I will start this opinion of mine with the fact that my family and myself have close ties to General Motors. I have a brother still working for them, but he has to commute three hours every day because they shut down our local fabrication plant in Mansfield, Ohio.
Many ha
ve had to move out of the area to Kansas, Texas, Michigan, Indiana and other parts of Ohio to follow their jobs. The Mansfield plant was the #1 fabrication plant for efficiency and production, company wide. My Dad always told me I was a “General Motors baby”. We were proud of our affiliation and we supported the company. Not so much now and with the current news, I am mad as hell and I hope the rest of the American taxpayers are too.
You, the American tax payers own $2.1 billion in preferred stock, and a 60.8 percent common equity stake in the company. I don’t know how much the public is aware of, but employees and John Q Tax Payer who owned shares in the old General Motors before reorganization lost most of their investment. Their loss was not replaced with any assurance of stock in the “New GM”.
Since November of 2007, GM has announced $3.67 billion worth of investments in Mexico including a new assembly plant. In the United States, the company has closed three assembly plants and two more were on stand-by. I don’t have an exact figure but anywhere from 9 to 11 stamping plants have been closed bringing the total plant closure to at least 14.
Mexico’s share of North American auto production will rise to 19 percent over the next decade from an average 12 percent in 2000 to 2009. Over the same period, the U.S. will lose 7 percentage points to 65 percent of the market and Canada’s share will hold at 16 percent”, according to Bloomberg.com.
Representative John Dingell, a Michigan Democrat, said U.S. automakers that received government assistance should work to preserve U.S. jobs. “I understand the economic argument for the off-shoring of production, but I think the practice is reprehensible,” Dingell said in an e-mail. “U.S. automakers have benefited greatly from federal largesse and should feel morally compelled to retain and create as many domestic jobs as possible.” (source: Bloomberg)
So many of our countrymen and of course women are suffering in every sector of the economy. When will our government see that our own people must be taken care of first or there will not be an “America”. If I recall when the automaker bailout was proposed, some lawmakers wanted to include language forcing the automakers to curb foreign outsourcing. Of course the special interests voted it down.
The bailout was supposed to save millions of automaker jobs and the associated support industry jobs in AMERICA! Not ship them overseas to Mexico!!!
*From QV. I would like to mention that I am alarmed for the citizens of the United States at the blatant gall of big business as they slap the America tax payer in the face after they were rescued by us. The same funds that saved General Motors from oblivion are being invested overseas. Ford and Chrysler have similar plans. From the oil spill to this, our country is in big big trouble…
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“I feel your pain!”
The only way we can stop this kind of stuff is to refuse to buy anything from GM, Ford or whoever else is taking their business elsewhere. Let the Mexicans all buy them. I know the next time I am ready to buy a car I will be researching to find out exactly where they are being manufactured and that will be my deciding factor.
Gosh maybe really we should just adapt…and adopt Mexico as another ‘State’…might as well.
Not a bad neighbor…and then we’d not fear them or them of us, so much anymore…
It’s nice to share.
They’ve been picking fruit for us for so many years…and some put their lives and families in danger just to get ‘cross some image of a border….
Let’s mow down that wall…and they don’t have the couple of hundred thousand to and they don’t have no rights and they don’t do nothin’ but real work that some American’s won’t do to save Grace.
Most just get born.
XCept for those on the top of this heap…those governers, and legal eagles and a president with purple lips ’cause that’s all really folks…he just gives a speech…and looks good in front of some camera..
Wonder if he knows how to play real music…I think he’s mostly a dud.
Just smart with words and never learned the piano.
Mexico ain’t over seas!!!
It is to meeeeeeeeeeeee
Uh, you need to stop cruising Youtube Freida and see what a burden those “ILLEGALS” put on our system. Also check out the crime rate and ratio of those who are housed in prisons who are “ILLEGAL”. And I’m not just talking about Mexico. Anyway, looks like when we want to stop the flow of illegals (which our president by the way apologized for to the mexican pres), they take our tax dollars to them! Service right up the wazoo!
I agree Tiny. As far as the automotive industry, what happened to “buy American” and how can you buy American when there aren’t any American made cars anymore…
Just everyday people most just get born…And want a home…
Food, shelter and clothing….
You know though, GM’s high Chiefs….just reel and dance and live in mansions…not unlike most of the top of this heap….
A head of cabbage and a box of onion soup….
How ’bout 100% pure instant spuds…
Sold in a a box and a bag….and all that pressed inks can do…
Somethings are funny…and obvious, and all those steel mills…and their damned bosses.
Sorry I cursed, t’was a melt down.
Gosh QV, you know as well as me that most ‘illegals’ are just born into this race covered in flies ’cause women don’t know how to make love without getting reproduced.
I’d like to adopt Mexico…do the ‘Ins’ have the ‘ayes’ to adopt her…then no need to spend all that money on border patrols that cat not and never twill be ever to control that flow of babies born.
Babies born….everyday another one….how often? Perhaps another second…..
I’d sure like to see another state added to this this union….
Lord Knows it’s been a long, long time in coming.
Anyone who is here legally is most welcome to be here. Why should good people who obey the law and want to come legally have to lose out to law breakers and line cutters? Its not right.
I know there aren’t enough jobs…and we’ve got automation and tractors doing most of that back work.
And even if we buy so-called “American Made”…where do the parts come from?
It’s not about obedience to law it’s about M-O-N-E-Y.
I’m not sure but I’ve heard that Mexican’s even pay taxes to their government.
Wonder how that works?
At the least those ‘INS’ could offer some real payment plan.
Gosh, seems they already did that…what language do you know?
It’s more about Math and that bottom dollar, and what?
Most of us will not lend a hand.
However if we truly did ‘bail them out’ then they should stay true the course of all that…seems that was never the ‘true’ intention of our gov or who rules…and those ‘bail outs.’
And that’s who we are paying for in the long run…a bunch of over-educated brats.
T’was interesting seeing lovely Rita Crosby slip back onto ‘the scene.’
Just an aside.
Seems she married some rich guy…
LOL
Gosh though ‘in reality’ it’s not about words…it’s all about food…and those on top of this heap that eat more than their share.
Beyond a reasonable doubt…we can see that “This Change We Can Believe in” was a hoax…
Those on top have no idea, no clue…other than what they take to keep their yuppie lifestyles in tact…
I’d like to see Obama with Carter and them building one house in the hot sun all day hammering homes.
LOL
Well nice ‘White House’…reminds me of vinegar and aspirin.
Been a while since I have commented here QV although I continue to enjoy and appreciate the passion and energy that you bring to each and every article. For the most part I just silently agree or disagree with the comments but this is one topic that I feel very strongly about and feel I must address.
Having vacationed often in Mexico and truly caring for the Mexican people and culture it was with much delight and high expectation that my spouse and I agreed to be part of the New Free Trade between the USA, Canada and Mexico. My spouse worked for a major automotive supplier and was sent to Saltillo Mexico (2000) to build and manage a new automotive parts plant. We were very excited to be part of the new trade agreement as we felt that Mexicans deserved to be part of the “middle class” life that we had enjoyed for so many years. Mexico deserved a “middle class” How sad an experience it was and how misinformed we were. My spouse had a massive heart attack while at work and did not survive; however, that is beyond the point I am addressing here.
We were under the false impression that the governments of Canada/United States were protecting the jobs of those in Canada and the USA and were simply transferring jobs to Mexico that would be replaced at home with equal or better opportunities for our workforce. How wrong we were. Today, no jobs have been created to replace those lost to Mexico and the plants here have reduced to a fraction of their productivity with most jobs gone forever.
Equally disturbing is the realization that Mexico does not want nor does Mexico aspire to help their citizens reach “middle class” status. Further to the government not supporting a middle class is the frustration of seeing most Mexicans with almost no work ethic whatsoever. Our plant had an incredible “turnover” rate of 200 people per week. We were actually instructed on how to handle Mexicans and their lack of productivity . I believe it will take more than a generation to change the mindset of the average Mexican .
Even more outrageous is my belief that the Mexican government actually encourages and promotes “illegal” entrance into the United States as it is a fact that the third greatest source of revenue is the billions that pour back into Mexico each and every year from illegals living in the United States.
– $60 billion dollars are earned by illegal aliens in the U.S. each year. One of Mexico’s largest revenue streams (after exports and oil sales) consists of money sent home by legal immigrants and illegal aliens working in the U.S. Economists say this will help Mexico reduce its $17.8 billion defecit and may bolster the peso. $10 billion dollars (as of 2003) are sent back to Mexico annually, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, reported in an Associated Press article, up $800 million from the previous year. ($9 billion dollars were previously sent back annually, according to a September 25, 2002 NPR report). That figure equals what Mexico earns annually from tourism. This is a massive transfer of wealth from America – essentially from America’s displaced working poor – to Mexico – Colorado Alliance for Immigration Reform -
The lack of concern and respect the Mexican government
has shown the United States with regards to illegal immigration and illegal drugs has left a deep and heartbreaking impression. Add to this their corruption, their inability or unwillingness to address the drug wars and I am left with an aching in my heart for the Mexico I once loved but have come to loath. I am deeply sorry that I was in any way part of the “free trade” experiment with Mexico and as God is my witness I will never set foot on Mexican soil again.
Namaste
Dear Miss Marple,
Thank you so much for your very informative posting. I’m so sad for your experience and sorry for the loss of your husband. Your heart was certainly in the right place but who would know that our own government (in the US) is out to sabotage its citizens all in the name of big business and politics? Don’t they realize that when they wipe out the middle class in our countries that there will be no one left to buy their goods? And thanks so much for the statistics. Your post really drives home the point that there is something wrong that needs to be put right. God bless and as always, I appreciate you for stopping by…
P.S. I can not believe that turn over rate. Wow!
If the US ever legalized Jane…or better yet…pharm her…Mexico is gonna’ be rich, rich, rich…not those on the bottom or middle though, sadly enough…it seems.
Reminds me of that war in the far east…just a bunch of unwanted kids…those ‘suicide bombers’…
AFTERMATH
Those ‘open trade’ agreements weren’t meant for good originally just for those on top of the heap.
Just heard an explosion, now 2…oh my gosh…someone’s got fireworks.
Seems a little early for the 4th of July, must be something going on downtown.
“…– $60 billion dollars are earned by illegal aliens in the U.S. each year.”
Who are the statisticians and who are the ‘lawmakers?’
I still bet a bunch of those ‘illegals’ at least shop at WalMart…so some tax return.
‘Those Legals’…but on my new roof…but their crew grew from 5 to 20 that day…they’ve replaced most of the roofs in this neighborhood, I’d dare say…and most were covered by “Insurance” ’cause of that baseball sized hail.
That roofing company recommended a painter for me that bid ‘half’ what the I-guess-Americans did…of course you get what you pay for…so far if only they’d know a little more ’bout paint, or rather if I had…they did a pretty good, ‘half’ way decent job e-specially when supervised, or watched, or moderated (lol).
Read this very carefully.
At the least those ‘Royals’ that live in that “People’s House” hire a staff.
Thank you for your kind words QV. I am now remarried and ever grateful for the blessings in my life.
I forgot to mention that I am a Canadian who has lived both in Mexico and Ohio (both job related) – I could not agree more with your comment – there is something seriously wrong that needs to be put right – It is heartbreaking to see the decline of the American middle class and the devastating harm that is being wrought upon the very heart and soul of America. I believe that in the end what happens to America happens to us all and I pray that those in power will someday have the vision and the moral strength to see beyond their greed so that healing may begin.
QV since I do medical transcribing for a living, a lot of the jobs are shipped out to India and I work for another company as well doing medical editing where some of these dictations come from. The thing is from working for this company is finding out how poor the quality of work was. When I edit these things, I just wonder why they let something like this go onto a medical record as these documents are actually legal. In the medical language with diseases, medical equipment and prescriptions, etc, there are so many sound alikes and one has to be so careful as if they put a “sound alike” that does not belong there and is not consistent with the patient’s overall clinical picture, that can spell disaster along with medical malpractice.
I just wonder with GMs move to Mexico if they will suffer the same issue with quality. One has to think of the safety of the American family when they build these cars (or parts or whatever) in Mexico. Look at what Toyota just went through too. Shipping these jobs overseas with anything I think puts quality of anything at severe risk; just editing some of those dictated transcription reports from India was a huge eye opener for me.
Hi Clues,
I had a bad experience with Travelocity and their phone support staff. I don’t know if the other online agencies have the same India staff or not but it was upsetting. Especially when their website kept messing up but debited my card. I ended up with five over charges and it took more than a week to get them settled. It was apparent that no one that I could talk to had the authority to instantly refund my money but by gosh they sure had the authority to debit it. It’s more cheap labor and you get what you pay for I suppose. Medical records are even more frightening!!!
One guy I was talking to said his life long dream is to come to the United States. That is so very sad that this man worked for such a rich huge company and wants to come here and can not. If he got in line, he would also never get to come since the illegals use up all the resources and are allowed to do so by our govt. None of it makes sense to me.
QV, gosh I did not know that online travel agencies are doing this too. It had to be a nightmare to get your cc issues resolved especially when dealing with someone overseas. I’ve always wondered what any business offshore’s screening process is when hiring, i.e. what kind of formal education and training they have had to do their jobs, etc.
“but by gosh they sure had the authority to debit it”
The Authority…The Government…the Bank…The Drillers…The ‘Ins’…The Oversight of so many not putting anything back…and all that 4-point type and legaleeeeeze….and lingo…that tangle…tango meanst to distract.
Gosh how many Polish people does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Ever think about the ‘names’ such as “General” motors…or “Standard” oil…and count less more?
And remember “The Marlboro Man,” “Virginia Slim,” “Joe Camel,” …
Ain’t Advertising great!!! Reminds me of Tony the Tiger, reminds me of put a Tiger in your tank….
I could go on and on and usually do.
And the same old thang is goin’ on today….like spending more than $50 bucks for some mop…or if you switch to Allstate or Geico today, you might save a bundle for approximately 6 months…’til they ‘jack you up’….
“I’d rather fight than switch”…lol, remember Lucky Strike, and that reminds me of BP.
How much is a gallon of shrimp or oysters worth, or how long do they burn?
There’s a whole lot $$$$ more to this story than we know I’d bet…just like that war in the gulf overseas.
Concrete and glass are both made from sand…
And there are new workers born everyday into this hive that would welcome some chore for a “Bit O Honey,” no less.
So, although America may ache so does the world…’cept for the highness of those that live in mansions, build sky risers, don’t pay no tax, don’t break their backs, have heirs that do the same…have done the same for themselves…never go hungry…yet have the balls to say “I Feel Your Pain” or “Change We Can Believe In”…
Might as well be ‘pig latin’ ’cause they don’t do much more than underpay their servants and feel so grand, to wear their nice suits and gowns, and speak and speak and speak…
Not unlike me that just types, and types, and types.
But I don’t drive much, lol!!!
freida go back to school and learn English . my head hurts from trying to understand what you are writing.
Illegals from Mexico are out of control, GM sending jobs there and they still keep coming. I can tell you this much Obama used the word change alot but what kind of change was he talking about? change for the better? or change for the whorse? or change just for the sake of change? or change is all you’ll have in your pocket when he is done. taking tax payers money to take trips over seas , a let them eat cake veiw on the poor. letting people think there was going to be free health care for everyone what a joke. he is half white yet he is the 1st Black Prez. his black father was not even from this country yet he let people think he came from slave roots . I know which way Im voting in 2012 Obama or should I say Obuma has got to go.
I believe that our President has sold his political soul to those who want wipe Mexicans and non-white people off the face of this planet and wonder if General Motors is using all that bail-out money to do just that!!
I believe our American President has sold his political soul to those who want to wipe Mexicans and non-white people off the face of this planet and wonder if General Motors is using all that bail-out money to do just that!!
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