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Strategies & Market Trends : Bonds, Currencies, Commodities and Index Futures -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Patrick Slevin who wrote (9065)	1/8/2006 11:29:35 AM
From: robert b furman	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 12411

HI Pat, Well my homework is my life's history. I began working for GM (Chevrolet Central Office -Sales and Service) in 1971 when I was a prime 19 year old. I now own 2 GM dealerships, and 2 Chrysler Jeep Dodge dealerships, in the East Texas rural areas just North of Houston(along with 3 other very fine partners). I've seen the long slow attrition, impact all that are involved. At first I knew I was on the outside looking in as I was not: a Female,a minority,or a nepotisitic relative. Then the much faster and more impactful changes brought in by globalization,have accelerated the "Need FOR Change" in most of Americas established unions. For most people the automobile business was so powerful,it could never be taken from the good ole boy club in Detroit. Now they must (and quite frankly are) accelerating the majority of production to Asian countries who do not have the profit motive.Nothing wrong with that - it assures the absence of wage inflation.Those jobs left in the USA will be high tech high value jobs - Delphi was to come in here - but they'll be much smaller if at all.Kicking myself for not shorting Visteon which was a no brainer - I'm just not good at shorting. Global demand does however bring about commodity inflation and that is what I think we are seeing in oil and the metals. I've never done commodities - so I lurk on the gold posts. Global growth and new markets are a very good evolution.During my first 3 years at GMI - I worked the UAW jobs.They were all very loud,dirty and worst of all boring. Although it does displace the untrained,it is good to farm these terrible jobs to foreign locations where they are embraced. In Flint most workers hated their jobs.Drugs, alcoholism were a huge part of the lifestyle. The only positive thing they did was: pay very well for an untrained worker. Our youth must not be told these are desirable jobs they are not. Our youth must be told to get an education and do tasks far above manufacturing. Just my opinion - but I have been there. Those precious jobs every one belly aches about losing, where what confirmed, in my mind, the need to get a degree. I'm thinking GM is a buy at 13-14.I remember back in school that GM got that low after the oil embargo of 73-74. Some numbers act as magnets of long time periods - we'll see. I've way too much invested in GM with 2 dealerships already. I'll have to see the whites of Warren Buffet's eyes go greedy before I buy any GM.GG Bob