The new CEO of Ford drives a Lexus LS430.............

[jeff2006]

A guy I know is furious with Chrysler because the starter in his Chrysler minivan had to be replaced at 70,000 miles.  Same guy now has a Honda minivan that needed a new trans at about 30,000, which didn't bother him a bit.

I have an Accord an a Mercury Grand Marquis.  The Mercury has needed less attention than the Honda, and is a better car than the Honda in many ways (except for MPG).

Anecdotal, I know.  To each his own . . .

 

[Khan]

I might be shopping for a car in a year or two.

The Big Three don't make the kind of car I want to buy: a small two door hatchback.

 

[lets-retire]

Hmmmm.  The very poor don't have the money to own a car.  The...uh...exceptionally frugal likely don't buy new cars, preferring to allow someone else to foot the bill for the first 2-3 years of deprecitation.

The poor, on welfare, in the town I used to patrol drove newer cars than I drive.

 

[bpp]

I might be shopping for a car in a year or two.

The Big Three don't make the kind of car I want to buy: a small two door hatchback.

Doesn't the Ford Focus come in a two-door hatchback version? (Though they call it a "three-door" -- when did the hatch become a door?)

That's actually one of the few American cars one sees with any regularity on the roads here, aside from novelty vehicles.

 

[Cut-Throat]

The poor, on welfare, in the town I used to patrol drove newer cars than I drive.

I know that this is the popular 'urban myth' - But how do you really know this? I know it's often repeated, but come on!

Did you ask their annual incomes?

 

[Khan]

Doesn't the Ford Focus come in a two-door hatchback version? (Though they call it a "three-door" -- when did the hatch become a door?)

That's actually one of the few American cars one sees with any regularity on the roads here, aside from novelty vehicles.

I'll check it out.
----
A couple months ago, I heard part of a TV ad for a local Chevy dealer; I went to check out the details on line and they didn't have a website. Don't they want to sell cars?

 

[Leonidas]

I know that this is the popular 'urban myth' - But how do you really know this? I know it's often repeated, but come on!

Did you ask their annual incomes?

I can’t speak for the OP’s experiences, but I got to say that I have seen the same thing. Not all welfare recipients certainly, and it would depend on how old the police car is (most of ours never made it past two or three years).

I’ve encountered plenty of people on welfare driving late model cars. Usually they bought it when they had a job and some kind of credit, and an inventive F & I guy at a dealership finagled them some kind of ripoff creative financing that dooms them to eventual repossession.

As far as documenting the fact they’re on welfare that’s easy. Anytime someone is arrested, all of the property in their immediate possession becomes the responsibility of the arresting agency. Everything has to be inventoried and kept for safekeeping until they are released or they sign it over to someone else. Many people keep all kinds of interesting documents in their wallets or their cars.

It is all usually documented as “assorted papers”, but every good cop looks at it all because of the information found (Hey, you told me your name is Charlie Brown, but all of this paperwork has Linus Van Pelt’s name on it and the computer says Linus has three warrants). The lower strata of the socioeconomic scale is especially fond of tossing their important documents in their wallets and gloveboxes, and among the many gems one will find are probation/parole documents, bail bond receipts, payroll check stubs, welfare forms, food stamp debit cards, etc.

 

[lets-retire]

I know that this is the popular 'urban myth' - But how do you really know this? I know it's often repeated, but come on!
Did you ask their annual incomes?

90% of our calls came from this area. After about 6 months on the job you know where most of the people receive their money. It's part of the questions asked on scene. Typically as where do you work? Who all lives here? Depending on the answers to the other questions do you receive assistance with this apartment? Determining who owned which car was easy. I'm not going into that side of it.

 

[lets-retire]

So, you are careful to support American management, but not American workers? Somehow I don;t think that will save a lot of jobs in Michigan!

Personally, I like to support well-managed companies, in the hope that we will see more of the same.

Here's my twisted and convoluted reasoning. By supporting the American companies the profits are brought back to this country. If the company decides to have it's widget made in India, the way I see it is they are employing some Indian who otherwise wouldn't have a job. By giving this person a job, they are lowering the unemployment rate of that country which eventually will cause the wages of those countries to rise. This rise in earnings will allow the foriegn workers to afford the products they are building and return more profits to this country. The rising cost of labor around the world will also lessen the pressure to lower the wages of American workers. I know it will take longer than my lifetime for these changes to happen, but I feel it is better than sending all of my money to a different country.

If the company is not well managed then I won't be buying much from them in the future, because they will close.

 

[Meadbh]

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060915/NEWS99/60915001

 

[Nords]

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060915/NEWS99/60915001

Only the Detroit Free Press would have the patience (or the subscribers) to publish Ford's entire press release...

 

[brewer12345]

I forgot to mention I even go out of my way to fly on a Boeing jet over an Airbus.

I guess I am just an East Coast librul, but I don't get this one. Isn't the fact that its a Merkin airline good enough for you? In any case, many times you pretty much don't have a choice.

 

[mathjak107]

Here's my twisted and convoluted reasoning.  By supporting the American companies the profits are brought back to this country.  If the company decides to have it's widget made in India, the way I see it is they are employing some Indian who otherwise wouldn't have a job.  By giving this person a job, they are lowering the unemployment rate of that country which eventually will cause the wages of those countries to rise.  This rise in earnings will allow the foriegn workers to afford the products they are building and return more profits to this country.  The rising cost of labor around the world will also lessen the pressure to lower the wages of American workers.  I know it will take longer than my lifetime for these changes to happen, but I feel it is better than sending all of my money to a different country.

If the company is not well managed then I won't be buying much from them in the future, because they will close.

It dosnt make good political news but alot of those profits foreign companies get from us come right back and invest in our bonds and stocks.They dont count all those billions in the trade deficit numbers.It serves politics better talking about the unemployed auto worker.
   We only buy foreigm products for one reason.Because to us that represents the best value for our money at the time of purchase.We are a globally linked world economy with certain countries excelling at different prodiucts.Our standard of living ,quality of goods,and value for our money has been steadly increasing.Brazil had an edict a few years ago,if it wasnt made there you couldnt use it.Tragic error.Major companies packed up and left as they couldnt run their businesses using inferior brazillian computors or goods.They quickly recinded that idea as it was dragging the country downward.
Stop worrying about where something was made and just enjoy the benifits.Right now if it wasnt for the cheap labor costs overseas holding the line on raw material increases that were phenominal this country would be in a world of inflation hurt right now.

 

[lets-retire]

It dosnt make good political news but alot of those profits foreign companies get from us come right back and invest in our bonds and stocks.They dont count all those billions in the trade deficit numbers.It serves politics better talking about the unemployed auto worker.

I understand this. Where do the profits from the investment go? Eventually back to the foreign country. If the money and all dividends stay in this country then what is the point of investing here? They're not seeing any of the profit.

It's my twisted and convoluted thought and I doubt anybody is going to change it. In my mind I'm helping the American worker more by helping the workers in other countries increase their income and wealth than by primarily helping the owners of the company.

 

[mathjak107]

You have to step back and understand the bigger picture.You cant spend a dollar in tokyo.That american dollar must be traded to someone for local currency who will either use or swap to another trader that dollar who will either use or have a use for that american dollar.Eventually most american dollars find there way back here to buy american goods.products,services or our financial markets where billions of dollars from overseas eventually end up.While some central banks may hoard dollars most do not and these dollars ultimately are spent.while yes currancy traders may actually spend them and not have a real use the only reason they can trade them is someone else has a use and this is a small part anyway of american dollars outside this country.Of course its a lot more complicated than the above but thats the basic lay of the land.

 

[Texas Proud]

You have to step back and understand the bigger picture.You cant spend a dollar in tokyo.That american dollar must be traded to someone for local currency who will either use or swap to another trader that dollar who will either use or have a use for that american dollar.Eventually most american dollars find there way back here to buy american goods.products,services or our financial markets where billions of dollars from overseas eventually end up.While some central banks may hoard dollars most do not and these dollars ultimately are spent.while yes currancy traders may actually spend them and not have a real use the only reason they can trade them is someone else has a use and this is a small part anyway of american dollars outside this country.Of course its a lot more complicated than the above but thats the basic lay of the land.

You must not know how much of the world economy is run on US dollars... I have been to many places in Europe and a lot of places you can get the local currency OR dollars.. they would take either... I was in Russia and they only wanted dollars for some purchases..

 

[mathjak107]

they only take dollars because they know someone will take it from them because someone ultimately will trade them back here.Would you take an iraqi monopoly money here? No you wouldnt because no one would take it from you,unless that person was considering buying something from iraq.Of course the dollar isnt a crappy currancy (not yest anyway) but you get the general idea.

 

[lets-retire]

You have to step back and understand the bigger picture.You cant spend a dollar in tokyo.That american dollar must be traded to someone for local currency who will either use or swap to another trader that dollar who will either use or have a use for that american dollar.Eventually most american dollars find there way back here to buy american goods.products,services or our financial markets where billions of dollars from overseas eventually end up.While some central banks may hoard dollars most do not and these dollars ultimately are spent.while yes currancy traders may actually spend them and not have a real use the only reason they can trade them is someone else has a use and this is a small part anyway of american dollars outside this country.Of course its a lot more complicated than the above but thats the basic lay of the land.

It boils down to what would I rather do, give my money to a foreign company in hopes that they invest it back in the US, or give it to someone who is working for an equivalent amount of their own currency making a US company profitable.  The latter situation the worker would spend it in their economy causing their people to gain wealth and their economy to improve.  

If you go to many third world countries you will see a large segment of the population wearing American style clothes.  They even have knock offs displaying American brands.  The people want the American goods, but cannot afford the real thing.

To piggy back on Texas, when I was in many of the third world countries in the middle east they would take either currency.  Most of the shopkeepers in countries with horrid inflation preferred the dollar.  They would hold it for a few days or weeks and make money from holding the dollar.  

 

[FinanceDude]

70% of all Hondas are made in the US...............

Unless Ford and Chrysler and GM do something revolutionary, their erosion of market share will continue...........

It is their own fault, they had MANY opportunities to do something in the past 20 years and have chosen not to...........

For what it's worth, the GM made Opels sold in Europe are reasonably priced and well made, yet are not built for the US.............interesting...............

 

[lets-retire]

70% of all Hondas are made in the US...............

Unless Ford and Chrysler and GM do something revolutionary, their erosion of market share will continue...........

It is their own fault, they had MANY opportunities to do something in the past 20 years and have chosen not to...........

For what it's worth, the GM made Opels sold in Europe are reasonably priced and well made, yet are not built for the US.............interesting...............

I don't just asking. Could it be that they are made in non-union factories?

 

[brewer12345]

I don't just asking.  Could it be that they are made in non-union factories?

In Europe? Are you joking?

 

[astromeria]

From Daily Kos:

"The Ford Motor Company announced today that it's hired the head of Boeing Commercial Airplanes as its new CEO. The ex-Boeing chief says he's going to improve Ford cars by taking away the legroom and installing a crying baby."

---Conan O'Brien