ICE BURN

However, there is no case in no universe for Rick Wagoner. Where’s your eight hundred-word rebuttal?

RF: Notice how I used that hyphen correctly.

The new people have to outnumber the old – or there will be no change. The new people have to (mostly) have superior positions to the old, or there will be no change.

Business 101.

Companies in other industries have pulled this off before (though the GM train long ago left the salvation station). Post C11, this is their only chance at redemption.

Ford (and Honda and Toyota for that matter) gained market share GM lost. They have performed better in sales over the last year fairly consistently.

GM’s sales were also against an 11% loss last November that softened the comparison. Toyota and Ford were flat last Nov., Honda up even with a double digit cushion they left GM standing.
Figured with Cryco’s -2% last year GMs result last month puts them about level last month-at the very bottom of the industry.

GM is in ugly city with the buying public, don’t kid yourself.

Frankly I’m not sure about your product pipeline assessment either. Ford has better small cars coming sooner. A real hybrid sedan hitting dealers soon vs. BAS bandaid jokes that add 1-2 mpg real world and vaporware that may never appear (we know the re-Volting subject).

Look at GM’s market share 8 years ago, look at it today. Look at the trend line. Still down.
Ford’s may have stabilised (may).

Rick is an unqualified failure. He has continually repeated his predcessors mistakes and routinelly misrepresented GM’s financial status to the public and…yes, to you, his employees.

You of all people should want him OUT.

BTW: I have owned three GM vehicles, more than any other corp, and no Fords so this isn’t just fanboy struting.

Just some thoughts.

Bunter

You should not be surprised if the Camaro program is canceled or substantially delayed. Why would the feds want to pay for this if it can’t make any money?

@ Justin: I don’t communicate with Ray Wert so I don’t know what his intentions were.

Our cryptic e-mail user system that uses our first name is pretty difficult to decipher. Although you didn’t seem to have a difficulty when you were applying to work for me back in March.

But if your memory is short or if that’s too difficult, feel free to use the cheat sheet we’ve got on the sidebar of our site.

I can. At this stage, there’s so much wrong that canning him wouldn’t do damn thing, especially if someone like Lutz or Henderson is there in the wings, waiting to replace him. And behind them are reams of awful management. You’d have to gut the company.

Since we’re going to hit the iceberg anyways, you may as well keep the people who know where the lifeboats are.

Unless GM were willing to submit to a total reorganization, with new, empowered leadership and a completely new board of directors, dumping Wagoner would mean more harm than good. Hell, even if you gave them a managerial enema you’re still looking at six months of total chaos at a time when GM has no margin for error. Ford’s decision to bring in Mulally when times were (reasonably) good looks better all the time.

I remember when several of your commenters insisted that was a fact as well. I recall fighting alone against them.

Cool

While the FBI recruits mobsters to act as informants because they understand the mafia, it doesn’t recruit mobsters to work as actual FBI agents.

Simply brilliant!

M1EK-IIRC one of the first things Big Al did at Ford was ream them for not figuring out how to make money on the Focus. He didn’t have much time for lame excuses and conventional “wisdom”.
He knew others had done it and wanted it done.

GM NEEDS new leadership.

Shoot, they need leadership period.

They need a shepard, not just a “lead sheep“.

It’s not like RIR will suffer.

Bunter

Remember when GM said it was nearly impossible to make money on small cars?

I remember when several of your commenters insisted that was a fact as well. I recall fighting alone against them.

As a faithful Jalopnik reader, they have a freedom of speech… just as you have!

Yup. And if I was arguing that they should be censured by the government, freedom of speech might be an issue.

If they really bother you that much don’t read their posts!

On the contrary, I enjoy reading what Ray Wert has to say. But perhaps you want to take your own advice?

Rock On Jalopnik!
If you say so.

Rock On Jalopnik!

WAKE UP

On a sweltering summer day, an old man went down into a cool cellar for some relief. The moment he entered, he was blinded by the darkness. Don’t Worry, said another man in the cellar, it is natural that when you go from light to darkness, you’re unable to see. But soon enough, your eyes will grow accustomed to it, and you will hardly notice that it is dark.

My dear friend, replied the old man, turning to leave, that is exactly what I am afraid of. Darkness is darkness, the danger is convincing your self that it is light.

As I said everyone should wake up as each day goes by Wagoner is piling dirt on the exit from the cellar. I.E. everyone is in they dark, they just think it’s light.

Glad I left journalism after ten or so years – there seems to be so many new regulations. Seriously, Justin, from where are you pulling these rules? Can i buy the manual?

No, it’s available for free on the website of the Society of Professional Journalists. They state in part “Journalists should be free of obligation to any interest other than the public’s right to know.”

If schadenfred’s question of “did Wert just write this for the click throughs” can be answered with a yes (and I don’t believe that’s true), then it’s deeply inappropriate.

Do you think it’s ethical for someone posing as a journalist or news analyst to write an opinion piece that they don’t actually believe, just for profit? Doesn’t the public have a right to know if someone writes an article they don’t believe for the purpose of stimulating discussion?

Now, I don’t think Wert wrote his piece just to stir up the pot. But I was answering someone’s hypothetical question.

The ship is heading for the iceberg, and it’s too late for a new captain to turn it. The legions to which you refer are going to fall into the water, anyway.

Like dominoes (and domestic auto manufacturers), it starts with one. The legions of ass-kissers that paint the fantasy world around him will quickly find themselves in exodus.