I'm sadder than I have been in a long time, the people who work at Wilmington are good and decent people, all I'm going to say ...

Figured as much.

Sucks.

Wow...figured this was coming. Hope they build a few more Solstice Targa's before they shut the plant down.

A lot of decent hardworking people will be out on the street in this economy. Sucks, because a lot of our creative potential as a nation is going to absolute utter waste.

Chris

I 'felt' it when Linden shut down, as my Catalina was built there and cruised past it on occasion.

I 'feel' this too, as my Invicta was built in Wilmington.

Nothing, of course, compared to those who work there.

Still, the roster of traditional long-time plants is almost gone now.

Worse yet, the roster of talent will be gone from GM.

People who bitch about what people in automotive plants make for a living will see a little bit of reality when we are trying to build domestic auto's with $9.00 an hour monkey labor.

...and when the dollar takes a big dump, domestic will be all we can afford, as the conversion rate with the Yen and the Euro will make shiping anything here from elsewhere unprofitable.

Unless we are talking about China...

Chris

Already knew...but very sad, none the less.

I think the plant that will be saved (from the list) will be the plant that builds the Spark. (lake Orion is my guess)

A lot of decent hardworking people will be out on the street in this economy. Sucks, because a lot of our creative potential as a nation is going to absolute utter waste.

Ah such the pessimist. When times are bad people are the most inventive, coming up with tomorrows new inventions in their now ample spare time. Labor is plentiful and cheap and new businesses can start up, fueling the next boom.

Ah such the pessimist. When times are bad people are the most inventive, coming up with tomorrows new inventions in their now ample spare time. Labor is plentiful and cheap and new businesses can start up, fueling the next boom.

Nope. Unless you count China.

Ah such the pessimist. When times are bad people are the most inventive, coming up with tomorrows new inventions in their now ample spare time. Labor is plentiful and cheap and new businesses can start up, fueling the next boom.

I am thinking that the fundamentals... weak $, (yes I know it helps exports but we need it to buy things like petro) Peak Oil, level of government debt, continued off shoring of jobs...these are structural problems that we will have to face.

Not a complete pessimist. Just thinking a LOT of people are out of work right now.

But there is tremendous strength in free markets to get things together....

Chris

Pontiac Solstice, what a tragic beauty. And the Targa...

Ah such the pessimist. When times are bad people are the most inventive, coming up with tomorrows new inventions in their now ample spare time. Labor is plentiful and cheap and new businesses can start up, fueling the next boom.

The trouble runs deeper than that.

These days inventivness is treated like an abberation, conformity is the order of this sad day.

Our problems are sourced in the society itself.

I am thinking that the fundamentals... weak $, (yes I know it helps exports but we need it to buy things like petro) Peak Oil, level of government debt, continued off shoring of jobs...these are structural problems that we will have to face.

And i must ask, what policies do you think have lead to the weak dollar, government debt, off shoring of jobs and what policies have made peak oil a problem instead of merely a turning point? They surely cannot be those of small government and free enterprise :AH-HA_wink:

Edited June 1, 200916 yr by Teh Ricer Civic!

Worse yet, the roster of talent will be gone from GM.

People who bitch about what people in automotive plants make for a living will see a little bit of reality when we are trying to build domestic auto's with $9.00 an hour monkey labor.

...and when the dollar takes a big dump, domestic will be all we can afford, as the conversion rate with the Yen and the Euro will make shiping anything here from elsewhere unprofitable.

Unless we are talking about China...

Chris

I've seen real talent exiled from GM.

Some were fortunate to be asked to come back as consulting personnel. Engineers primarily but in one case the equivalent of a holistic-electrician. Practically a shaman. I swore that this guy was Tesla reincarnated. Far better people than me were simply let go. I hope for a GM Renaissance, for real.

And thanks to Fred Schmidt, William Csenteri, Walter Fornal, Joe Simonson and Ken Strycharz, engineers and toolmakers extraordinaire. As I've stated here previously they're geniuses. My folk heroes as I grew up in General Motors.

Special acknowledgements to welding and metal-fab wizard Mike Potts of Wilmington Assembly. (thanks for your patience w/me Mike) And to Jeff Korsyn of the Body Shop.

Good people all.

And i must ask, what policies do you think have lead to the weak dollar, government debt, off shoring of jobs and what policies have made peak oil a problem instead of merely a turning point? They surely cannot be those of small government and free enterprise :AH-HA_wink:

I blame that utter arch dumb f@#k Reagan for a lot of our current problems, actually. Bush put Reagan's economic ideas into action and we have the worst economy since the depression.

If Republicans actually were fiscally responsible and really did bring smaller government...I would vote Republican.

I have NO problem with the idea of free enterprise and small government (depending on what you mean by small government). I have a LOT of problems with our current Republican party.

...and Small Government could be to blame...if you look at the lack of regulation in the financial industry that led to the utter cluster f@#k we have now.

Off my soap box and back to Pontiacs.

Chris

And i must ask, what policies do you think have lead to the weak dollar, government debt, off shoring of jobs and what policies have made peak oil a problem instead of merely a turning point? They surely cannot be those of small government and free enterprise :AH-HA_wink:

...oh...and not having any kind of an energy policy has led to a weak dollar, because of the amount of cash we have shoveled into the Saudi's...those nice close friends of the Bush family.

Off my soapbox before I get the rage of Oldsmoboi...

Government debt...hmm...reagan...bush 41....bush 43....hmmm...

Chris

I've seen real talent exiled from GM.

Some were fortunate to be asked to come back as consulting personnel. Engineers primarily but in one case the equivalent of a holistic-electrician. Practically a shaman. I swore that this guy was Tesla reincarnated. Far better people than me were simply let go. I hope for a GM Renaissance, for real.

And thanks to Fred Schmidt, William Csenteri, Walter Fornal, Joe Simonson and Ken Strycharz, engineers and toolmakers extraordinaire. As I've stated here previously they're geniuses. My folk heroes as I grew up in General Motors.

Special acknowledgements to welding and metal-fab wizard Mike Potts of Wilmington Assembly. (thanks for your patience w/me Mike) And to Jeff Korsyn of the Body Shop.

Good people all.

You know firsthand exactly what I am talking about.

Chris

...oh...and not having any kind of an energy policy has led to a weak dollar, because of the amount of cash we have shoveled into the Saudi's...those nice close friends of the Bush family.

Off my soapbox before I get the rage of Oldsmoboi...

Government debt...hmm...reagan...bush 41....bush 43....hmmm...

Chris

Oh i fully agree with you. But none of those presidents, except perhaps Regan, actually were committed to small government and free enterprise.

Anyways we will endure, we always do.

Edited June 2, 200916 yr by Teh Ricer Civic!

Fear not, 66. He's on your side, nothing will be done.

Oh i fully agree with you. But none of those presidents, except perhaps Regan, actually were committed to small government and free enterprise.

Anyways we will endure, we always do.

Which is part of the problem. I believe in moderate government and moderate regulation.

What we have now is anything but...

As you say, we will endure, but to endure and excell are two seperate things.

Back to cars, the Solstice did excel (and accelerate!) and will be missed, as will Wilmington.

Chris