For general discussion and debate. Possible talking point: Chrysler shutting down for a month.
Citing a credit crisis and dwindling sales, Chrysler LLC on Wednesday said it would shut down all of its manufacturing operations from the end of this week for at least a month. The blanket shutdown marked a deepening of the financial crisis for the embattled U.S. auto industry and came as Chrysler and its larger rival General Motors Corp both seek to shore up cash as they seek a federal bailout they say they need to survive.
I was told yesterday that 29 dealerships have been closed this year in the SF Bay Area. Thousands and thousands of brand-new cars are in parking lots at major ports around California.
How is the apparent demise of the American auto industry impacting you? Do you think those involved deserve it because of poor management and bad decisions this decade? Or do you believe that many of the impacted dealerships have gotten caught up in the financial crisis not only making it impossible for them to stock their showrooms, but also impossible for customers to get loans? After all, it's not just American cars sitting in parking lots at ports around the nation.
