enzl

SOX is a joke, but its what they came up with so....My take on things is that 'crisis mode' (i.e. planning for a 'worst case' scenario in advance) is not like yelling fire in a theatre...its about assessing situations as they are (like Delphi's or the myriad of supplier failures in the past few years) and trying to head off the confrontation and bad press that comes with letting the situations deteriorate further (especially in the case of Delphi, where GM is left holding the bag, anyway.)...its also assessing best practices or successful paparallel business situations (Nissan was $20b in the hole) and integrating those things into your company...(there's nothing like hot product to cure many woes....ask Nissan or Chrysler)....and, most important, begin to create an atmosphere where change can florish, so that good ideas and different points of view make it to the surface. GM has been stuck in 40% market share mentality for 20 years. People have more choices and are not automatically waiting at the local Chevy place for a sedan anymore. It's very important to recognize this fundamental shift and act accordingly...I haven't seen much evidence, other than the Lutz hire, which indicates that GM has the stomach for 'no' guys. You need those guys so that some light can penatrate the darkness...just my .02, FWIW.

IIRC, certain filings get CFO & Directors sigs. I was thinking Rick held a Director chair...my bad.I just don't think he 'gets' it. Crisis mode got activated way too late. In my experience, companies generally restate when they've 'stretched' the numbers for a few quarters without an expected windfall quarter to cover the 'stretch.' Nothing illegal about it, but 9/10 stories of missed numbers or extra large losses start with that situation at its core....Auditor approved, it generall passed unnoticed until SOX....

A) I quoted Detnews.com, not an agenda driven magB) your observations, while quaint and entertaining, do not address national sales figures, at all. C) I work for neither the mass media, nor a GM competitor. Please reread my posts for clues... D) Telling the truth, without regard for your sensibilities, is different than skewing facts or telling anecdotes about the cars I see when I drive to work...so let's leave it at that. E) If you only knew who paid my salary, you'd take my words alot more seriously (here's a hint, take a glance at my recent Caddy rants. F) FOG- free advice- take a rhetoric class or a valium. The world will continue spinning and the sun will rise if GM fails. I have never rooted for that to happen and I never will---the problem with many on this site is that they are much like the 'experts' at the Tubes, only looking into a mirror for input instead of glancing out the window....

I never accused rick of fraud, rather, an incompetent management and stewardship of a once great company....please note that Rick's signature appears at the end of each filing, indicating his legal responsibility for its contents...whether inaccurrate, fraudulent or otherwise, he is ultimately the man responsible.I stand by every statement I made. An accounting expert should be held accountable for accounting issues within his company. If you couple that theory with the rest of the missteps, he deserves to go, IMHO. (I guarantee if you applied his last 18 months alone to a parallel situation at your workplace, you'd be fired. I know I would.)

Correct. 'O6's went on sale in '05.....I can only imagine that the sales have increased or stayed the same, for the most part.

I wasn't arguing more/less presence, rather, that there are other, logical competitors...RR or whatever, these chariots generally appeal to a cross section of clientele driven by the 'newest thing' mentality with a dollop of ego and penis envy...but that's just me (I'll resist the temptation to speculate on your 'rubbernecking'). I'd rather a wagon than an SUV any day of the week.As for the new CTS, it isn't here yet, neither is the Aura, Enclave or Camaro, so I cannot give an educated opinion on any of those products....again, I must emphasize that these future products don't matter, as the previously promised 'game changers' have, with the exception of some Caddy's and the GMT900's, been subpar relative to their intended impact. (see Minivans, G6, 9-3, 9-2, LaCrosse, Colorado, Impala, et al. for the most recent examples. Many of these motors are now fleet specials...see http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?A...603290375/1148) for more info on GM's 'hot' products being absorbed into fleets -5 of the top 10 are GM, including the G6, Grand Prix, Impala, 'Bu and Cobalt---4/5 products went on sale as 'all new, all better' in the last 2 years--- One day 'next year' is gonna be one year too late for the General.

No, yours are. Rick is an accountant by trade. His company is, by any objective measure, not doing well in general. IMO, when your leadership has overseen the largest loss in company history (old news) and the SEC is up your butt regarding present and past reporting, its time to go. These accounting issues destroy your credibility in the financial markets (that's where GM borrows money to finance its operations, invest in its future, etc...) any loss of confidence in your numbers = more time paying exorbinant costs for borrowing (& GM borrows Billions).... I am fully qualified to comment, as I am not only in the automotive field, I'm an officer in a public company. I help write these filings and, unfortunately, I know exactly how they are supposed to be written. Naive implies I don't know and, unfortunately, I know all too well what goes on at big public companies. (Enjoy your Kool-Aid while it lasts!)

http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?A.../603290375/1148 Scroll down to chart listing G6 as #7 in total fleet sales. Huge, raging success, I'd say....a rental queen like its predecessors....that's why you see so many.

Granted, BM's an idiot...but, are there really people on this site that believe Rick is the best man for the job at hand?....he's an accountant and these are accounting issues....I wouldn't want this guy leading in such a critical time either

Please see my rant in the latest Escalade complaint fest....to summarize my position once and for all. http://www.cheersandgears.com/forums/index...=0entry113667 Thanks for the support.

THis sounds like an elitest (READ: Media) point of view... MAKE GM PAY!!!!! PAY FOR WHAT THEY'VE DONE!!!! THE HORRIBLE SINS THAT THEY CAN NEVER BE FORGIVEN FOR NO MATTER HOW GOOD THEY ARE!!!!!! And it's a lot of the reason why GM IS failing so badly now, it's a self fulfilling prophecy... Why the animosity???? Why does GM need a literal timeout???? The last 100 years of cars has been more GOOD than bad BY FAR, yet people such as yourself are hellbent on killing GM despite a turnaround JUST TO PROVE A POINT. GM puts out a few bad cars and that's cause for their death DESPITE all they've contributed to this country and despite the MILLIONS of good vehicles they've made and lives they've saved and enhanced????? MORE is at work here IMO. Coming to a GM website and telling us to repent for our 'sins of GM' sounds self loathing and out of touch, or maybe I just don't get it because apparently the media and half of america does. Or maybe they were just weak GM fans who jumped ship in the face of the import 'revolution' and sold out. It's a sad day that someone can state the obvious in a post on a GM board about the competitors of the Escalade. AND state it in the same context as an auto 'journalist' would in relation to Detroit, yet he is supposed to defend himself, on this GM BOARD no less, whilst you tell us to turn our back on GM completely without even giving us proof or at least good reasons why that post was wrong, just because... Are you sure you don't write for an auto rag in your spare time? P.S. I'm not trying to be personally critical to you enzl, I realise my views are communist-like in relation to GM and probably bear the same questions, but I just don't understand the mindset that produced that part of your post. Firstly, I could care less whose board this is or your opinion of my opinion, so lets get that out of the way....but if you'd like to hear why I feel the way I do, here it goes: 1. Nobody at GM needs to beg for forgiveness...my explanation of why people feel the way they do about GM stands on its own merit...GM's response to that is the company's own business. I think the reply needs to be class leading product, others here are less judgmental, and that's what makes horseraces. 2. My livelihood, in large part, is dependent upon GM for my personal success. FOG, I don't know what you do for a living, but my guess is that you don't have 400 employees dependent upon you and how your business is doing, from day-to-day, in order to feed their families...just a guess, but, based on your rants here, I'd assume you're not quite at that point yet.... 3. Because I consistently deliver excellent work for the General, I expect the same in return (I respect and hold my PDI guys to the same standard as my managers)...and, I'm not getting it. If I could share some of the internal memo's or GM rep e-mails or sales figures with you guys, it would make your eyes pop out of your heads. 4. My company has outperformed our region for 3.5 years...coincidentally, the same amount of time I have been here....we meet or beat or monthly goals in a market where my competitors are selling 20% of projections! So, in a sense, I'm doing more for GM than most of the people who populate this site, making me someone who has the right to say whatever he wants and I have the authority of experience to back up my thoughts. So, when you get upset because I'm not drinking the Kool-aid, keep in mind that I'm doing more to help than most....and quite frankly, I don't feel the need to apologize for my positions or the fact that GM has made mediocrity acceptable (or perhaps, more correctly, society has made it acceptable and created an environment where everyone (including GM) is a 'victim' rather than just admitting that they are lying in a bed of their own making. Media bias is a myth, much like the myth of Toyota quality or Bigfoot...the fact that people can honestly read that Escalade article and nit-pick at some mildly negative issues in an overwhelmingly positive piece indicates some kind of loss of perspective I cannot help correct. Sorry for those to whom this isn't intended, I'm just constantly amazed at how deep these phobias run here.

As we've argued (exhaustively) before, the General is (actually, was) one of the world's richest, most profitable and, arguably, most respected companies....They squandered it, completely. They took every competitive advantage and found a way to lose them. Look, I understand that you're a fan and, to your credit, a knowledgeable one, but I am too and I feel betrayed by the years of crap product, indifferent quality and an f-u attitude that, while lessened by their current turn in the barrel, hasn't been completely eliminated. (want proof? Which chief executive in the Fortune 500 would have survived given the performance of the past few years? Answer: None (with the possible exceptions of Walton family or Ford family) Hyundai has had a few million cars on the road in this country. GM has had, probably, 100's of millions...thus those with personal experience with the myriad of debacles...recent (GMT800 recalls in the millions) or past (X-car, V-8-6-4)...that's alot of people to piss off and thus makes them ripe to receive the 'negative' press with open arms.

While the escalade has a great combination of features and looks that makes it an excellent choice in this market, I think you might be tripping on your own tongue with some of these points.... Ex. RR has no presence...please. It's only the most universally respected off-road brand on the planet...and, BTW, the nearly identical RR sport has almost single handedly accounted for LR's sales turnaround in this country. As for the CTS, more of the same spin: wait 'til next year!!! Well, each time I've 'waited' for GM, they've put out another disappointment or were playing catchup with the latest stuff--keep in mind a turbo 3, a new G and a V8 IS will be out either before or during the CTS's intro as an '08, because the competition doesn't stand still! They ARE relentless---that's why the best stuff needs to be out NOW! The CTS should have had a new interior, a N* option and a DSG available already....to outpace its competitors...when you shoot at a moving target, you should fire ahead of its path, not directly at it. Until GM learns that, they're in trouble...think British auto industry trouble. They don't deserve your fervor and support until they can prove otherwise, IMO.

Damn Biased press.... ....BTW, that's a nice review with LEGITIMATE gripes.... Here's a possible explanation: I believe that the Domestic qualifier may be because the Range Rover, MB GL (or G) or BMW X5 may be cross-shopped with this vehicle. All may have certain strengths that require that qualfication.....

He's a bean counter and the General has had repeated current reporting errors and a potentially embarassing SEC investigation regarding previous financial issues. For this alone he should be canned, since it is supposedly his area of expertise. But the biggest reason he must be fired is because he failed to recognise that the light at the end of the tunnel was an oncoming train. Everyone knows the General is too big to change direction quickly...his attempt to change direction has a 'too little, too late' vibe that GM may not shake.

Correct. The reason is that this is a uniquely bad situation for Lexus, whereas the chorus of recalls (record numbers in the last few years) has been consistent for GM....again, the unbelieveable need for those on this site to drag others into the septic tank with GM's reputation is not only disappointing, its boring already. The media isn't to blame for GM's problems...the media's negativity has been earned by the General....the perception of quality product will lag the reality of GM's current offerings for YEARS. Get over it. BTW- a co-worker has had the same dash and windshield issues with his new GS. As a poster above stated: every car co. has its problem products. That's not news, folks!

Except, you are taking it completely out of context....IIRC, the quote either comes form the Lucerne V8 review or one of the GMT-900's....In either case, the reviewer was 100% correct, since we aren't talking about a $20k small SUV that is available with a 5 sp. in upper trim levels...the Lucerne v8 starts in the high 20's and is supposed to compete with a plethora of products, all of which arrive with at least a 5 speed...the GMT 900's start at an even higher price point... ...GM 4 speeds are great tranny's, unfortunately, they are no longer state of the art and should not be appearing in 30-50k product....you could argue a Cobalt with a 4 speed makes sense, not so a Caddy DTS.

Except that the Chinese engine in the 'nox needs the 5 sp. to perform....(the 4 speed, however, is inexcusable on any product nowadays. V6 Rav is a 5 speed).

Isn't this agreement only half the story anyway? The agreement on wages for Delphi people going forward has not been settled at all, correct?

Ummm. I'm going to politely disagree. I realize you're a bigwig around here, but that's just not an entirely truthful statement, IMO.

Who cares? All you guys do by dragging this stuff up (repeatedly) is give it more of a platform than it already has! If the numbers are down, there are multiple reasons for it... The fact is that a majority of GM products are not new, and a series of volume products (Minivans, small pick-ups, medium cars) are either tired, needing update or near retirement...what do you think happens to the numbers when these occurances are simultaneous? The volume ship sailed years ago. We're just witnessing the wake left afterwards. I notice noone complianed about the press when Jan & Feb figures were unexpectedly positive & it was reported extensively by mass media outlets. Its old. It's lame. And its an excuse...lets concentrate on what GM is doing right and suggesting what else must be done.

I appreciate the thought. I have personally found that this site has been unfriendly to 'dissent.' I personally believe that addressing these BS articles gives them the credence (and the PR) they don't deserve.

Didn't realize that.... but it doesn't change the point of the post...this 'academic' is not just a nobody, he's a never-will-be...others jump on the 'facts' (as if an 11b loss is something to split hairs about) in the op-ed piece...it's not a news article, its an opinion! - and not a mainstream press publication, anyway! I really just don't 'get' what it is that brings people back to pointing out every negative article that gets published...Yes, GM bashing is fashionable, but, for reasons I've BEGUN to outline above, its not entirely unfair, as recent history has only begun to undo years of negligence, waste & hypocracy of the highest order at the General. It bums me out as someone who depends upon GM for part of my livelihood. It should kill those on this board who consider themselves enthusiasts. I look at the apologists on this site as analogous to beaten wives or helsinki syndrome hostages....they can't help but feel for their tormentor.

This guy isn't media..he's (supposedly) an academic (if the byline is accurate). BM is just that...BM. You want GM to get a fair shake? That's nice. But in the real world, people and organizations are judged on their performance...and GM's has been abysmal... Wanna talk about that? Investments....junk & losses. Partnerships....awful wastes of time with Subaru & Fiat...with billions squandered. (Daewoo is the only success---and it will spell the end of small car engineering in the western world, but I digress) Quality....mostly in the toilet until they were embarassed into action by JD Power &, to a lesser degree, CR. Worker Relations....UAW is willing to ride this ship into the ground. 'nuff said. PR....laughable since the time they were caught trying to lure Nader with hookers in response to Unsafe at Any Speed. There hasn't been an effective spin campaign or any media situation they've been less than heavy handed with (see LA TImes & Dan Neil fiasco) in years. or Where'd those 30, I mean 29, I mean 25 buttons gone ? I just think the BM idea is BM. How do glowing reviews of the Solstice, GMT-900's and the 'Vette (along with high praise of the 'new' Cadillac) square with the Biased Media spin? Answer- It doesn't.

Are you (or others here) going to defend GM management? So, this writer is a big, fat liar - assuming that for a fact...does that make an 11 billion dollar loss on what is your core competency in a near record sales marketplace a good job? I just don't get it. Instead of picking on this unknown writers' inaccuracies, how about pointing the finger at those who have brought GM to the literal brink? BTW- somebody here posted the article...its not like we were going to see this one in Newsweek...Media Bias my ass...this guys work wouldn't have made it past his own doorstep if someone hadn't of posted it here!