it will only prolong the problem it will not be a solution, last quarter Gm & Ford lost $5 billion.

If they go bankrupt and restructure they may be able to do away with the unions and get rid of the legacy costs, they will have to make jobs cuts but they can comeback leaner and meaner.

The problem has been pointed out before that auto makers don't come out of bankruptcy, they tend to just die. Why would consumers buy cars from a bankrupt auto company when they can just go across the street to a solvent one and not have to worry about anything? They won't.

Chrysler's problems are probably terminal. Ford and GM could be saved by bridging the gap to 2010 when they get to shed a boatload of legacy expenses, been able to retool factories, and cut more unneeded capacity.