A Horse With No Name

Actually all of the big thee supported the Cali Crusher laws IIRC. Get ready, I'm sure Clunker laws will be here soon. Chris

Besides...with a cheap car...living in Michigan...two words....ICE RACING!!!! Chris

Actually I think for the first time in about 20 years we have the product to go after the import buyers. Chris

Actually, you could own a second car cheaply... Chris

There are great church people as well as terrible church people. I just find the evidence for God lacking, and therefore am not theistic. Chris

This is why I've always tried to own multiple cars. Chris

What I have been thinking... Level the playing field by making wages the same across the board. You could make all carmakers pay their workers the same wage, say $20 or so per hour, with the same bennies. That way you get the best people building cars, and carmakers are forced to focus on design rather than low cost to sell cars. Also, you could Unionize all of the plants in the US, domestic or foreign. Make everyone fund retirement, and overfund the retirement funds, like the railroads do. That way the legacy costs are spread out over everyone, and if say Honda or Mazda leave US production, their retirees are still covered. I would unionize the plants in Mexico also. Instead of making the wages the same $20 or whatever, invest a certain amount in the community in Mexico where the vehicles are being built. This will make the investment a "long term" investment in the community, and will provide education, housing etc for workers. Kind of the old "company town" ethic. If you unionized all of the plants and wages were set, then you could redefine the unions role as educational and safety oriented. Union dues could be used to educate line workers, and could also be used to set up scholarship funds for promising designers and engeneers. Actually, this would work better if you unionized white collar workers also. Given that you would have a large amount of $ to fund education, we would then train more workers to design cars, and this would help both the domestics and the imports. Honda has a huge design center here in Ohio, the Nissan 350Z was designed partly in California, IIRC the Miata was designed partly in California, etc. Having a "slush fund" to pay for education would keep the highest value added jobs here in the USA. Out of this educational effort I would force the UAW and the carmakers to have programs at the elementary, middle school, high school, and college level. I would give them a lot of liberty to design the programs, but I would want them to find the best minds young and develop them so that we could have the best possible technology and design for our automobiles. Something as simple as say the "Pinewood Derby" would work for elementary kids. The Pinewood derby is a Cub Scout activity where the kids build cars out of wood and let gravity race them down a ramp. For middle school students we need to identify people talented in art, math, and science and steer them towards an automotive career. For high school students we need to find the best and brightest and give them scholarships to automotive oriented colleges. I would also start a national level automotive museum, administrated by the Smithsonian, to preserve and present our automotive heritage. This museum would have two parts, one focusing on our heritage and another full of "hands on" exibits. Here in Columbus we have COSI, a science museum where kids can say learn about computers by taking one apart. This national level/Smithsonian museum should be a joint effort of the UAW and all of the carmakers, imported and domestic. This would put a positive face on the automotive industry, which of late has had a rather negative view from Joe and Jane sixpack. Cars built overseas could have a tarrif or tax put on them, and then those collected funds could be used to fund retirement, research, etc. The Tarrif should be used to level the playing field also...if it takes say 100 hours to build a particular car, and they are paying the overseas worker the equal of say $14 per hour to build the car, then $600 needs to be put in as a tarrif/tax to keep things balanced. I would also tax gas, and use the money collected for energy research. Think of a "Manhatten Project" level effort, as has been proposed by several people. This would create more jobs here and eventually get us off of foreign oil. Also, I think drilling here is a good idea, but we need to continue to work on alternative fuels. Biofuels from alage have great potential, as do several other biofuels. I would have a rational national energy policy that focused on conservation...home, industry, commercial, government, etc. We started this in the 70's and kind of gave up on it. Methinks it is an idea whose time has come again. I would also change the US emissions standards to match those of Europe, and encourage diesel cars. This would be infinitely more simple than the whole hybrid thing, and everything from the 300 to the PT Cruiser to the Astra to the Cadillac CTS is already sold as a diesel in Europe anyway, so we are using existing technology. I would also make everyone take continuing education classes that offer behind the wheel training in emergency situations for ALL drivers. Also, make everyone take a road test when ther lic. comes up for renewal. This seems to work for over the road truck drivers...it might make driving here more safe. Also, make penalties tougher for drunk driving, etc. Sorry if this is incoherent, I have an ear infection and am on four medications including codine for pain. But this is what I would do. Chris

How much work does the Jag need? Chris

IMHO, we can't get rid of our current administration fast enough and get actual adults running our country. I think Pelosi, Obama, and company get it and will give the North American auto industry the help it needs to survive. Sorry to be political, but I really don't think Bush gives a rats ass if the carmakers die. Chris

I want American products, but I am in the minority. Look at tools...everyone seems to want to run off to Harbor Frieght to buy imported junk that is junk. When I buy a tool I want it to feel right in my hand and last. I don't mind buying a Japanese Dovetail saw or a German router...but I hate the Chinese junk that seems to be flooding the tool market. Chris

Actually good slaw is a work of art. If you've lived in the south and had olde time slaw with fried chicken and greens and such...its a work of art. What passes for slaw in most resteraunts is garbage. There is a great little BBQ resteraunt near my parents in North Carolina that has great slaw. But I'd have to drive 400 miles to get it...and nothing in the 400 miles in between even comes close. Chris

I feel the same way. 'Biz, when you sell cars, you really should be selling rolling art. Chris

I've seen grey and green Prius second gen cars... Chris

It will be sadder yet if the big three go away and were forced to buy a Kia Amanti as our signature car. We need to get back to building "American" cars again...the G8 is a very nice start, methinks. Chris

I would agree on the conservative thing. Chris

Agreed. Chris

I would agree with you. Solstice coupe=automotive sex on wheels.... Chris

Actually the Prius has its place... But if you want fuel economy, there are better ideas. Up in one of our suburbs we had a problem where a Prius was in a bad accident and the rescue crews were afraid to go to work for fear of electrocution. IIRC, the crews at the Bonneville salt flats had to go through additional safety training when a modified Prius ran out there. Chris

Personally, I like the 62-63 Impala the best...but who can argue with the gorgeous 64? Methinks if I could go back in time, a nice 61 or 62 bubletop Bel Air two door would find its way into my garage. I know of a really pristine black 61 Bel Air bubletop that lives down in Gallipolis, Ohio. Guy also owns a 60 Nomad wagon, a Sky, A 69 Z28 Clone, 87 Iroc that is red and beautiful, a 66 Chevy truck that is nice, a 63 chevy truck that is beautiful, a real big block SS454 70 Monte Carlo (white with a black top and guts...looks real clean and classy) a real 429 Cobra Jet ranchero (1970) and a Challenger (pro street, blue) thrown in for good measure. I like the Bubletop, the Sky, and the 69 the best in the collection. But if you twisted my arm a little bit, I'd take the rest of it as well. Oh, and he also has a 33 Chevy street rod. But seeing the bubletop the other day...hmmm...methinks I need another old Chevy in the garage. Chris/66

That would be one sweet car. Although 66 was the first year for the Caprice, IIRC. That was a nice variant also. Chris

Bigtime. Dude is going to be down about $6000 or more, probably more... Chris

Most forms of religion. A lot of dogs, although some are O.K. Nissan automobiles. Communism Steak cooked past medium rare Hyundai The ear infection that is currently giving me a monster headache The idiots in the Mustang community. I love Mustangs, and there are a lot of great Mustang owners, but if you want to find idiots that love cars, look no further than some of the people that post on Mustang boards. Theocracy The blending of church and state Iran The cat litter box I'm going to clean in about 5 minutes... My oldest son's last report card. Most forms of religion...oh wait...I already posted that one. Chris

By the way, Chin up pauli... Ran into my old friend Lee yesterday. Seems he lost his leg and suffered several other disfiguring injuries in a motorcycle accident, which then led to him loosing his job. He's doing a little bit better though...he is good looking and well spoken, and is going to possibly go to work as a spokesman for Willowood, the company that made his artificial limb. He has a sesne of humor about the whole thing actually...my friend Laura is a lifelong friend of Lee, and she said that on holloween Lee sat on his front porch dressed normally, but with his artificial leg on backwards. Supposedly got a few interesting looks from children walking up to get candy. Another electricain I know just lost his 9 month old Silverado in a fire resulting from the improper installation of a truck alarm. The insurance won't cover his tools or the $4000 worth of nice aftermarket upgrades he had on the truck. Thankfully he is buying a nice older GMC work truck from a mutal friend. But Pauli you still have your health and your car...as well as your friends... Keep your chin up sir, things will get better. Chris/66

Personally, college football is the only stick and ball type game I ever seem to watch. The last time I watched a full length baseball game it was the Cleveland Indians back in 1991. The last time I watched an NBA game was 1992. I go to Columbus Blue Jackets Hocky games once in awhile... Chris