Can these people be trusted with $25 billion?

[FarCenter]

General Motors Board of Directors.

http://www.gm.com/corporate/investor_information/docs/fin_data/gm07ar/download/gm07ar_board.pdf

Do any of these people know anything about designing and building cars?

Well, may be Percy, George and Eckhard could learn.

Two university presidents out of 13 directors? (Wasn't Erskine the one who lost to Libby Dole?)

[annabanana]

1. NO ONE can be trusted with $25 Billion.

Not a single human being...

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

8. You can trust me!

I'll be a good boy. I promise. ;-)

[dkofos]

2. NO

[Kalyke]

3. Better question: Will the Amercian public actually support eco-cars?

Thus far, they haven't in any great numbers, thus forcing the Big 3 model of over-producing trucks and SUVs.

Sure, many on this board would purchase hybrids, electrics and other eco-friendly cars, but the general public has not been - which is why we are where we are.

Sure, most people wanted eco-cars when gasoline kept rising, but they sure didn't want it prior to this summer. Now, with the economy in tatters and their big automobiles not worth the paint that slathers them, Americans can't afford new cars or trade-in values.

It's our own damn fault.

[glowing]

5. Well, the trade-in on an SUV or truck is ridiculous. AND eco-cars normally

cost more money than the sedan version of the same car... AND now that everyone's broke, who's going to buy anything new? Most will barely scrape enough together to run out a cheap car until it breaks down and a junk yard pays you $300.00 for parts and scrap metal.

[jwirr]

6. J H Kuntsler said that most people do not know it yet but they have

probably bought their last car. He said this on his site. That would not speak well of the future car industry.

[amandabeech]

12. I have the same thoughts.

Now that gasoline is in the $2 and change range, mid-size sedans and cross-overs will probably look good to those who can get credit or can pay cash.

Also, a lot of folks will probably look at used cars and the small and mid-sized SUVs and mini-vans.

Ford is planning to bring over a couple of small cars that it currently manufactures in Europe, and may finally bring Euro versions of the Focus, including a cabriolet, and Mondeo (Taurus/Fusion size) here.

GM's President Mulally, who reinvigorated Boeing, is fighting middle-managers to get GM in shape. He did a great job at Boeing and he seems determined to succeed at GM. I think that he deserves more time.

[susanna]

13. Hi amandabeech...

You might want to edit your post if you still can... Mulally is at Ford (Wagoner is at GM).

[amandabeech]

15. You're right. thanks. duh.

[amandabeech]

16. Mulally is at Ford , duh. Sorry!

Too much emotion.

[Possumpoint]

4. No!

Hell no! They brought this problem down on their own heads. Let them fix it. No Bailout! Chrysler wants a $25 Billion bailout, yet is paying $30 million in bonuses this year. Yea right!

[spindrifter]

7. Actually, eco-cars are very popular here on the

West Coast. People wait quite a while for certain models. And it is not just the wealthy with plenty of disposable income who were buying them.

I support the bail-out for the auto industry--with some very tight restrictions on what they can do with the money.

One of the biggest moneypits has been health insurance--we need to have nationalized health insurance so individual employers don't have to foot that bill entirely and so our people have health care.

[Kalyke]

9. But they're not in most of the rest of America.

In the South, for example, wages are so low that even those of us who aren't in dire straights can't afford $30,000 for a car that, frankly, we think is ugly.

(Which begs the question: why are so many hybrids so ugly?)

[FarCenter]

14. Except for the Prius, most hybrids are the same as their conventional twin

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Hybrid_sbs_cars.shtml

I've ridden in a hybrid Camry, and didn't realize it was the hybrid until the owner pointed it out.

[Kalyke]

20. The Camry is ugly, too.

In fact, most foreign cars are. Not since the Toyota Supra has Japan built a "cool" looking car that's half-way affordable.

[CLG_News]

10. Uh, *no.* n/t

[rurallib]

11. I was treuly expecting a pic of these big three

[JVS]

17. No

[GrizzlyMan]

18. Sadly, no they can't.

They will take the money and use it to make more SUVs.

[orleans]

19. is this the 25 billion we are about to give them? or the 25 billion we gave them in sept.? n/t