tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post2508206279077041153..comments2024-03-28T23:02:24.234-07:00Comments on Flint Expatriates: The G.M. Bailout: Giving Credit Where Credit Is DueFlint Expatriateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352270564340149006noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-68496662204471649932010-11-10T10:50:30.975-08:002010-11-10T10:50:30.975-08:00Rattner's contribution was negative, not posit...Rattner's contribution was negative, not positive. He led the charge to assign blame to anybody but the combination of the Obama and Bush administrations, who together had let the economy go over a cliff and caused big ticket purchases to stop dead; and the UAW, who muster massive numbers of votes and who lately have been very aware of reality but for decades had a wildly unrealistic understanding of how far they could push their economic power to demand more total compensation.<br /><br />Of the other notable players, Ed Whitacre has been a disaster. He remains abysmally ignorant of the auto industry's product design, marketing and technology. He hadn't owned a car in years, and always has a driver. He fired Fritz Henderson and pushed out Bob Lutz because they knew so much more than him. He hasn't done anything useful.<br /><br />Ditto for Dan Akerson. His only apparent accomplishment so far has been to direct the use of an obscure Navy-reference marketing slogan.<br /><br />In contrast to the above characters, the Wagoner/Henderson/Lutz team did wonders. The auto industry has a several-year results cycle. Consumer Reports just reported that GM's quality has improved faster than any other company's, and is now equal to the best in the industry. Wagoner, Henderson and Lutz deserve all the credit for that steep upward trajectory in product quality. <br /><br />It's dumb that GM was forced to lose its best product, labor relations and manufacturing leadership in decades because the Bush and Obama administrations broke the economy. I hope it doesn't end up being disastrous.JWillyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03243354011523248499noreply@blogger.com