Yes, Detroit can make a green turnaround

[SharonRB]

Source: Detroit Free Press

Let's face it. No one believes us. That's the crux of the problem in fashioning a bailout for the three Detroit automakers.

Let's face another reality: Why should they? Resistance to change has long been part of the culture of the domestic auto industry. When President-elect Barack Obama came to the Detroit Economic Club and said we need to do better, he was pilloried almost universally by the media and establishment types.

Many of those folks would rather spend enormous sums lobbying against CAFE standards than use that money to get the job done. Now we are on the brink of collapse, and the American public is not feeling our "fierce urgency of now."

We need to rebuild the trust of the American people and capture their imagination.

<snip>


Read more: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081120/OPINION02/811200370&s=d&page=2#pluckcomments

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Nancy Skinner, former progressive radio talk show host and congressional candidate, current political commentator, Democratic strategist and Obama surrogate weighs in on how Detroit can turn itself around. We need an energy, environment and economic rescue package and Nancy has started a grassroots effort to help bring this about. Please go to www.yeswecandetroit.com to sign her petition.

[liberal N proud]

1. No, No, No, you have it all wrong...

It's labors fault. All they need to do is get rid of all the organized labor workers and replace them with low cost workers and their problems would be solved.

The rich fat cat Executives could still float around the sky in their private jets and when it all crashes they will still have their golden parachutes.

But it will not crash if they can just get rid of the UAW.


:sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm:

[Demeter]

2. You Must Be Reading the Detroit News, Then

[SharonRB]

3. You got that right!

[tomreedtoon]

4. That's not what I'm reading here from union people.

They want that bailout money NOW, or their jobs will die and so will the unions. They don't want any conditions on how that money is spent. They are more panicked than the idiot auto industry executives.

If there was a hint that the UAW and the suits were cooperating in any way to save the auto industry, it would be thrilling. It might make the rest of us feel better about paying them some bailout money. But there is no united front, except in the mind of this sad, optimistic reporter for a Detroit paper.

As I said in someone else's post, it's been a long time since River Rouge for the UAW.

[SharonRB]

5. Nancy is not a reporter

This was an Op Ed. Nancy has been at the forefront of this issue since the 90s and ran for Congress on the issue in the heart of the auto industry in 2006. No one listened to her then, but she's been right all along.

[yellowcanine]

7. If the UAW had any vision they would get with some banks and put together an offer to buy GM.

[yellowcanine]

6. Imagine if GM had stayed with their all electric vehicle and developed it further.

the point that they had a whole line of all electric vehicles, including small trucks which could go 200 miles plus on a charge with lithium batteries. The mind boggles. And it is not too late. GM should declare bankruptcy, reorganize and retool to begin producing highly efficient internal combustion multifueled vehicles, hybrids, and all electric vehicles. Lose the 8 cylinder light trucks and big sedans. Within a short period of time GM could recapture some of the world market share they have steadily lost over the past 30 years.

[sentelle]

8. instead of a bailout

Why not have the big 3 apply for large public research grants, vital to the interests of the American people?

Like the 100 mph car that can be mass-produced cheaply.

Or innovations in green technology.

Or better more efficient battery technologies.

Or manufacturing techniques to make lighter, stronger materials.

All of these things are ideally poised for the big 3 to do, and allows them a little flexibility to put their resources where they can use it to bail themselves out.