In all the discussions about GM and restructuring, why is it that one change I never see is the need for the company to make cars people want to buy. Sure, quality has improved, but their cars are still boring and better suited for a rental car fleet than in my driveway.

The fact that GM doesn't currently build a vehicle you want hasn't stopped them from selling more cars than any other manufacturer on the planet for years. Your comment has been repeated for years and still doesn't make sense. The problem for GM has never been their vehicles... It's the management that has repeatedly folded to the demands of the union which has sucked the life out of the company and trickled down to vehicle quality.

What's worse is politicians who blame the current problems in the automotive industry on auto execs, workers and bond holders when the current problem started in the housing market. In comparison, no pressure at all is being put on the banking execs to fix the problems they created along with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. No, that may cause people to realize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are in fact products of the Democratic party. Credit them for the fact that in many areas people with good credit can't get loans to buy homes. Currently even the best manufacturing companies in the U.S. are cutting jobs. The credit crunch is being felt everywhere; not just the auto industry.

Jim...in the last month I had two local business trips, one in a Camry and one in a Malibu. I'd take the Malibu any day. I could of fallen asleep at the wheel of the Toyota it was so vanilla boring.

I think GM should bring back the Astro All Wheel Drive Vans. The vans where the right size for small and large businesses in the service industry. None other van compaired to them. If they would ask previous owner I think they would get the same answers. They are used a lot for School transportation
and others. You can not find many that are left for sale because the people liked them that much. I for one would purchase another one for my business my present one has almost 200,000 miles on it and still runs great.

Flyerby: I do not agree with your comments at all. Ford, Mazda, and others have brought a new and attractive line of designs. GM (and Chrysler) is stuck with a bunch of very dated looking unexciting vehicles (except the Insignia,and maybe the Volt, but that is not available for at least 1-2 years anyway).

I had to pause a moment earlier this week when I had heard that the Obama admin. essentially fired the head of a PRIVATE corporation. So be warned ye of the United States electorate!!!
This act of govt. bullying brought back a flood of memories regarding a trip I took with my family to Italy two years ago. During our stay our host who owned outright the agritourismo farm where we stayed was given no fore warning of a pair of 'representatives' of the Italian State taxing authority who proceeded to rifle through her finance records. They took her computer for several days to scoure through it looking for information related to the business and God only knows what else. They did this with no search warrant and utter impunity!!! There was effectively no rule of law from what I could ascertain in my discussion not only with our host but others in Italy as well.
Folks - look out!!! If the govt. is given the passive response it has been granted to date by the citizens of this country - the experience I witnessed first hand in Italy (a country that has adopted European socialism) will be what we will be living with in the not too distant future.
Don't be fooled by Giethner, Emmanuel and others of the new administration into believing that the current regulatory system is a failure. The system is in place already and though asleep at the wheel lo these last several years - we don't need MORE regulation - rather regulation that works and is accountable to the American people.
Govt is to serve the people not the people to serve govt.

I have been trying to get someone at GM or the govt to listen to my idea but have hit a brick wall on it. I am offering my bond, and the bonds of others would follow i think, in exchange for a GM car which is sitting on the lot unsold. If thousands of bondholders took up that deal GM would reduce their 8%+ debt and also their inventory of 2008 cars at the same time. It is a win win deal for them and the small bondholders all over the country. If anyone knows how to get GM to listen, please advise me.

My wife (Elizabeth D. White) just purcased her first car after 37 years of marriage from Rippy Cadillac of Wil-
mington, NC. It was 2006 Cadillac STS
with very low mileage. Awesome car. Yet
they refuse to give us (2) keys w/Cadill
ac imblems on them. The saleman just said we only needs keys just to get in it. I am sorry we even purchased the car
with such sorry service we received.