Protecting American industry
To the editor
I believe all Americans want to protect our American industries since they are a part of us, but we also want to protect our savings and earnings by preferably not purchasing products manufactured elsewhere. I am in favor of loaning $25 billions to General Motors, Ford and Chrysler to restart what is left over in America since, already, entire assembly plants and various assembly processes of the industry have already been moved to other global sites.
However, I can not be sure that Americans have resolved to buy cars from the Big 3, unless they can assure and convince themselves that American-made cars can be, first of all, cheaper than all the foreign products, Japanese, Korean, Brazilian, German, French, British, etc. and provide the product reliance that we expect from our locally manufactured cars.
The competition from foreign products has been devastating to our own manufacturers for many years in spite of our efforts to protect this vital industrial base, the Big 3 will have an uphill battle, to say the least. It is doubtful that the three manufacturers can compete with foreign imports on sale now, in the immediate and proximate future, but they should be considered a safe investment after a calculated and satisfactory assurance from their leaders.
Under these circumstances the American manufacturers must be introspective to challenge the competition to comparative advantageous pricing in addition to innovative mechanical and aesthetic improvements, capable to overcome all foreign imports in the market now. In other words, come up with cheaper prices and unchallenged quality rather than superfluous visual details.
But to make a cheaper car I am not suggesting cutting down the real automotive advantages to which Americans are already accustomed, but cutting down the extravagant bonuses, excessive salaries of each administrator, mechanics, and other experts. All Americans know about the enormous retirement salaries of the top management, and other incredible privileges, especially of the $70 per hour of the labor mechanics and assemblers which should be cut down to reasonable labor wages closer to the minimum wages and 40 hour per week.
I believe most Americans would prefer American made cars over foreign imports, but the manufacturers must give us a break to keep our depleted savings in our pockets, when we start buying an American manufactured car, otherwise American manufacturers, five or 10 years from now, may be looking for another $35 billion, due to the ubiquitous inflation, instead of the $25 billion they expect now, and a reasonable payment schedule to end this normal episode in the life of an American free enterprise.
Manuel O. Mercado
Cape Coral