Prices Need to Come DOWN! Way Down.

[Scott Fleming]

The remaining RV manufacturers should be burning down the phone lines to their suppliers demanding major price cuts. Everything is coming down these days. The price of copper just droped 300% in the past couple weeks and so has everything else.

Prices being paid now are nothing but empty air habit. Well if the remaining manufacturers want to be around next year they need to SLASH prices. Somehow I don't think they are demanding anything.

This goes for all the coaches sitting on lots and in driveways as well. I'm sorry you are into it for 70k and its worth 35. Tough.

Move it now for half what you THINK its worth or let it go for $ .10 on the dollar next year at auction.

Same goes for boats.

[Scott Fleming]

The remaining RV manufacturers should be burning down the phone lines to their suppliers demanding major price cuts. Everything is coming down these days. The price of copper just droped 300% in the past couple weeks and so has everything else.

Prices being paid now are nothing but empty air habit. Well if the remaining manufacturers want to be around next year they need to SLASH prices. Somehow I don't think they are demanding anything.

This goes for all the coaches sitting on lots and in driveways as well. I'm sorry you are into it for 70k and its worth 35. Tough.

Move it now for half what you THINK its worth or let it go for $ .10 on the dollar next year at auction.

Same goes for boats.

[Ray,IN]

Since labor costs are near 60% of production costs; the only way that will happen is to slash labor wages, retirement benefits, employer provided insurance, etc. Materials are a minor player in total production costs.

[Scott Fleming]

Minor player? Hardly. I've been in construction all my life and materials are always at least 40% if not 50%.

Besides. Labor has got to come down too. Everything has to come down. Basically everything .... everything is falsely inflated. No basis in reality whatsoever. The market has been raped and beaten by malevolent forces that have to be beaten back. Or else.

Either you have a true market or you have a fairytale land of make believe controlled by corrupt thieves with their hands in the till.

[randco]

Let's not forget about the crazy salaries that football, basketball and baseball players make.

It's crazy to think that they make millions and the president of the U.S. only makes $400,000 a year.

There is something wrong with our society and it's priorities.

[BookIIRoadtrash]

What is the matter with management taking a cut too. No need for these CEO's to be making those crazy salaries.

[full-timer]

Yeah if everyone takes a cut,then you think the retirees are going to take a cut on their retirement checks? I don't think so. People want a cut except when it comes to them.

Joe

[lawdude]

Wages for skilled (union) workers are way out of line. Auto workers make 40-80/hour from the day they are hired UNTIL THEY DIE. Whether they are working or not. The auto bail out does not address this at all. The billions will go to the union heads and workers and in the end, the Big three will go broke anyway.

RVs will be banned in 2-3 years as will most cars, certainly SUVs and most trucks.

Oil drilling will be banned, nukes will be banned, coal will be banned. Electric rates, currently $0.10- $0.20/KWH will go to OVER $1.00, with rationing of power use.

Hang on, folks!

And I'm being optimistic.

[R.G.Wise]

I refuse to go to, or support any pro sports teams. Here is a copy of a email I sent to my congressman this morning, on the auto bail out:
Mr.Space: I am writing you to "beg" you and the rest of congress not to give taxpayers money to bail out the auto industry!! Let them do as I have had to with my (small)business. I have not been able to take a paycheck or any benefits for several years; just to help get the business from closing up, and to try to keep my employees in a job. There is no help or bail outs for small business; how can my tax dollars go to help pay the high wages w/benefits to the auto workers and their CEO's? It is definatly a big case of discrimination!! It's just not right! Let them cut costs, wages, benefits, and join the free market like us little guys.

[doc]

Gotta agree. No bailout unless the unions disolve their contracts. GM was in trouble before this current mess started due to outrageous labor contract.
No disolution of the contract? Let sink or swim on their own. The Japanese build a better car at better prices and it will last longer. The Koreans coming here and selling cars are not fairing very well however. It is all about quality for the dollar spent.
I am not in favor of proping up some highroller labor bosses. We will have enough people to support in a couple of months anyway.

[Jim Stewart]

Most of the Japanese cars sold in the US are manufactured in the US. That means that the same Americans Workers are building both domestic and foreign cars.

Very few Japanese Car Manufacturers in the US have any union involvement, yet Japanese cars built by Americans are historicaly of poorer quality than those built in Japan by Japanese Workers. It would seem that the American Workers and not the unions are responsible for poor quality.

Most of the management and engineering of the Japanese Manufacturers are Japanese. I believe the American quality is poor because American Management accepts mediocraty. The Big Three have a goal of reducing defects. The Japanese have a goal of ZERO defects!

I believe that the Big Threes costs are way too high due to the Unions. This gives them a price disadvantage. If they solve that problem, they still have the problem of the American Workers, Engineers and Managers. That one is going to be a lot harder to solve!!!!!!!!!!

[lawdude]

When the union secret ballot disappears in a few months, it willl not take long to unionize the Japanese plants.

You cannot keep on paying retired workers 85% of their top wage until they die and expect to stay in business.

[Mike-n-Teri]

RE the 3 auto factories. I feel the business plans failed. All workers should contribute to the recovery. From the CEO down, except the WAE. Upper management should take the same percentage cut as the union worker.
The best to all.
Mike

[Glen41]

If they are going to bail out the automakers, first fire all top management and take the money assigned to thier "golden" parachute away for failing to perform in office. They blew it, they should pay. Or at the very least they should NOT be rewarded.
Put some Marines in charge of the factory.