If you haven’t heard yet, GM released an open letter to the American public.  I’ll link the actual GM apology letter below, but first, here’s a SLATE.com report on the apology:

“From time to time, companies find it necessary to apologize. They may not do it in so many words, but in the wake of a crisis or a scandal or a huge, news-making problem, they will mount an advertising campaign to assure you, the consumer, that efforts are underway to “win back your trust.” During the Ford/Firestone fiasco a couple of years ago, for instance, both of those firms launched forgiveness campaigns.

Like all ad campaigns, the bottom line is that GM, right now, is a fine, high-quality company, whose products you should buy immediately. It’s the journey to this obvious destination that’s interesting. “Thirty years ago, GM quality was the best in the world,” the print ad starts. “Twenty years ago, it wasn’t.”

And apparently the company muddled along in a sub-par manner for 10 years before deciding to change. “The hard part [was] breaking out of our own bureaucratic gridlock,” the ad copy continues, and “learning some humbling lessons from our competitors.” After a “painful” decade of effort, they’re now back up to snuff, putting out great cars, etc., etc. The ad cites positive consumer-satisfaction research and recent automotive awards, presumably the hook for the campaign. “The road to redemption has no finish line,” the copy concludes. “But it does have a corner. And it’s fair to say we’ve turned it.”

GM says that campaign is aimed at the apparently large segment of the car-buying public that simply won’t consider its models. The company’s North American president calls it “a unique effort to reach those consumers whose perceptions of GM are out of step with today’s reality.” I suppose that’s reasonable, but let’s say you’re one of the thousands who did buy a GM car in the 1980s and 1990s. You, apparently, were a sucker. Your vehicle was not put together by a company with “a true culture of quality in every division.” That’s not what I’m saying—it’s what GM is saying.”

Had enough?

Well guess what….

That article is about GM’s apology in 2003!

Yup, you read that right - it’s from five years ago.
Here’s the 2008 version that’s now asking for taxpayer money to continue, but it really begs, no DEMANDS the question:  What’s going to change this time?

Super Props to Michelle Malkin for this one

             

admin Domestic, Economics & The economy, General auto makers, bailout, Economics & The economy, lame excuses

Obama to Visit With Ousted Window Factory Workers

President-elect Obama is going to show his solidarity with about 200 Chicago workers who lost their jobs and then denied severance and their vacation pay.

Ok, so yeah, this is sorta sad, right before Christmas, to lose your job & severance.  Lets read on:

CHICAGO — President-elect Barack Obama is weighing in on behalf of workers staging a sit-in on the factory floor of their former Chicago employer to protest abruptly losing their jobs last week.

Obama told a news conference Sunday that Republic Windows and Doors should follow through on its commitments to the 200 workers, who say they won’t leave the plant until they are assured they’ll receive their severance and vacation pay.

Um, now I’m no expert but wouldn’t their time be better spent..oh, lets see…getting new jobs?
Oh wait, I am an expert, I’ve been fired/layed off/quit more than 15 times.

“The workers who are asking for the benefits and payments that they have earned, I think they’re absolutely right and understand that what’s happening to them is reflective of what’s happening across this economy,” Obama said.

Yes, there is legal claim to benefits and payments that you’ve earned.  No argument there.  But are they really “refelctive of what’s happening across this economy”?

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan also said her office was investigating the company, which has not commented on the sit-in.

To their amazement, the workers have become a national symbol for thousands of employees laid off nationwide as the economy continues to sour.

Really?  How did I miss that one?

“We never expected this,” said Melvin Maclin, a factory employee and vice president of the local union that represents the workers. “We expected to go to jail.”

Ahah!  Now we find out what’s happening…they’re part of a Union!  That’s why they won’t get new jobs, they’ve been convinced that they can’t…that they need the union to take care of them.
Oh and yes tresspassing can get you jail time, but rarely does.  Although - since taxpayer money (by way of unemployment benefits) is likely be feeding and housing you anyway, Jail won’t be so bad either.

[snip]
Leah Fried, an organizer for the United Electrical Workers union that represents the workers, said the company told the union that Bank of America has canceled its financing. The bank had said in a statement that it wasn’t responsible for Republic’s financial obligations to its employees.

Well, now that is kinda sad…back to my point - if this company is so bad off that the bank has cancelled it’s credit then I’d guess that sitting around the old abandoned facility isn’t going to bring it back.  Sorry.

One of the factory’s workers, Silvia Mazon, said in Spanish that she needs the money owed to her for an $1,800 monthly house payment. The 40-year-old from Cicero said she has enough money saved to survive for one month.

Wait a minute.  First of all, the whole “said in Spanish” could launch several pages of comment, but I’ll try to stay focused. 

$1800 house payment?!?!

Are you freakin kidding me? $1800? Do you know how much house that buys?  I do, at 6% it buys a $262,000 house with NO down payment, and that includes property tax!  At 8.5% it buys $206,000!
Shouldn’t she be working to pay that?  Oh way, lemme guess….another victim of predatory lending.

“We’re making history,” she said.

You sure are, shine on you crazy diamond.

Read the full story HERE but beware, the last line may make you barf.

             

admin Domestic, Economics & The economy Economics & The economy, hippies, layoffs, obama, stop whining and do something