An ascMcLaren forum for 84-86 Capri and 87-90 Mustang based cars modified by Automotive Speciality Corporation, a Division of American Sunroof Corporation. (no affiliation)
This is a place where we discuss anything BUT ascMcLaren cars. TV, movies, vacations, family, pets, girlfriends, college, school, OTHER cars, whatever....that kinda thing. Taboo is Religion, Ethnic Background, Politics.
Wow, can you imagine if this would've happened!? Anyone else ever hear this the last few years? They kept this a good secret.
GM and Chrysler in some respects were extremely lucky in regard to the fact that there was a government in place at the time sympathetic that they needed a bail out, because I doubt that this would always happen. As I think the public sentiment has changed now on the concept of bail outs.
Let me exress a few 'musings.' I was Supervisor of Machining for a company called TRW. I worked primarily in Steering and linkage. For over 12 years.
The UNION workers get blamed for the poor quality of any auto produced. But the UNION is NOT responsible for QUALITY. The company sets the parameters for the quality, builds or orders, the machinery that makes the parts. From that point on the UNION has NO SAY at all in the quality of the product. They are not allowed to shut the line down when parts come thru with missing holes, leaks etc.
I was a member of management and a non-union member. (I was a union member for a couple years and have an Honorable Withdrawal Card from the UAW).
I have the greatest respect for the UAW Auto Workers. They work under horrible conditions. They do the best they can, with the tools that management gives them. They have little, or no, say in the final products quality. And most are very loyal and dedicated to the company they work for.
The companies have been getting tax breaks, with threats of leaving for 50 years. And it will continue forever. I just hope that this nation will continue and grow. But the unions have been maligned for 30+ years. They are taking the blame for something they have no control over. And the corporations are holding the rest of us hostage. Do it, 'my way', or I we hit the highway! Until each and every state quits 'giving away the farm' will anything change.
Major corporations play the black mail game (give us tax money or else no jobs) as standard procedure to fatten their bottom line.
-Mike
Ok, they do like every company in America does when looking to startup or relocate to a different state, you go to the area that is the most business friendly. Thats just common sense. I wouldn't call it black mail. But I know its popular right now to be anti business. But lets not in the least compare Ford to GM and chrysler, Ford took a huge gamble (they also reacted earlier to the economic mess than their competitors)and put alot on the line to not take the bail out, they even put up their trademark blue oval as collateral. The entire company from top to bottom deserve alot credit. They even had to deal with not getting the same concession deals (that gm and chrysler did) from the unions, just because they didn't take the bailout. (correct me if I'm wrong on this, but I don't think I am)
Ford definitely gets Kudos for planning ahead and making smart moves. That made them a much stronger company.
But to say they don't receive some form of Tax Payer funding in some way is disingenuous.
Companies time and time again, shop around for a cheaper place to setup shop. They get guaranteed tax breaks, even free land to setup shop with usually a multi-year guarantee that by the end of that time they will be employing "x" workers. The community hopes that the revenue from local jobs and future taxes will be a benefit and the return at the back end of the deal will be worth the up-front cost. Factories/plants are not free for a community. They cost money in infrastructure upgrades and services.
What really happens? The corp enjoys the tax breaks for that agreed time. They hire a fraction of the workers. And they threaten to leave if taxes kick in. The community is in the end stuck with subsidizing the corporation and getting minimal (if any) benefit.
I don't know where the idea that "anti-business" is a popular notion. It's the shady and underhanded dealings big business has that pisses people off.
-Mike
1985 ascMcLaren Coupe - Midnight Blue
Under Restoration
