It is "Mary Barra", former VP short list candidate for Hitlary, vs Trump. That's right, it is the scorn of a leftist female CEO that will ultimately run an American Icon into the proverbial ground, and put tens of thousands of American workers out of work. More concerned with shareholder profits than workers or loyalty to the country that spawned the company's very existence. The insane thought process behind this is, she thinks this is a win for the left, while not giving two cents worth of care about the consequences. Trump is thinking about taking subsidies away from GM, but he should also consider a special tariff on all vehicles imported by this traitorous brand, for no other reason than to put pressure on the board to replace their grudge holding CEO. So many other maneuvers she could make, but closing plants in the US is the best and only one that make sense?

Great catch, Devil Dog.

Not only that, Barra can rationalize it by saying to herself that when these voting workers lose their jobs, the Democrats can blame it on Trump and the GOP for not "caring enough."

Some of you readers may remember that when Hillary was pushing Hillarycare in 1993, she was asked about changes that would hurt small businesses. Her reply was that these "deplorable" companies were "UNDERFUNDED." Let me give you the real definition of "Underfunded." It means not rich enough to give Bill and Hillary's political campaigns (and now their foundation) a sizable money donation. They can't make Hillary rich? Then she says "Frig" them. To paraphrase Leona Helmsley, It's the little people who lose their companies and jobs and medical coverage.

Lets hope Trump has a maneuver to make that lays the blame for the loss where it belongs, at the feet of Barra. He is a crafty leader, I bet he does.
Worst part of this whole thing is, I have been a big supporter of GM my whole life, and still own a GMC extended cab truck. Guess I will be a Ford fan from here on out. Now how do I tell my daughter we have to sell her Chevy Cruise? Wasn't ready to buy another car right now.

Yeah, me too.

This isn't surprising. It's happened several times before. Any time a female is CEO a death spiral occurs. Carly at HP anyone? How about that time when there were only women in the company? Five years sucked up all the capital and nothing to show for it.

And now they want to turn loose the Socialist parasites on the USA to kill that host once and for all.

They were discussing tariffs on the radio this morning. Tariffs raise the price on goods to the US consumer; however, the tariff payment stays in the US so helps the government in the short term and also reorients the manufacturing location in the long run. Should we have to pay more? In the end, depending on if the manufacturing moves, then yes.

In this particular situation, I see tariffs as a win win. As you say the money stays in the US, to our benefit. It also puts the offending corporation at the mercy of the US shopper, who as a whole is the greatest market in the world. Lest ye be judged by your merits. I think this is a fitting way for GM to be held accountable. I wonder if Mary Barra has considered this sort of backfire?

Gruberment Motors has been dead man walking since Barack Hussein Rspect illegally skinned taxpayers to "rescue" the unions that destroyed GM.

Post bail-out, I suspect many of us would not drive a GM car if you gave it to us. It was not the responsibility of taxpayers to "save" a company that was destroyed by greed.

Exactly, and Donald Trump can't fix a Stage 5 cancer patient. But his rhetoric, and the new Democrat Congress, could end up producing a bailout for Lordstown.

Mary Barra is a typical America-hating Democrat wh*re. The questionable deep state bailout of GM cost American taxpayers billions.
Now she does this to us.

It's not "Trump vs GM", it's GM vs the United States. GM, as a result of little barry's unionist actions, is run by the unions, not sound economics. Good management would have foreseen the trend away from small cars, and especially away from what are essentially golf carts, and would have retooled those factories to produce the products people actually want, years ago.

I wouldn't mind driving a golf cart... if priced like a golf cart at $2,500. I just don't want to drive a golf cart for 85% of the price of a useable vehicle at $25,000.

"And the height of irony is that GM, which now outsources American jobs,
exists today only because of a massive U.S. taxpayer bailout just ten
years ago."

And none of the taxpayers were asked. Not to mention the blatant breaking of bankruptcy law by the worst and most lawless President in the country's history.

Exactly. 0bama screwed over bondholders to protect the interests of his union buddies. Illegally.

Business Schools got lazy. The best Harvard, Stanford, Northwestern & Duke could come up with is "let's move production where labor is cheaper.....can I have a raise"?

I bet you could learn that at City College for a fraction of the tuition.

Dear Mr. T.,

You win the bet. As a business professor at a university, I am embarrassed by developments in my field over the last 30 years.

On to your main point -- I could teach this lesson at your local community college, or to high school students (assuming they want to learn something important), for a fraction of the tuition at a prestigious institution.

In 10-15 years I will retire from my university job, and maybe join a community college because I just plain love teaching people how to do important things. CC salaries are low, but if I construct a good income plan to carry me through the retirement years, maybe I'll teach your son cheap - $1000-2000 per course. Or, depending on the numbers, I'd love to go full volunteer mode.

Teaching is fun if you like it (I do) and engaging if you put your intellect into it (I try! Ha, ha, ha. . . ), and I intend to continue until 2-3 days before I hit the grave.

To close by addressing your opening point, yes, business schools got lazy. But that created opportunities for other B schools and showed how little Harvard, et al. can do to justify their precious reputations as elite curators of --, well, what? Just exactly what? . . . . I don't expect a good answer.

Best,

It may be well to remember that, locally, the "Harvard School of Government" is called the "Harvard School of Communist Government"

If I recall correctly,

The JFK School is a school from which JFK would not have graduated.

Nor would he have considered it.

In Fall 2018, JFK school faculty do not understand that JFK was a normal American, and that they are the disease.

A liberal CEO screwing the union workers. Hey America, Liberals do not like you, even if you are in the union and vote for them, liberals hate the American middle class

That's ok, I hate them back. MAGA

As do I

Make GM payback the Americans for the bailouts obama gave them

Dear PJ,

Quick note for planning purposes: To force payback is a good idea, but keep in mind that GM can just go bankrupt any time and evade the payments. Or pay 15 cents on the dollar, or some such. An outfit like GM will have world class corporate lawyers, who are as smart as us, depend on it.

To force payback may be the best possible outcome, as it gets rid of incompetent management in a multibillion dollar enterprise, but I want to be sure of what we are aiming at before we pull the trigger.

Shoot straight, PJ, who knows whether we will get a second chance, or a better opportunity later, etc.?

Little barry avoided bankruptcy for GM, because it would have voided all the unionist contracts, which were the reason GM went broke in the first place.

Trump is like a parent having to teach recalcitrant children how to behave. Hopefully these children will learn and stop with the little temper tantrums.

Yes, PD. one hopes they will learn and improve. But I know 50+ year old lefties who act like children, maybe worse.

Good kids want to learn from you, and will work hard to do so. But lefties seldom learn, especially from normal people. They think normal people are goofy and wrong about everything. Marvel at these opinions; my experience says that lefty has no reason for them. You might think he himself is goofy and wrong about everything. Enough of that.

I have learned to treat lefties like very young children. They are childish, but they won't and can't learn.

The lefty will break your heart when you finally conclude that he is limited and will never be what you hoped he could become.

The fact that lefties want the government to give them everything they want proves that they are children who never grew up.

U.S. taxpayers subsidize foreign nations. Let that sink-in on a daily basis.

If there is any company in the U.S. that owes the country it's very existence, it's GM.
Without a $50 billion infusion of cash from the U.S. Treasury, GM would just be a
footnote. GM has a unique debt to repay to the people of this country. GM has a responsibility
to keep as many U.S. plants open and as many American workers employed as possible.

Possible different scenario: if they had gone through a regular bankruptcy, the contracts would have been renegotiated (possibly the UAW being history), and it would have come out leaner and cleaner. However, mr. anti-free-market idiot O'Schite decided to reward the UAW and shaft the American taxpayer and bond holders. See what we ended up with. Oh, BTW, when is the beige bozo going to fulfill his promise to buy a Chevy Dolt? Better hurry since they cease production in March.

U.S. government bailout of any industriy is the vehicle that drives companies to Mexico or China.

The first thing I notice is that they are not closing plants in "right to work" states. Being a "car guy", I understand that more Buicks are sold in China than in the U.S. The Honda Accord is the car with the most "U.S. content".

In any case, the government cannot legislate profits. If they cannot produce cars that will sell, they will fail regardless of government intervention.

A few "anecdotes", I have spoken with oldsters who worked in "assembly plants" when they existed here in Massachusetts. They knew exactly when to leave a hood open on the assembly line so that it would hit the overhead, stopping the line for 10 minutes. A "coffee break". A friend was recently divorced and looking for a condo for himself. His "test", count the number of American cars. "You know what kind of people drive American cars". Cadillac makes some great cars, which easily out perform BMW, Mercedes, Audi, etc. (Cadillac holds the record for sedan "lap times" at the Nuremburg Ring) Can't make a dent in the "Euro centric" attitude of luxury car buyers. Having grown up with dirty hands, it hurts to see the American car disappear. My dad had Cadillacs, I have a Cadillac. When I take it to the boat (rowing) club, it is the only one in the lot. Once I showed up in my '64 Plymouth convertible (yeah, it's a "hemi"), it was suggested that I park it down the street.

Michigan is a right to work state, that was passed in 2012.

Learn something new everyday. Thanks.

But it is very telling that this liberal CEO is putting union workers out of a job, maybe these union workers who typically vote for democrats will see just how bad the democrats are for them

They should have sold everything decades ago. Personally the more leftist places go the more I want to see them collapse. Yes it affects us elsewhere but it beats my local government doing it.

Good point about the right to work states. Still think Barra's liberal lean is a major factor as well though. I mean, great economy, and USMCA is in their favor, and all of a sudden, "we gotta close". Too suspicious for me.

Rhett,

Echo your point about Cadillacs. My German friends tell me that in the homeland, Cadillac is an example of precision engineered near-perfection.

They say that Americans are greatly deceived if we think that Mercedes, et al., are better. I feel fortunate to have honest knowledgeable people to set me straight.

But I am nonplussed by the failure of GM to take this on head to head. They KNOW that Cadillac is the "Cadillac" of Europe, and they do nothing to promote it. . . .

I have had Mercedes, BMW's and Audis, which is why I have a Cadillac now. One instance I really remember is a late 70's SL I had. The exhaust went and the dealer (Stealer?) wanted $2800 for a new exhaust system. That was a 1984 price. Drove down to Connecticut and got a custom made stainless system, $550.00 "Made in America". Back in the 90's when I had an Audi, the Audi forum on the 'net was called "Team Door Handle". The door handles always broke off. I have a 70's bicycle made by Mercedes, an Austro-Daimler. That is OK.

Dear Rhett,
First thing, glad your bicycle works properly.

And thank you for "Team Door Handle" -- very funny! Lazy good-for-nothings have the easiest job in the world -- correction of design flaws that were designed into the product! If I was a low-skilled, bad attitude, young snowflake looking to make a low-effort living, I would like to join "Team Door Handle."

If I were to design my own Audi Corp, the chief of "Team Door Handle" would not exist.

In my lifetime, "Made in America by competent Americans" always beats the competition. Call me whatever you want, I cannot deny my experience in dozens of cases.

John, Thank you. It is always comforting to know one's opinions are shared. Even though I wear a white collar, still part my hair, and am the product of an "elite prep school", I grew up with dirty hands. I also like to think of myself as a "keen social observer", particularly with regard to things automotive. When it comes to capacity, an SUV cannot compete with a "mom van". "Four wheel drive" and "go in the snow". If there is no traction (ice) for two wheels, there is no traction for four. (skiing in Vermont in the 80's, there were signs at the entrance "BMW's stop here, tow required") Half the battle of deep snow is ground clearance, snow builds up under the car and forms a dam, bringing it to a stop."Effective" four wheelers have high ground clearance. The late 80's Chrysler "mom van" I had seemed to have about a foot of ground clearance, it would go anywhere (it also had the dealer installed option of 300 hp). I recall the introduction of Honda's and Toyotas, zero rust protection and they rotted to the ground in three years, but they were "quality items". To be fair, the manufacturers did attack the problem and succeed. Mercedes "300 sl" of the fifties had cast iron engine blocks and aluminum cylinder heads, mated with a copper gasket. Is electrolysis unknown in Germany? For repairs the aluminum heads had to be removed with hammers and chisels. Now they are an "apex of design" and sell for millions. In the 60's, I had a Porsche 356, the "engineer's car". It wouldn't keep up with old ladies in Oldsmobiles. Two years old, the battery fell out in the street, from rust. I had to run ground wires to all of the exterior lights, the connections had all corroded. I have a "genuine Swiss chronometer", self winding. The dealer recommended that I purchase a battery powered (for travelling) electric wrist. This would keep it in motion over night, so that when I woke in the morning it was still operating. Masturbating seemed like the cheaper alternative. My $16.00 Timex is dead on, all of the time. "Style" and eurocentrism, no one ever heard of a Rolex until James Bond had one, and a Walther PPKS. "See the USA in your Chevrolet".
To be fair, the manufacturers have let us down severely, Ford Pintos and Chevy Vegas come to mind. In the Vega case, Lordstown workers would weld beer cans, with pebbles, into them to create rattles. I never found a lot to like with 80's Cadillacs. Corvettes are "world class" but are still associated with gold chains and capped teeth.

Government can't and shouldn't try to legislate profits but definitely can have
a say on where companies produce their products. A judicious use of Tariffs
can encourage the most anti-American of corporate boards to build their
plants in the U.S.

Now if these GM vehicles were targeted to be sold in overseas markets this move
might actually make business and political sense.

the government and enviros can make gm build cars no one wants, but they can't as of now make people buy them.

YET - wait until we get another O'Schite socialist in the White House.

Yes, Trump and Bernie Sanders are on the same page on this one.

Is Trump the President of GM or America. I think Trump should be spending more time getting the public information on the treasonous coup attempt, as he promised in October, and less time lecturing failing companies on what they should do. If he want to be CEO of all the private companies in America he will be very busy running thousands of companies and lecturing CEOs across America.

President Trump, let GM survive or fail on their own. But put more time into saving America and securing the border and fixing the DOJ and the State Department and the FBI. And reducing the size of government. Your tariff on imports from China is sufficient to deal with GM. If they can't figure that out they don't deserve to survive.

When he withdraws their subsidies, they will either sink or swim on their own.

GM is doubling its spending on silly electric and autonomous cars https://techcrunch.com/2018... . That is why this green idiocy needs to be stopped now!

So let them die. No tears here if that happens.