Made In The USA (By Rick Santorum)

[LaughAtTheWorld]

Except they are not doing "badly". Sales for all three are up substantially.

I hardly see a <2% increase in sales as substantial (GM)

 

[Gill]

I hardly see a <2% increase in sales as substantial (GM)

Less than 2% ???

DETROIT (AP) – General Motors earned its largest profit ever in 2011, two years after it nearly collapsed into financial ruin.

By Jeff Roberson, AP

The 103-year-old company (GM) made $7.6 billion in 2011, up 62% from 2010.

Full-year revenue rose 11% to $105 billion.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Ford reported its best annual earnings since 1998 on Friday, making 2011 the second most profitable year in the company's 109-year history.

DETROIT — Higher sales of Jeeps and other new vehicles propelled Chrysler to its first annual net income since 1997, capping a pivotal turnaround that many thought would never happen. The U.S. automaker, now privately held and majority owned by Italy's Fiat SpA, earned $183 million last year, reversing a $652 million loss in 2010, its first full year out of bankruptcy protection.

 

[whysoserious]

Err, thanks Top Cat. I have no clue what your point is though.

Reading can often be challenging - though, usually the punchline is not in bolded, enlarged, red characters.

 

[jgarden47]

Ford Pinto

The cases involving the explosion of Ford Pinto's due to a defective fuel system design led to the debate of many issues, most centering around the use by Ford of a cost-benefit analysis and the ethics surrounding its decision not to upgrade the fuel system based on this analysis.

The Ford Motor Company contended that by strictly following the typical approach to risk,/benefit analysis, they were justified in not making the production change to the Pinto model. Assuming the numbers employed in their analysis were correct, Ford seemed to be justified. The estimated cost for the production change was $11 per vehicle. This $11 per unit cost applied to 11 million cars and 1.5 million trucks results in an overall cost of $137 million.

The controversial numbers were those Ford used for the "benefit" half of the equation. It was estimated that making the change would result in a total of 180 less burn deaths, 180 less serious burn injuries, and 2,100 less burned vehicles. These estimates were multiplied by the unit cost figured by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. These figures were $200,000 per death, $67,000 per injury, and $700 per vehicle equating to the total "societal benefit" is $49.5 million. Since the benefit of $49.5 million was much less than the cost of $137 million, Ford felt justified in its decision not to alter the product design. The risk,/benefit results indicate that it is acceptable for 180 people to die and 180 people to burn if it costs $11 per vehicle to prevent such casualty rates. On a case by case basis, the argument seems unjustifiable, but looking at the bigger picture complicates the issue and strengthens the risk/benefit analysis logic.

http://www.wfu.edu/~palmitar/Law&Valuation/Papers/1999/Leggett-pinto.html

I used to own a Ford Pinto and had my young children (in baby seats) buckled in the back.

I did my own "risk/benefit" analysis and decided that if Ford's concept of customer loyalty was to take my money and then write off my family as an expendable commodity, then I would take my business elsewhere.

"Made in the USA" only has meaning when that loyalty is reciprocated - in the case of Ford, I'm not giving them a second chance!

 

[specklebang]

I must say that I admire you for your position on this. Have you always bought USA only cars or was this a later in life decision? (Real question - 100% sarcasm free). My parents woulkd only buy American cars and I certainly have not. I do plan to buy American only if I ever need another car and I can just hope they make something appropriate by that time.

I will never buy a car from a foreign company, regardless of where it's manufactured. Nor will I buy a car from an American company that is assembled outside the US. My 2008 Chevy HHR took almost a month to locate because not many were produced here in the US. I don't believe any of the HHR's are now.

 

[Andalublue]

Except they are not doing "badly". Sales for all three are up substantially.

Sales =/= profitability. Didn't Chrysler and GM apply for bankruptcy protection 2 years ago?

 

[Tigger]

Are all the workers US citizens ,or are all the parts, technology, and designs made in the US?

They should be. I do go out of my way to try and find vehicles with the largest percentage of American party. That's very tough to find, but if you search a little you can at least find ones that are more than 50%. In my mind they should be 100%.

I must say that I admire you for your position on this. Have you always bought USA only cars or was this a later in life decision? (Real question - 100% sarcasm free). My parents woulkd only buy American cars and I certainly have not. I do plan to buy American only if I ever need another car and I can just hope they make something appropriate by that time.

Always. My father and grandfather were the same way. My mother still is, to this day as well. I've been known to pay MORE for a "lower quality" American vehicle because of the principle of the issue.

 

[johnny_rebson]

This is actually a good move for Santorum.

Some of the swing voters every election year are blue collar workers who sometime vote GOP because of issues such as abortion or guns. Sometimes they vote for Democrats because of their pocketbook.

Santorum can appeal to those swing voters on all three issues.

 

[American]

that santorum sponsored a car with a made in America theme, which model of auto is assembled outside of the USA

Looks like Ford is doing more to keep Mexicans in Mexico than the US government.

 

[Gill]

Sales =/= profitability. Didn't Chrysler and GM apply for bankruptcy protection 2 years ago?

Yes, but as you stated that was 2 years ago. As I posted, all three had record PROFITS.

Do you ever read posts before commenting on them???