What is most responsible for the Big Three's problems?

[Truth Teller]

Edited to add option 4.

[NMDemDist2]

1. Health care costs

if we had universal HC the big 3 would be doing MUCH better IMO

[ogneopasno]

9. You are absolutely right. A lot of people are touting "green technology" as the Big Three's

salvation, but nothing will change unless single-payer health care is introduced in this country.

[Auggie]

2. But let's clarify that it's not necessarily current management

The roots of these problems can be traced back years -- perhaps decades.

[onehandle]

3. The economy is largely responsible for their current crisis. nt

[Truth Teller]

6. Just added that option

Hope you're able to change your vote if you like.

[onehandle]

12. I don't think it's the biggest factor, but it is what sent them over the edge.

Heckofajob, Bushie!

[BanTheGOP]

4. republican policies are MOST responsible

While you can state that the ceo's and stockholders are the most responsible, ultimately it is republicanist economic policies that have hampered not just the auto industry, but in ALL corporate controlled organizations.

The answer is absurdly simple: ban the republican party, instill progressive economic ideals into organizations, and they will survive. Pure and simple.

[sailor65]

5. You ought to add

a collective option such as #1 + #2.

15+ years in this business have shown me that Unions share a large part of the fault along with management.

Actually, a 1+2+3 might be nice, since NAFTA was the Great Enabler......

edited for content

[BanTheGOP]

13. while union owners may sporadically be corrupt...

...by and large management criminal actions dwarf that of the unions. Unions provide MINIMAL employee protections in any case, much of them that should be guaranteed by the federal government, such as health care and wage schedules.

The greatest emphasis must be placed in ensuring the ceo's and top executives do not get obscene, republican party driven salaries.

[nolabels]

7. The workers will pay the most for it, but government is most responsible

They even set up and ran most of the rules that made them that big.

[northernlights]

8. no brainer

Instead of seeing what was coming in terms of climate change, peak oil, etc. and adapting, they fought the government's attempt to redirect at all turns and pushed SUVs and Hummers.

It's not like they didn't have foreign auto companies setting an example. The view was clear; they chose to look backwards instead of forwards.

Now we're all fucked.

They should get loans, contingent upon:

1. management change.
2. emphasis on very green cars.

[tosh]

14. I agree.

I am not very knowledgeable on some of the issues named by other posters re: management, regulation (or absence of same).

I do know this. I am in need of a new auto within the next year or two. I've been researching for at least 12 months. There is NOTHING from a U.S. automaker that excites me in the least. My eye is on a VW but I'd rather buy domestic. The new Tennessee VW plant is to make "clean diesels", not exactly what I had in mind.

[ellenfl]

16. and 3. manamgement salary restructuring. eom

[The2ndWheel]

10. The complexity of existence

Solve that, and you're home free.

[kirby]

11. You left out 'American Consumer'...

After all, the Big Three remind us all the time that they only produce what the American Consumer demands. The American Consumer only wanted large SUV's and Light Trucks. They did not want smaller vehicles.

[Truth Teller]

17. Yeah

But management exercised no foresight beyong the SUV phenomenon.

[Greyhound]

15. I voted government cause they were behind, what killed them was the deliberate

destruction of their high mileage/alternate fuel developments through the tax code. Very early in the maladministration he eliminated tax credits of up to $4K for purchasing an efficient vehicle and replaced them with an unlimited deduction on any "work vehicle" weighing more than 6,000 lbs (maybe it was 8,000lbs.).

Prior to this offense, the Hummer was simply not selling in significant numbers. Who wants anything that big and ugly that can't do what the Hum-Vee was designed to do (the Hummer is just a Yukon with an ugly body)? The answer? Make them free to small businesses.

So, in addition to the 20 years that Raygun set us back upon his election, we've lost another 8 in the transition toward sanity.

I suppose the answer to the question in the OP is who proposed this idiocy, the cabal or GM.

[Blue Diadem]

18. 1, 3 & 4.

The current economic crisis is what is making it bad right now. Even Toyota had a 69% decrease in the 3rd quarter profit.

The government has responsibility because of their lack of regulations for Wall Street and the mortgage industry, they've created one helluva mess. Nafta and outsourcing has a lot to do with it too. Sending jobs overseas or out of the country while leaving Americans with lower paying jobs doesn't give the extra money to purchase. The government has also not put pressure on the Big 3 to make cars of the future. Also the Gov. not doing anything about runaway healthcare costs puts increased pressure on not just the Big 3 but other employers as well. In turn, the costs get put onto the consumer, the employee or the person who has to provide their own insurance or pay their own medical bills.

Management, because they haven't advanced. American automakers should be the leaders in the industry with up to date ideas, higher mileage cars, hybrids, new technologies etc. Ceo's=Greed IMO.

I don't believe the workers are at fault in this. How can they be? They go to work to do their jobs and have no control over what their company does.

I do have some issues with the UAW but I don't blame them for this crisis. They didn't stand up for my DH's company and always told them to not rock the boat because it would affect the big 3. Everytime there was a contract, UAW encouraged our local to not buck it, to accept concessions etc. Our guys worked 21 days in a row before getting a weekend off and the UAW thought that was ok. It seemed like the UAW became afraid after St. Ronnie.