1,100 employees at Chrysler's Newark Plant finished (real estate, credit, loans)

[Dexterguy]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

Well it does happen. The parking lot at the Hyundai plant is filled with American cars and trucks.

I understand, but those people probably had the Chevy's, Ford's, etc. before they got there job at Hyundai. I doubt that they will ever go buy a brand new American car today, if they work for Hyundai.

[jlawrence01]

This thread reminds me of an incident that occurred to me near the old Fisher Body plant in Norwood, OH back in 1982.

I was bowling with some friends one evening. At the time, I was driving a newer Chevrolet Chevette (produced in Wilmington, DE) and like usual, I could not get the thing started. I went back into the bowling alley and asked a few of the guys to give my car a jump. Four guys walked out, took one look at the car, and said that they would not jump a "f*ing *** car." I told the guys it was an American car.

Then a guy pulls a crowbar on me and fortunately, I reached into the glove compartment and showed that the car was made in Wilmington, DE, and that Delaware was in teh US. Finally, they gave me a jump and I was on the way.

For the record, I have 20+ Chryslers in my fleet, largely because we have a contact with Chrysler. These include several Aspens. Personally, I would NEVER buy any of the Chrysler or Jeep vehicle in their current line up for my personal vehicle because the gas mileage is PATHETIC. A smaller car like the Intrepid should set more than 22 mpg and the Jeep Liberty more than 16 mpg.

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by SXMGirl

What's really sad is that whenever I drove by the plant I saw too many foreign cars in the parking lot. I realize that those cars might be made here in the USA, but the main profits go back to Japan, etc. If you don't drive the car you make, why would anyone else.

Maybe that should tell you something about Chrysler quality, when the people who make them don't even want to drive them.


Sorry, Honda and Toyota offer much better quality and a lot less headaches. My Honda and Toyota are both American-made, and American workers make good wages (not far below the bloated wages of UAW workers) to make those cars. For years now, the Japanese have invested in the US, while the Big 3 have invested in Mexico and China.

Don't blame the people that buy "foreign" cars for the Big 3's downfall, blame the Big 3 for making inferior gas-guzzling products. If the Big 3 had offered better reliability and fuel economy years ago, the Japanese never would have gained a foothold in the US.

The bottom line to me is quality and bang for the buck, and I'm looking out for my family's bottom line, not the Big 3 Detroit fat-cat CEO's bottom lines.

Anyways, I wonder how many of you who squawk "buy American" have Chinese-made goods all over your houses?

I feel bad for the people losing their jobs, but the Big 3's downfall is their own doing.

[Galounger]

Originally Posted by go phillies

Maybe that should tell you something about Chrysler quality, when the people who make them don't even want to drive them.


Sorry, Honda and Toyota offer much better quality and a lot less headaches. My Honda and Toyota are both American-made, and American workers make good wages (not far below the bloated wages of UAW workers) to make those cars. For years now, the Japanese have invested in the US, while the Big 3 have invested in Mexico and China.

Don't blame the people that buy "foreign" cars for the Big 3's downfall, blame the Big 3 for making inferior gas-guzzling products. If the Big 3 had offered better reliability and fuel economy years ago, the Japanese never would have gained a foothold in the US.

The bottom line to me is quality and bang for the buck, and I'm looking out for my family's bottom line, not the Big 3 Detroit fat-cat CEO's bottom lines.

Anyways, I wonder how many of you who squawk "buy American" have Chinese-made goods all over your houses?

I feel bad for the people losing their jobs, but the Big 3's downfall is their own doing.

I can't understand all these people that seem to relish the fact that the American Auto industry is going down the toilet. While I have no sympathy for the rich auto execs and union leaders that miserably wasted every opportunity to improve for decades, you have to want to see the industry as a whole succeed.

I don't know where you work or what you do for a living go phillies but no matter whether it's a school teacher, shop keeper, accountant, whatever the collapse of such a vital part of the American economy can spell nothing but bad news for you personally. And believe me if they fail it will adversely affect your wallet in one way or another. It's just plain bad for the country to loose out here. Not only economically but even when it comes to national defense.

To all these people going, "WHoopie!!, Whoo Hoo!! the american car industry is going under! They're getting what they deserve!" That's no different than cheering your 401K bottoming out because the companies it invest in have made mistakes. Or cheering the American military loosing strength because the defense contractors that supply them have faltered.

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by Galounger

I can't understand all these people that seem to relish the fact that the American Auto industry is going down the toilet. While I have no sympathy for the rich auto execs and union leaders that miserably wasted every opportunity to improve for decades, you have to want to see the industry as a whole succeed.

I don't know where you work or what you do for a living go phillies but no matter whether it's a school teacher, shop keeper, accountant, whatever the collapse of such a vital part of the American economy can spell nothing but bad news for you personally. And believe me if they fail it will adversely affect your wallet in one way or another. It's just plain bad for the country to loose out here. Not only economically but even when it comes to national defense.

To all these people going, "WHoopie!!, Whoo Hoo!! the american car industry is going under! They're getting what they deserve!" That's no different than cheering your 401K bottoming out because the companies it invest in have made mistakes. Or cheering the American military loosing strength because the defense contractors that supply them have faltered.

I'm not cheering their downfall.....its more of a shaking my head in a "told you so" kind of way. But I will not buy an inferior Big 3 car just so I can be "patriotic."

[rossc]

Originally Posted by go phillies

Anyways, I wonder how many of you who squawk "buy American" have Chinese-made goods all over your houses?

It is nearly impossible these days to buy American. Even products stamped "Made in America" are assembled in the US from components made overseas. Just about everything we touch these days has at least some parts or components made overseas. Thanks to frivolous law suits, over priced insurance, over paid executives, unions, etc. is is just too expensive to manufacture in the US. None of us could afford the products we buy every day if they were all made in the US.

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by rossc

It is nearly impossible these days to buy American. Even products stamped "Made in America" are assembled in the US from components made overseas. Just about everything we touch these days has at least some parts or components made overseas. Thanks to frivolous law suits, over priced insurance, over paid executives, unions, etc. is is just too expensive to manufacture in the US. None of us could afford the products we buy every day if they were all made in the US.

I agree with you, I'm just pointing out the hypocrisy of the flag-waving types who put themselves up on a pedestal for buying "American" cars and belittling people who drive Japanese cars (most of which are made in the US anyways), yet they are surfing the net on a Chinese-made computer, watching a Chinese-made TV, etc etc etc.

[magellan]

I worked for a company that supplied the Lear Automotive plant down the street from this Chrysler plant about 8 or 9 years ago, which produced almost all of their plastic interior parts and seating for the Durango . I imagine they'll be shuttered too (unless they already are)? Another 150 or so people out of work?

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by njkate

Is that article linked correct????
$100K for up to 20 years of service and $140k above that if you took the buyout???

Are you kidding me????
I'm not suprised the Big 3 are in Big trouble

Shut up with the whining. Sour grapes? Wall Street ho's gave THEMSELVES bonus money of $62B last year, the average stockbroker makes close to $500k per year, plus fat bonuses, and you're whining about a plant worker who's been on the job decades. Idiotic remark.

[Happy Cells]

Add to this....all the closed steel mills...the closed ship-yards....the closed rail-yards....the dead looming mills.... closed foundries....empty machine and tool plants....empty stamping works....

....and you get a very sad view of America....We have lost so much...and will probably never regain it...

Has anyone done a thorough and complete failure analysis of this situation? Why has the U.S. lost...given up....rejected so completely the notion of maintaining a healthy inventive and vibrant heavy industrial capacity? The golden goose is way WAY dead.....so what KILLED it??????? And WHY?????

....people can't seriously think that we will have a solid domestic economy of little more that paper pushers money pushers....computer geeks and coffee shops....and that we will simply IMPORT everything else we need..Import our steel, cars, computers, clothes, food, (I see imported apple juice from Communist China all the time...WT F is that !!!!! don't we grow apples in the U.S. any longer????) Our bridges are made in the "peoples republic of China" our tools, our shoes....try just TRY to find a pair of quality running shoes that are NOT made in PRC China......So it goes....

What of all the people who used to work in these "other" industries.....The jobs are gone...but the people are left behind.....sort of an economic neutron-bomb......All the jobs have been vaporized...but the people are left standing.....