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Ear to the Ground

Here Comes the ‘New’ GM

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Posted on Jul 10, 2009
GM building
Flickr/richardefreeman

GM renaissance?: The General Motors complex in Detroit.

General Motors Chief Executive Fritz Henderson tooted his company’s horn plenty when he ushered in a new, post-bankruptcy era for the Detroit automaker—but he couldn’t promise that GM 2.0 would be able to pay back the billions of dollars his company got from taxpayers.

CNNMoney.com:

“Our performance over time will determine if the taxpayers are made whole,” he said.

The company hopes to beat a 2015 deadline for repaying about $6.7 billion in government loans, Henderson said.

But Treasury’s ability to recover most of the rest of the $50 billion will depend on the future market value of the government’s large equity stake. The company’s stock is not expected to trade publicly until 2010 at the earliest.

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By Aff, September 10 at 10:35 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

This “new” GM has no publicly traded securities. Nor will it, not for a long, long time. And that is if it is lucky and survives for such a period..

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By Old Geezer Pilot, July 13 at 11:41 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

RAE, it’s not about BigOil - it’s about Wall $treet and BigMoney. Because without the need for oil, nobody has much need for US Dollars.

That is why there will always be oil. But we American’s don’t need to burn five times our per capita share. The “new” GM could make those small cars (if it wanted to) and China and India could start driving their mini-cars with the oil we didn’t use.

Wall $treet will still be happy.

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By hippie4ever, July 12 at 5:07 pm #

I’d like to see the workers take control and send resources to California to build an all-electric car. This country needs to produce; becoming “service-oriented” has lowered the standard of living, coupled with inequitable income and wealth distribution. Ventures like this could help shelter and feed a lot of people; it would also help the environment. It’s not as though we don’t have lots to do; it’s that the tyrants won’t let the work be done. They have to change their attitudes, or go.

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By RAE, July 12 at 2:46 pm #

I haven’t seen nor heard one damned thing from the “new” GM that allows me to differentiate it from the “old” GM.

There was a day when GM meant you got your money’s worth. It was back then when you could tell the “all new” Chevy from the last model… hell, from any of the “me too” makes and models on the market today.

Expecting GM to change is as futile as expecting a leopard to change its spots. Oh sure, some superficial fluff will change but it’s still rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic as far as I’m concerned.

I would not buy a GM or Chrysler product today if they knocked the price down 50% with $0 down and no interest for 60 months.

It’s too bad these auto companies are so bedded down with the oil companies. There’s no way “Big Oil” will allow the elimination of gasoline powered vehicles until they find a way to morph themselves into “Big Electricity.” There’s simply too much money to be made sucking crude and blowing smoke.

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By artie, July 11 at 3:28 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

GM lost it over 40 years ago-  little quality control, careless engineering, mediocre design, etc.No solid reason to bail them out, but merely to divert attention from the huge swindles on Wall Street by giving the masses this sideshow.

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By josh, July 11 at 1:40 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

I still have my toyota corolla after ten years.  it has over hundred thousand miles on it.  Prior to that I had a ford torous. It fell apart after five years.

I will not buy a ford.

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By Old Geezer Pilot, July 11 at 12:49 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

meet the new GM

same as the old GM

Big line-up of SUVs

The more things change, the more they remain the same

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By rollzone, July 10 at 9:32 pm #

hello. the new spin is if we buy from them we get our money back. great salesmanship for wages and benefits that cannot compete with manufacturers in other states, and no incentive for performance for employees that cannot fail. i predict GM will die before the next election. i would reward Ford before i stepped into a GM showroom. i think Ford had a better idea. if the oil barons want to lower gasoline prices to $.65/gallon, perhaps the Chebby will survive, but i would not buy stock in it. make way for the flying car and robotmobile. say goodbye GM, like they said goodbye to electric and hydrogen.

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By coloradokarl, July 10 at 8:36 pm #

They fired a bunch of management, A good start…..

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