Jeff Stahler for September 20, 2023

I have had a Ford hybrid pickup on order for more than a year. I’m betting it’ll be another year, approximately. And if the price goes up (what IS the price, really, if they’re not actually delivering them?) significantly, I’ll probably just buy a Honda. Or maybe by then there’ll be a Toyota…

There are too many cars in USA.

Sure, as long as you can repair your beater.

Yup. It’s tough having to give up the third and fourth cars.

Back when America was Great Again, journeyman grocery store workers were able to buy a house within a few miles of where they worked. Some of their wives worked; some didn’t. Most had two cars and their children could go to college if they achieved the grades or test scores.

The same was true for auto workers.

Republicans now HATE situations like that and want to prevent them from ever coming back.

Don’t blame the workers that make the cars.

The price of their second vehicle will depend more on how much the executives decide their salaries and bonuses will be, after throwing a few crumbs to the people that actually build their products.

Doubtful. Auto Union Boss Wants 46% Raise, 32-Hour Work Week in ‘War’ Against Detroit Carmakers. Right, that’s certainly being reasonable, so I can see why Biden supports this.

Oh, the good ol’ days: a working wage that allowed a family to live fairly well, have a couple cars, and go on a vacation. How silly to dream a reasonable dream.

“Will we be able to afford being a two-car family?”

Yes, but you’ll be buying them from China. And the former UAW strikers will be asking you "Would you like cheese on that cheeseburger?

Will the worker be able to afford the vehicle they are building?

“Ford’s policy proved that paying employees more would enable them to afford the cars they were producing and thus boost the local economy.”

https://en#wikipedia#org/wiki/Henry_Ford

The two car family was a product of the mass migration to the suburbs in the 1950s, accompanied by a decline of public transportation. Americans now consider commuting a norm. ‘Twasn’t always so.

Not if you buy from the big 3. But buy other cars and you’ll be fine.

Yes, but don’t buy the crap from the Big 3 and their extortionist UAW labor unions. There are non-union manufacturers to choose from.

Since 2019 we’ve had only one car. It does present difficulties at times, but in my opinion, the savings outweigh the costs.

Yup, just keep the two you have and unless you have kids to sell, don’t even think of buying new.

If you have a union that helps you get a LIVING WAGE instead of working for a whole $7.29/hour, I think you can.

Americans will not be able to afford to “buy American” much longer.

Reduce the compensation packages for the chief executives and members of the Boards. These are the pay (not extra compensation like Golden Parachutes, company cars, etc according to the source I used) of CEOs of the three companies compared to the average worker.

Stellantis. 365 to 1

GM. 362 to 1

Ford. 281 to 1

Is the CEO at Stellantis really worth 365 line workers who actually make the cars? Sorry, but no.

In recent decades we have all seen the same pattern repeat itself over and over with major companies failing FROM THE TOP DOWN. It is a logical thing for all who invest to take into account when also looking into the more standard things like P/E ratios and savings vs debts of companies whose stocks MIGHT be of interest.

You don’t get it, resources are scarce, there are too many people, everything will continue to get more expensive.

Sure. There are two dozen new cars & SUVs available for under $29,000 that seat 4 to 6 people. No one is being forced to spend $50k+ on a new vehicle.

Most of us can’t even afford to be a one-car family these days. The cost of a new car is far beyond what the median-income family can afford.

Easy, we have a 2004 and a 2006.

Sometimes I think it would have been better if the US had made train travel as prevalent here as it is in other countries.

Who knows? That said, I’m glad my 22-year-old truck still runs well.

No. And you’ll have to return one of your kids too.

This is the same argument as raising the minimum wage: it’s inflationary. If the minimum wage went up as fast as corporate executive salaries it would be about $50 and hour.

Assembly line worker’s pay is not the biggest chunk of the cost of a vehicle and raising it is not the biggest cause of the rising cost of vehicles. Most of the cost comes from the top.

Prices are not determined by wages. Prices are determined by demand.

Wages affect profit margins. I’m sure you’re not saying you’re worried about their profit margins, right?

You might be able to afford a lot of stuff if the CEOs would take a cut in wages. Instead of blaming the guys who make things, how about looking at the pay the CEOs are getting.

Maybe, if you don’t buy from GM, Ford or Stellantis.

Okay, so I have an idea, and it’s kind of crazy, but hear me out: what if rich people paid taxes?

It’s a good thing the Union is on strike. They are the ones who make the product and they deserve more pay than some even-a- trained- chimpanzee-could-do- his-job as CEO. I also like that they want an actual pension instead of the Wall Street scam of 401K. Unions built the middle class. reagan destroyed the middle class by supporting corporations over people and destroying unions.

Stop whining. Get a union at your place of work and then you can be middle class again.

You can if you know a good mechanic. Have him/her evaluate your present rides, then take on a repair/refurb schedule that lets you update them without a single big hit on your budget. Our 2 are 20 years and 16 years respectfully, with relatively low mileage, and are, I’m happy to say, mechanically good for about as much longer as I’m going to need wheels. Yep, they might break in a way that can’t be fixed, but, for now, they are just fine.

Why do people get so worried when workers strike for better pay and working conditions but don’t care that the CEO makes 500X what the actual workers are being paid?