now Detroit wants taxpayers to lend them money,, what a pile
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080822/automakers_congress.html?.v=2
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080822/automakers_congress.html?.v=2
Quote from m22au:
I am short GM, so I'm not happy about the proposal discussed in the article below.
How do US taxpayers, (that have no financial interest in GM or F) feel about the proposal?
How likely is it that they will get cheap government loans?
DETROIT, Aug 22 (Reuters) - The Big 3 Detroit-based automakers are seeking about $25 billion in federal loans as they struggle to ride out a steep downturn in U.S. auto sales, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
The U.S. automakers -- General Motors Corp (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), Ford Motor Co (F.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Chrysler LLC -- briefed White House officials, Congressman John Dingell and Michigan Democrats on a possible bailout and plan to unveil the proposal next month, according to the report.
The plan is for the government to lend some $25 billion to the automakers in the first year at an interest rate of 4.5 percent, or about one-third what the companies are currently paying to borrow, the report said.
Under the proposal, the government would have the option of deferring any payment at all for up to five years, the article said.
Representatives at GM, Ford and Chrysler were not immediately available for comment.
GM Chief Executive Rick Wagoner said on Thursday that the top U.S. automaker was seeking federal loan guarantees for itself and its suppliers. He declined to say how much the company was looking to borrow under such a program if it were approved by the government.
The Detroit Free Press reported earlier this month that executives at GM, Ford and Chrysler met to agree they would need about $40 billion to ride out their current troubles, and the way out of the losing streak would be a government bailout. (Reporting by Soyoung Kim; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
Quote from ByLoSellHi:
General Motors will not fail. Toyota, for one, will do everything to prevent it for reasons both obvious and not so obvious.
The last time GM was in crisis was in the late 80s. Toyota 'retaught' GM quality control by essentially agreeing to give them proprietary secrets on manufacturing methods and 'NUMI' was born.
General Motors will actually get much more efficient and take a larger % of the global market share with world-class products in the coming years.
Two brushes with death has fortified GM and created the internal change necessary for GMs long term viability.
