Toyota In Trouble?

http://www.freep.com/article/20101205/BUSINESS01/12050482/1318/Mighty-Toyota-is-slipping-under-weight-of-recalls-sales-decline

Considering the story is from the Detroit Free Press, I expect it only highlights the negative.  My fears worsen that GM and Chrysler are getting comfy being Government owned...

Life Update

A quick one. My kid got a job, at last. It's only part time and at the local grocery store, it's something!

I traded my car and got a Pontiac G3, nice little toy car, about 1/2 the size of my first car. It has a little pep to it, so I will deal with it for 3 years until the warrant ends. I can only hope GM or another American company has a descent car on the market by then. Tic, tic, tic...get to it guys.

US Car Makers Adjust

I keep hearing people sound like they are shocked at the dealership and plant closings that have been announced over the last few weeks. Um, that is what a bankruptcy does.

They have to get their houses in order and trim that fat that they have put on since the 1980s. They are just paying the price for a lack of vision and innovation. They brought it on themselves.

I was in Detroit earlier in the year and people I talked to were worried that America was mad at them for the bailouts. I said it was mixed, but people are not mad at the workers. Just mad at the inept management that ignored all the signs of change that every foreign car maker saw and got right. The Detroit workers were just doing their jobs.

Could this spell the end of the UAW? That might be a good thing, I think. Too much corruption and power.

I guess it's a good sign that the people of Detroit have the Red Wings in the Cup semi-finals. Something to rally around. Go Wings!

I hope a few of these wind mill companies can settle in Michigan, I am sure the Governor is working on it. I like her. Don't ask me what that picture is all about...I don't know, but it made me laugh.

Chrysler And Fiat Merge

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7839542.stm

That's a big deal, no one is talking about it. I can only hope we can avoid a lot of gold chains showing up on Chrysler executives, but it might be an improvement if they do. We will have to watch and see. Kidding of course...