Kalifornia at it again

[GDeen]

This .......

.....what has happened is the welfare constituency has become the dominant political force, and the politicians now pander to that voting bloc. As a result legislation and budgets leave the income producers no other option than to bail out...

[Jerry Winchester]

Rick, etal.

While I can understand all the angst about the dealers and their investments, isn't all of that what bankruptcy is about?

When I started to work in the oil field in 1981, there were 4400 rigs running in the US. By 1983 there were less than 2/3 that number and some 475,000 people had lost their jobs; just in the energy sector (drilling, production, service). No drilling czar, no bills in Congress to help the displaced workers, no efforts to help guys who lost their businesses from investments that no single car dealer has ever pushed up on the table. It all just evaportated.

Those of us fortunate (or unfortunate) to have jobs were left to work 100 hour weeks with little time off and not very good working conditions so the companies we worked for could compete and survive the downturn. Maybe the destruction of the industry was fairer since it basically took everyone down, but in the end nothing stopped the massive bankruptcies and bank failings due to the oversupply of product, equipment and services.

While I am no less concerned about the plight of the car dealers, they are but a single entity in what is sure to be a pretty massive meltdown all across the board. Right now there is 2.5 times more service equipment in the US for energy than is needed. This time last year people were screaming for more production to offset the high prices. This year no one gives a rat's ass.

What's the difference between the auto industry failures and energy? The US energy companies have managed to decrease the cost of producing natural gas and increased the supply to their own detriment. While they don't set the price of their product they certainly have to live within the market forces.

Auto makers made a deal with the devil in all their union and legacy costs. They had a chance to level the playing field with bankruptcy and they couldn't even get that right. It's truly like wiping your ass with a wagon wheel; same crap just keeps coming round and it's never going to get clean.

[Jerry Winchester]

Oh, I forgot one important part.

Mel Torme' - This guy came by with a message for you.

2663498086_1717d6589a-thumb-300x201-21096.jpg

[rickdesilva]

JDUB
you are absolutely right and we're basically saying the same thing. As business owners we know there is no guarantee and the dealers are not looking for a bailout. Leave the dealer body alone, the shrinking market, lack of sales and having your wagon hitched to a bankrupt franchise is a risk we take, we know there are no guarantees. But in this situation GM and Chrysler and Car Czars have made 2 categories, who will remain and who will go away. The bill thats floating in the house is only to restore the dealers rights to operate. All the dealers want is to be left alone, market conditions will dictate who will survive.

[GDeen]

Rick, etal.

While I can understand all the angst about the dealers and their investments, isn't all of that what bankruptcy is about?

When I started to work in the oil field in 1981, there were 4400 rigs running in the US. By 1983 there were less than 2/3 that number and some 475,000 people had lost their jobs; just in the energy sector (drilling, production, service). No drilling czar, no bills in Congress to help the displaced workers, no efforts to help guys who lost their businesses from investments that no single car dealer has ever pushed up on the table. It all just evaportated.

Those of us fortunate (or unfortunate) to have jobs were left to work 100 hour weeks with little time off and not very good working conditions so the companies we worked for could compete and survive the downturn. Maybe the destruction of the industry was fairer since it basically took everyone down, but in the end nothing stopped the massive bankruptcies and bank failings due to the oversupply of product, equipment and services.

While I am no less concerned about the plight of the car dealers, they are but a single entity in what is sure to be a pretty massive meltdown all across the board. Right now there is 2.5 times more service equipment in the US for energy than is needed. This time last year people were screaming for more production to offset the high prices. This year no one gives a rat's ass.

What's the difference between the auto industry failures and energy? The US energy companies have managed to decrease the cost of producing natural gas and increased the supply to their own detriment. While they don't set the price of their product they certainly have to live within the market forces.

Auto makers made a deal with the devil in all their union and legacy costs. They had a chance to level the playing field with bankruptcy and they couldn't even get that right. It's truly like wiping your ass with a wagon wheel; same crap just keeps coming round and it's never going to get clean.

Here, here JDub.

One correction/typo - rig count dropped nearly 2/3 by 1983 (~ 1800 in 83)....

[tdelorme]

Oh, I forgot one important part.

Mel Torme' - This guy came by with a message for you.

2663498086_1717d6589a-thumb-300x201-21096.jpg

So the guy lost two and a half fingers in a rig accident or what?? You want me to call OSHA for you??

I was just jerking your chain with the Scout comment. We towed one back and forth to Colorado for years and I was the guy who always had to do the driveshaft disconnect. One year we got the motorhome stuck up to the axles in mud and drove back to Texas in the Scout. If it had a heater we never found it and every time I see one it reminds me of the time I nearly froze to death.

Do you want the "smiling" or the "serious" Chia Obama?

[Jerry Winchester]

Why did you have to disconnect the driveshaft? With the front hubs unlocked and the transfer case in neutral, the driveline is isolated from the transmission although it does continue to rotate.

[tdelorme]

Jerry, I was like 18 years old and while I know it's hard to believe, I did as I was told. The Scout was a 1954 model and belonged to my step dad. He keep it up and running till he died a few years back. It was slow and underpowered but impossible to get stuck. He was sure the driveshaft needed to come out when we towed it so out it came.
Be sure to water this when it arrives.

[rfoster]

Jdub: Are you going to put that on your desk? How about the center of the Conference Room?

[garyde]

California is like 49th in the Country for education scores for kids in grades 1 thru 12, and 40 percent of the money for education goes to administrative costs. this is but one example of how special interests have screwed the State. My Sons school, every year, asks for donations from Parents to hire a Music teacher and Art Teacher, because the State can not afford those two instructors. Pathetic!
GM and Chrysler want to stop the discounts and rebates and competiion amongst dealers, so they figure fewer dealers, less discounts, more money in the bank.