Maybe if your company had better leaders you wouldn’t be in this tailspin you’re in. The temerity to expect a bailout is absolutely sickening to me. GM is the old stereotypical welfare recipient who sits on their ass and pops out kids, expecting those working to pay for their laziness.

How ’bout this: Let’s take the BILLIONS we would spend on keeping the rotting corpse of GM from rotting further and spend it on SBA loans and/or retraining programs for those most hurt by this – the employees of GM and employees of GM suppliers. This would be a much better investment as there would actually be an ROI for the taxpayer!!

What an idea!

The main reason a bail out will happen is that it is cheaper from the government’s point of view than the consequences of bankruptcy with the lost jobs and tax revenue.

After Chrysler in the early 80’s and Bear Stearns recently along with Fannie and Freddie does anyone doubt that there will be a GM bailout? Hopefully part of the bailout will be a replacement of management or at least some kind of supervision of how the money is spent.

Don’t bet on it though.

So, “GM has been preparing for the shift for several years toward more fuel-efficient models” , by developing 4 versions of a vehicle that gets 16 MPG in the city?

In addition, some of the other launches included in GM’s preparation for more fuel efficient vehicles are the “fuel-sipping” CTS and Camaro.

Think Flint, Michigan times a hundred.

I’ll state this about the SUV boom:

I learned a long time ago that lazy management goes where the competition is weak and profits are fat, avoiding a fight if they can. You can make money hand over fist until your competition finds you. Then you had better be ready to grab your ankles.

D’oh! text amended. And now I’m going to make friends with a glass of Coppola chardonnay.

The article was signed:

Fritz Henderson
GM President and COO

You scared me. I thought Rabid Rick might have lost his job.

In the op-ed “Can America’s Auto Makers Survive?” (Aug. 7), Paul Ingrassia asks whether Detroit’s auto makers can survive. In the case of General Motors, the answer is, emphatically, yes. And not only survive, but thrive.

I am high as a kite.

There is no question the industry is facing significant pressures driven by a weak U.S. economy and rising fuel costs. At GM, we’re taking the difficult and necessary steps to reduce our cost structure to be more competitive in the global marketplace and build a stronger foundation for our future.

Put your boots on.

Contrary to Mr. Ingrassia’s notion that U.S. auto makers did not anticipate the risk of rising fuel prices, GM has been preparing for the shift for several years toward more fuel-efficient models and developing diverse alternative fuel solutions that will redefine the industry.

Where by “preparing” we mean gorging at the SUV trough. We’re completely fucked. Let me show you my crack.

In fact, 11 of our last 13 U.S. launches have been cars or crossovers, as will 18 of the next 19. We have 17 models that get 30 mpg or better, and offer six hybrid models. Most significant is our commitment to produce the Chevy Volt, a plug-in electric vehicle that will deliver 40 miles of gasoline-free driving and a total range of about 400 miles using a small gasoline engine to recharge its electric battery. This truly revolutionary vehicle will be on the market in 2010.

Where by ‘launches’ we mean ‘nails in the coffin.’ We still have the worst car lineup this side of Chrysler or Kia. The Volt is our Hail Mary play. Whoo! Acid flashback!

It’s also important to note that the auto industry has a significant impact on the U.S. economy — by directly employing a quarter of a million people and providing health care and pension benefits to millions. The auto industry has invested a quarter of a trillion dollars in the U.S. over the last 20 years, spends $12 billion a year in R&D and is the largest purchaser of raw materials and computer chips in the U.S. The future of the auto business is important to America, and we are dedicated to seeing that GM continues to be a significant part of the American landscape for decades to come.

If we go down, we’re taking the rest of you with us. Mwahahahaha!

hahahah