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April 06, 2009

An Interesting Observation in the Comments

I wonder what the Obama administration will do to quash this spirit of independence.... This will not be tolerated for long.
He could be SO right, considering Ford's doing everything...right.
Ford Motor Co. reduces debt by $9.9 billion

Ford Motor Co. said it reduced its debt by $9.9 billion, lowering its annual interest expense by more than $500 million as the struggling auto maker continues to resist going to the U.S. government for aid. Ford and Ford Credit will use $2.4 billion in cash plus 468 million shares of Ford common stock to reduce Ford's outstanding debt by $9.9 billion from $25.8 billion at Dec. 31.


..."Ford is taking another step toward creating an exciting, viable enterprise," said Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally.


Well, we can't have that, now can we?

Posted by tree hugging sister at April 6, 2009 09:44 AM

Comments

To fit the standard government reaction, Ford's competitors, GM and Chrysler, will object that they are subject to government control and Ford isn't, and demand that Ford be saddled with the same government control. The Won will welcome this opportunity to even the playing field and make things right. It's only fair that the people protect their investment in GM and Chrysler, after all.

It will happen. I guarantee it.

Posted by: Skyler at April 6, 2009 10:39 AM

On the basis that I need a car to be one the mechanics in my town actually understand fixing, I've concluded that my next car needs to be a 'Murrican car.

And as a result, my next car will be a Ford. I'm even more inclined that way because of this.

Posted by: ricki at April 6, 2009 01:19 PM

Mulally recently called for a four dollar FLOOR under gasoline so happy motoring y'all.

Posted by: Yojimbo at April 6, 2009 02:44 PM

That's gonna hurt...

Posted by: tree hugging sister at April 6, 2009 02:46 PM

To which Yojimbo refers...

...Mr. Mulally offered his own solution to the mismatch, artfully explaining that we needed to "involve the consumer in our energy policy." In case anyone missed his point, Michael Jackson, CEO of AutoNation, the largest auto dealer in the country, was more explicit: "Mr. Mulally said it very elegantly last night and I will say it more straightforward. We need more expensive gasoline."

I'm too tired from sorting receipts for my biz taxes to read the whole thing and figure out WTF he's talking about in the article.

Posted by: tree hugging sister at April 6, 2009 02:48 PM

Who is Mulally? And why aren't pitchforks being pointed at him?

Posted by: Skyler at April 6, 2009 03:01 PM

Ford CEO and because he hasn't come whining for a hand-out.

Posted by: tree hugging sister at April 6, 2009 03:05 PM

Let me offer the WTF translation:)

Both Ford and Auto Nation are up to their wazoos in hybrid autos that they can't sell. Four bucks is considered the tipping point where people will buy these things in droves. Ford is also trying to stakeout this space so a higher price for gas gives Ford a competitive advantage, long term, or so they believe anyway.

Posted by: Yojimbo at April 6, 2009 04:27 PM

Outstanding. Thanks, Yo. {8^P And it'll be back up there in no time, regardless. Hope and change'll do that do you. I mean "us".

Posted by: tree hugging sister at April 6, 2009 04:33 PM

Ford CEO or not, whining or not, Mulally needs a pitchfork up his Cartman oriface.

Posted by: JeffS at April 6, 2009 10:13 PM

well, crap.

Maybe my next car will be a horse. 'Cos we got horse-doctors in my town, but if I were to buy a Honda, I'd probably have to take it 1/2 hour away (minimum) for service.

Though I suppose someone in government will simply decide to MANDATE energy efficient cars and the price of gas will no longer matter. (I'm just shuddering to thing of some never-lived-outside-of-New-York-or-Washington type mandating those 40-mile-limit electric cars for those of us living in BFE. That might get me to the mall, but unless there's a place to plug the damn thing in, I'm gonna be having it towed back.)

Posted by: ricki at April 7, 2009 07:46 AM