You're right fstop! The unions aren't totally to blame in this by a long shot but share some of it - I personally would split it between purchasers, penny pushers, and design decision teams too, but it's getting impossible to compete with companies that don't offer health insurance and pensions to retirees. The cost of business just isn't level here, the airlines have seen this for decades, and I firmly believe that comapany pensions and health benefits are fast becoming a thing of the past. People purchase Toyotas, Jet Blue tickets, foreign sweat shop clothes,etc. and is it any surprise that you can't make it with benefits for retirees anymore when these companies pay none? If GM had no pensions or health insurance, they probably would have made a profit. After I retired from the Air Force I had a small manufacturing business for a few years but the health insurance and tax costs ate me alive. GM is building a much better product than ever before and the H3 is my first GM product since my 1978 Cutlass. When it comes to styling and V8 design, GM has always led the way - Harley Earl, Zora Duntov, Larry Shinoda, Bill Mitchell, GTO John DeLorean the list is endless. OK I'll get off my soapbox. I have a neighbor that loves his Pontiac G6 - their products are good. In the old days you couldn't wait till the new models came out, because they changed a lot and were distinctive, now they all look the same - maybe that's why I bought the H3 it doesn't look like everything else on the road - it's a styling as well as a capability statement. But this Pontiac is my favorite design, next to the old Buick Roadmasters of the 50s ahhh(Jay Leno's favorites too), 57 Chevies, 66 GTOs, oh yes, that '59 Caddie fin - rolling pieces of art in my opinon, but they drove like heck compared to the most crude of today's cars.
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11-21-2005, 10:32 PM
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