American Industry is in a sorry state. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler all want a Federal Bail Out…….”Retooling Cash”. The number started at $25 Billion and now that number has risen to $50 Billion dollars. What could the real number be by the time the dust has settled – $200 Billion…or more?
The Detroit Iron concept is: “Hey, we can’t sell those nasty SUV’s anymore and will have to build smaller, more fuel effecient cars to compete with the Japanese, Koreans, India, Europe and even our own cars that we build in China!” These guys, who have been knee deep in “Credit Default Swaps, Derivatives, Hedge Funds. Commercial Paper. Structured Investment Vehicles and Discounted Sub-Prime Mortgage Paper”…..now have to divest themselves of those worthless paper vehicles and will now try to sell us on their most ineffecient concepts of “alternate fuel vehicles that are very environmentally correct!”. Even these tease vehicles were held back during the last 20 or 30 years? Business as usual….but this time with Government money?
There needs to be a new message here: “The Apollo Project – and our Man to the Moon Program was successful primarily because we used the Four Major Aerospace Manufacturers and thousands of Sub-Contractors!” North American, TRW, McDonnell Douglas, Boeing, Rocketdyne and thousands of others “joint ventured” with the oversight of NASA! Detroit today needs a very similar program with just a few caveats. The “Alternate Fuel and Propulsion or Combustion Systems for Automobiles” needs to start with a merger of the Big Three! This merger concept must start by using the funds requested from the Federal Government designated for “Retooling for the Industry” and should be targeted on the newly designed and merged Multi-Company group called “FCGMAFP” – Ford, Chrysler and General Motors Alternate Fuel Program Division!
By Joint Venturing the three companies energies….one can focus of lightweight building materials that are bullet proof. One could focus on Power Source and one could focus on Safety and Comfort. The oversight should be a board of five comprised by the three companies, the EPA and the FDA…to be sure that whatever is developed will be safe for the public.
What this would allow the Big Three to do…is to slowly divest there holdings in Truck and SUV Factories in China, Mexico and other areas of the world. This would also allow the Big Three to Merge into one company if they found that to be a reasonable and profitable alternative. This would allow the company to keep its workers, Supervisors and Division heads until they are downsized through the merger. It will allow all the various Sub-Contractors to survive and it would cut out the pork of Administration at the top of each company.
If the Federal Government is going to Bail Out these people…we need to get an end result that we have requested for 40 years! The Turbine Engine may now be viable due to nano technology! Inexpensive Kevlar or composite ballistic materials may make the 21st Century vehicles twice as light and safe as the autos of the 20th Century! There is no reason why 100 Miles to the gallon cannot be a reality – and affordably! There is no reason that we have to replace vehicles every year…..why not every five years? There is no reason that these vehicles need to be produced out of the United States of America. We need vehicles which can be taken back to the manufacturer and rebuilt to upgraded standards much as that of a basic computer!
This program all starts with the concept that people and companies can and must work together. When they start working together so closely that they become one – they then must merge! Detroit Auto Makers need to divest themselves and sell off parts of their companies that are not Automobile related! The “Diversify Concept of the 1980’s” must be a thing of the past. All parts of their companies need to be able to stand alone financially and not be able to vampire off the funds that will be designated for the new technology/transportation. Unless those drags on these companies are not separated and removed…..we should not be bailing out – anyone!
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