Would this include 911s?

[Decolliber]

Dow Jones Newswires -- December 31, 2001

Dow Jones Newswires
Imported Cars Banned Among Staff Of Some Mich. Lawmakers

WASHINGTON (AP)--Bob Allison walked into the interview with all the professional credentials needed to get a job as Rep. David Bonior's press secretary. But among the questions about his education and work experience, Allison got a zinger: What kind of car did he drive? He admitted that he owned a 1993 Nissan Sentra, and was told that there was a problem: Bonior demands that while on the job, his staffers drive American vehicles made by union workers. Allison sold the Japanese-made Nissan and landed a 1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme and the job.

In southeast Michigan, union autoworkers dominate the Democratic Party. Bonior and some other elected Democrats are reluctant to offend those voters by having an employee representing the office in a foreign car. "For me, it's about values and loyalty," said Bonior, who refuses to set foot in a foreign car. "This cuts to the core of who I am."

At least two other Michigan Democrats - Reps. John Dingell and Dale Kildee - require that any staffer driving to work at their offices have a car made by members of the United Auto Workers union. "The automobile industry is the No. 1 industry in my district," Kildee said. "I am sensitive to that fact, and my staff are required to be sensitive to that fact."

In some parts of Michigan, your wheels are a reflection of your character. Some union families will slam the front door in your face if you dare to park a foreign car in the driveway. And if you drive your import to a wedding reception or retirement party at one of the many union halls across the state, you might be barred from the parking lot and have to leave it down the street.

Allison said he was happy to unload the Nissan. In his hometown of Lansing, where General Motors Corp. (GM) has more than 7,000 employees, he took a lot of grief for his foreign car. "I'd go over to my friends' houses and their dads would razz me," he said.

The domestic vehicle policy also applies to the lawmakers' families. Debbie Dingell, president of the General Motors Foundation and wife of the congressman, recently considered replacing her Chevrolet Blazer with a Buick Rendezvous. She changed her mind after learning that the Rendezvous is made in Mexico. She is buying another Blazer. "The UAW workers have been very good to me and very good to John," she said. "They are our constituents and our friends. This is a way to support them."

[cegerer]

David Boner is an embarassment to the great State of Michigan.

[makaio]

That has to be a violation of ones Constitutional rights!

And what if an employee drove a BMW or MB that was built in the USA?

[plain fan]

ah simple minds for simple people.....
oh yeah and which American company is now owned by a German company......

[Jack Olsen]

It's a pretty big deal in towns where they manufacture cars. My brother used to have to park the 74 Mercedes he was restoring in a seperate lot than the Chrysler-only one where he worked. Now it's a different story, of course.

But Japanese cars will still get keyed in some parts of the country. Some auto workers apparently take it pretty personally.

[dtw]

If it was me I'd probably show up in one of the Bimmers produced in South Carolina. If anyone gave me any **** I'd whip out my window sticker noting assembly location and beat them about the face and head with it.

Nissan to an Oldsmobile. That's what I call a lose-lose situation.

[Early_S_Man]

That is pretty pathetic when 'Political Correctnes' extends to being under the thumb of the UAW ... which has done a Mighty Fine Job of ruining the American auto industry over the past 40 years!

[plain fan]

Just call them jealous that they can't make a quality automobile anymore. Besides we need to "keep America rolling" by buying overpriced cars/trucks and supplementing those high union wages..... We may have won the war but we've lost the battle on many fronts. I was talking to a friend recently next to his new Kawasaki crotch rocket. A guy came rolling up on his harley and made a crude comment about my friends bike. I just had to remind him that Harley Davidsons new pride and joy was coengineered with Porsche! He turned guards red and stomped off.

[cegerer]

I live in the middle of UAW country (although - thank God - our state has diversified and the UAW is nowhere near the dominating force it was 10-20 years ago.) But back in the 'good old days', it wasn't just limited to imports! I pulled up to a job one time at a guy's house who was a UAW goon. He answered the door and demanded that I remove my "foreign vehicle" from his driveway. Foreign vehicle? It's a Jeep Cherokee made in Toledo Ohio for christ's sake. He replied, "we only allow General Motors vehicles on our property!" The scary part is these kinds of people are allowed to vote.

[LeeH]

I agree with Matt. I used to own a company that had >25 employees. The questions an employer can ask a potential employee are limited and have to be job related. The employer can legally ask questions regarding your ability to make it to work (ie "Do you have the means to get to work every day?"), but it's illegal to ask IF you own a car... let alone what kind.

Here's more info:
http://www.office.com/syb_illegalquestions.htm

[tight as a bull's ass]

Buying American cars only makes American companies more profitable, doesn't help American workers.

[Jack Olsen]

It helps American stockholders a great deal, and underpaid Mexican workers a little, but that's about it. If I could be certain that the money wasn't going to some arrogant, overpaid Suit's 'golden parachute' plan, then I'd be more inclined to put myself behind the wheel of an American car.

[makaio]

I watched an article on CNN about this at lunch. They clowned Dave Bownier.

How many of GM or Fords new vehicles are actually made in the USA anyways?

I know my Fathers new Chrysler PT cruiser is about as American as the new VW Beattles. They both are made in Mexico!

[Shakenbake]

Seems to me that the "American" car (while assembled in the good ole U.S. of A.), is now only around 25-30% American and the remainder of the parts are produced foreign. If our own auto industry was as keen on keeping EVERYTHING American as these politicians are trying to suggest, we would create more jobs for the industry. This is nothing but political posturing, catering to the un-educated or probably more correctly, the closed minded individuals that don't understand any more than their foreman or overseer will allow them to. The Union....self serving bureaucratic (sp?) nightmare....keep the workers dumb and happy. There are parallels between the automotive industry and the textile industry. We experienced a similar situation in the textile industry here in the South. Union was voted down on every account. The difference, in the south the workers no longer held onto a dying American industry where they were getting beaten by Mexican labor forces and Japanese technology and they moved on to other industries that provided better wages and longevity.....just my ranting....boy, after running 7 miles, using my new Echo backpack blower and ranting...I feel GREAT. Time for a beer....ceb

[911pcars]

UAW worker's reactions is a survivor mentality. Once upon a time when GM and Ford sold all the cars it could make, few people cared if their neighbor happened to purchase one of those foreign things.

Nowdays, they're fighting for their livelihoods and they feel threatened. If GM and Ford had any engineering and design guts, they'd produce a product people would want to buy. Instead, their bureacracy allows another 1-2% of market share slip away to the competition every year. Not easy to hang on when product quality and current design pretty much sucks.

Not all Amerian car factories are union, which is why UAW collective thinking cares less even if it's made in America (Nissan, BMW, MB-SUV, Honda, Mitsubishi). It's not "buy American", it's "buy UAW-made". Automotive unions, not all unions, had their place in our history years ago. It's gotten pretty far off track, and not helped by American questionable management practices and bad product (just to mention it again).

I've always had hopes of well-made, well-designed products from our big 3. I've pretty much given up hope. Their prototype cars show us what they could do if not burdened by bottom-line, bean counter suits led by the likes of people like W. McNamara, Roger Smith, etc.

Classic American cars are classic, not for any innovations in design or engineering, but for something all of us value to some degree - nostalgia (aka remembering the past). Remember the classic Edsel, the first T-bird "sports car", the last T-bird, Cadillac/Cimmaron, perhaps an 80's Corvette, AMC Pacer, Pinto, Maverick, etc., etc., etc.? A fully restored example of one of these draws oohs and ahhs. Too bad if you bought one of these as your daily driver when they first came out. Maybe my mind is only full of America's mistakes; help me remember the good ones. Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe Ford sells more trucks than cars. What is this saying? We prefer driving trucks?

The only current American cars that seems to be fairly decent in terms of engineering, spirit and style and seem to made by car guys are the vette and viper. The vette should have gone mid-engine years ago. Did I miss any cars?

Despite the above, happy new year everyone,
Sherwood Lee
http://members.rennlist.org/911pcars

[pwd72s]

"The only current American cars that seems to be fairly decent in terms of engineering, spirit and style and seem to made by car guys are the vette and viper."

Despite the above, happy new year everyone,
Sherwood Lee
http://members.rennlist.org/911pcars



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01-01-2002 12:54 AM


Sherwood? The Viper???? I'll give it the cubic inches and horsepower. But it's eye appeal? I mean, do the old batman comix come to mind when you look at one? Gawd, gimme a break! Otherwise? I agree. Things look pretty grim in Dee-troit these days, design wise, But hey..."look for the union label"...

[JeremyD]

simple minds...

And they will end up going the same way as Eastern Airlines...

[911pcars]

pwd72s,
Like the Batmobile, a Viper always seems to draw a crowd and it's got a fair share of successful track history as well (the Viper that is). Shelby's AC Cobra also comes to mind. Not pretty but brutal-looking like a Viper. The combination of engine, chassis and many legendary race wins puts it up there. However, the Cobra (like the Batmobile) was hardly mass-produced like the Viper is.

Sherwood Lee

[makaio]

If GM continues building such crap like the pontiac Aztecs, they will be belly up in another 10 years!

[pwd72s]

Originally posted by makaio
If GM continues building such crap like the pontiac Aztecs, they will be belly up in another 10 years!

You know, I saw one of those Aztec things once. I placed a note under it's wiper. It read: "You're being paid to drive this, right?" Sherwood, maybe I am being too hard on the Viper...but geeze, did they have to make it look like something drawn by R. Crumb?