GM hoses American autoworkers, again

DETROIT -- General Motors executives have just annouced they intend to shut down 12 US factories, including many in Michigan, throwing 30,000 autoworkers to the unemployment lines.

Ford just cut 4000 US jobs. Overall, a total of 60,000 US auto industry job cuts have been announced in the last week.

Included in the GM shut down are the Lansing Metal Center, and Craft Centre, in my hometown, where thousands of good union jobs will be lost in mid-06.

Local governments in the Lansing MI area have handed out plenty of corporate welfare and tax cuts to GM in recent years, but GM still back-stabs them.

Lost GM jobs in the US will likely be moving overseas where strong unions, labor and environmental laws don't exist, where foreign workers will be paid much less to make vehicles that won't cost less.

Cut labor costs + keep selling expensive vehicles = more GM profit.

This is what America gets from bad deals like NAFTA and WTO.

GM fat-cats want to save money to please Wall Street and creditors. But with all the jobs beings lost, who will buy GM vehicles? Is anyone making a truly American car anymore?

GM, instead of cutting off US workers, how about cutting global warming pollution from your gas-guzzling fleet, and making more vehicles that people actually want to buy?

I'll stick to riding my American made bicycle.