[politics]

"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer) 11/27/2018 at 18:09 • Filed to: None

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End times, except for Camaros.

Such an aggressively sexy car.

I think GM gave Trump this layoff in a silver platter. The layoffs, some think, are directly because of his economic policies and how they failed blue-collar workers. NOT GONNA GET INTO THAT THOUGH.

So... had GM announced this “restructuring” three or four weeks ago, it would’ve dominated the news cicle and taken over the midterms. I personally think it would’ve flipped some House seats to the Democrats. Maybe even a senate seat further S outh.

For Sweden > Spanfeller is a twat 11/27/2018 at 18:19

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GM is too timid to say that tariffs are killing American manufacturing

Spanfeller is a twat > For Sweden 11/27/2018 at 18:21

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I mean.. typically corporate interests align with Republicans... so... annoying them the least is probably best for them.

Tho I read somewhere that some journo in Canada wants to nationalize GM.

For Sweden > Spanfeller is a twat 11/27/2018 at 18:24

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The Republicans used to be a free-trade party

Spanfeller is a twat > For Sweden 11/27/2018 at 18:26

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They still are the low tax/lax regulation and worker rights party too.

nj959 > Spanfeller is a twat 11/27/2018 at 18:27

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I’ll leave this here because it’s just too fucking funny.

I do empathize with everyone who’s losing their jobs though. The world is changing every year with increases in automation, etc. and while I think it will be a good thing in the long run there will definitely be growing pains.

For Sweden > Spanfeller is a twat 11/27/2018 at 18:28

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“low tax” if you ignore tariffs

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Spanfeller is a twat 11/27/2018 at 18:29

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Nah... that was just one idiot columnist at one newspaper. It’s not gonna happen.

Though I do think that given GM still owes the Canadian government CAD $1 billion, I think the government should put a lien on the Oshawa property/building/equipment... and the only way to make the lien go away is for them to keep it open.

Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast > Spanfeller is a twat 11/27/2018 at 18:33

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As cold- hearted as it sounds, I side with GM on this one. They are doing what is best for their business. They, (including Mary Barra, ) know first hand what happens when a big corporation is too slow to act and ignores warning signs of the future.

They are making the big, swift decisions they have to to stay a money-making business . Same as Ford is doing.

That said, I will never consider an SUV/crossover, so they both have pretty much lost my business anyway.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > nj959 11/27/2018 at 18:41

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Great graphic. I would’ve edited the first statement to say “Unionized workers at GM” and then take that opportunity to add another Pikachu after that with a “Establishment democrats who completely lost track of their party platform and focused on big money corporate interests instead” caption.

It’s a true circle jerk of WTF is going on. 

ttyymmnn > For Sweden 11/27/2018 at 18:42

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And Lincoln was a Republican, and the South was solidly Democratic. 

The Dummy Gummy > For Sweden 11/27/2018 at 18:43

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You wouldn’t make long term closures for temporary tariffs. 

For Sweden > ttyymmnn 11/27/2018 at 18:50

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and a hot dog is a sandwich

For Sweden > The Dummy Gummy 11/27/2018 at 18:50

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“temporary”

Spanfeller is a twat > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast 11/27/2018 at 18:54

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I do blame them.... I don’t like “greed is good” economic thinking

Spanfeller is a twat > nj959 11/27/2018 at 18:57

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I mean... its such a complicated thing. I can’t blame them either, but their willingness to try something new (and have economic incentives to do so) isn’t there yet. 

The Dummy Gummy > For Sweden 11/27/2018 at 18:58

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That’s a  bit naive if you think they’re permanent.

For Sweden > The Dummy Gummy 11/27/2018 at 19:00

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The next democratic candidate will run on a pro-tariff platform

https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-trump-tariffs

The Dummy Gummy > For Sweden 11/27/2018 at 19:11

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Sounds like you didn’t even read your own link. “Donald Trump’s haphazard and reckless plan to impose tariffs on Canada and the European Union is an absolute disaster that will cause unnecessary economic pain to farmers, manufacturers and consumers in Vermont and throughout the country.”

He also says he wants to penalize domestic companies for outsourcing, but that’s not a tariff.

Again, naive if you think Bernie could win the caucus. 

For Sweden > The Dummy Gummy 11/27/2018 at 19:15

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“ I strongly support imposing stiff penalties on countries like China, Russia, South Korea and Vietnam to prevent them from illegally dumping steel and aluminum into the U.S. and throughout the world.”

He also says he wants to penalize domestic companies for outsourcing, but that’s not a tariff.

The hell it isn’t

The Dummy Gummy > For Sweden 11/27/2018 at 19:33

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A penalty isn’t a tariff but like I said long shot he gets elected.

It’s even more indicative that it’s not a tariff given the language he places around tariffs.

RutRut > Spanfeller is a twat 11/27/2018 at 19:34

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So the company should have worse fiscal performance and use resources to make cars that don’t sell so that people still have jobs? 

jimz > Spanfeller is a twat 11/27/2018 at 19:43

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unfortunately, as a public company they’re pretty much obligated to make shareholders happy.  If they don’t, then enough shareholders can agitate to make changes on the board and get people in charge who will do what they want. 

Spanfeller is a twat > RutRut 11/27/2018 at 19:49

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When you put it that way, No... a company shouldn’t do that. But I don’t subscribe to Friedman’s economic ideas “greed is good"  either.

What a company shouldn’t be doing is promoting reckless management in the name of profits, what they shouldn’t do is suck on the government’s tit and avoid using the money for their employees or improving RnD. What they shouldn’t do is allow this to happen in the first place. Plus, this thing, announcing carefully calculated and studied layoffs after the elections? super irresponsible, because they know Republicans will probably treat them better.

by the way, GM has been profitable since 2013.

Spanfeller is a twat > jimz 11/27/2018 at 19:51

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I know... I know...

I’m just sort of sad that it is that way. 

RutRut > Spanfeller is a twat 11/27/2018 at 19:56

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The timing isn’t surprising in the least. They offered the buyout with a deadline, not enough took the buyout, deadline passed and boom layoffs are announced. None of this is shocking. Previously profitable and future forecast profitable are very different. If your ED&D spend is projected to grow significantly for future tech it needs to be cut from other places, simple balance. 

RutRut > Spanfeller is a twat 11/27/2018 at 19:57

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http://gmauthority.com/blog/2018/11/details-of-gm-buyouts-revealed/

Spanfeller is a twat > RutRut 11/27/2018 at 19:58

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I understand companies need to evolve... I just think that, for the health of their communities, they need to make a plan that reflects the least painful transition. When companies are too big to fail, they’re also too big to avoid taking responsibility for their social impact.

RutRut > Spanfeller is a twat 11/27/2018 at 20:21

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The best case scenario is GM manages to sell off the plants as brownfields that someone else takes up. The reality is the cost to retool and completely revamp a plant at a certain point exceeds just going greenfield, especially plants that are older and need to produce new platforms with significantly different requirements. I doubt the buyouts working would have significantly stopped this step but it is hard to say. I read the utilization was something like 4000 took the buyout offered to 18000 employees at the salaried level. The flip side is last I heard GM was still on a hiring spree for high skilled engineers to work on developing technologies. 

Spanfeller is a twat > RutRut 11/27/2018 at 20:24

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Oh... I know. Engineers are all the rage nowadays.

I was on the fence about studying journalism until I saw the salaries (and the beheadings, but that’s very much a local issue)   

nermal > Spanfeller is a twat 11/27/2018 at 20:36

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This wasn’t an overnight decision, it’s one that’s been brewing for months or even years . It’s a change in long term strategy in an industry that has a 3-5+ yr product development cycle. Conveniently, the latest GM product strategy mirrors that of the other 2/3 of the Big 3.

I honestly don’t think the trade wars had a significant impact on the decision. Increased costs from tariffs are offset by tax cuts anyways. Look at sales stats for the models getting discontinued.  T hey’re all dropping while their truck & SUV counterparts are rising. 

As far as the political timing, Trump and Barra certainly have each other’s phone #s. I totally buy that she warned him this was gonna happen and he stalled it until after the election. Trump probably sent some of his hookers to pee on strategic FCA & Ford locations as a thank you. 

Spanfeller is a twat > nermal 11/27/2018 at 20:39

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I did read in the FP that the tax cuts saved them 500M but the steel tariffs cost them 1 billion. Obviously, GM doesn’t look at it in such a short term notice... but yeah. I think Barra gave Trump a gift. 

nermal > Spanfeller is a twat 11/27/2018 at 21:00

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Not a gift, but a deal. She got something out of it. 

Spanfeller is a twat > nermal 11/27/2018 at 21:04

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Well, she did give Republicans in the primaries cannon fodder to get rid of steel and aluminium tariffs. 2020 might be interesting after all. 

The last stock SC 5speed > Spanfeller is a twat 11/28/2018 at 03:42

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You know what, you’re right.

My first thought after the announcement was GM is taking the opportunity to cut US jobs while they can blame Trump. Mainly for a pr coverstory but also to retaliate for the steel tariffs which have cost GM 1 billion so far. But, yeah, if they had any real  desire to damage trump then a pre-election announcement would have been a much bigger blow.

I guess GM values the tax cut and the roll back of the CAFE regs a more than cheap steel. Makes sense.

Here’s what I want to know. How the hell did GM get to a place where the trucks are made in Mexico while the shitty cars are made in the US? When did US production of the Silverado stop and why wasn’t that headline news?