The layoffs are a comin'

No matter how you look at it the economy is always the catalyst that sets the American table if you will. This past week the economy took a hit in both the national and local sector. We shall first explore the General Motors layoffs, and then The Atlanta Journal Constitution newspaper layoffs as well.

The GM Company has decided that by laying off several thousand employees it will boost, or as they put it right the ship for the future and the present. They are not alone in thinking that this is a solution to the poor sales and lack of need for such demand. GM is the same car company that brought you the Corsica, the Beretta, the Cavalier, and lets not forget the Spectrum. They made a living by selling these little cars that didn't have a whole lot of speed, longevity or continued desire by the American public. They too soon got out of the "small car" business and began making the big and bigger SUV's that ruled the world for a decade. I am one of their former consumers as I had a Tahoe, I loved it and would still have one would it not be 'cause of gas and the lack of resources to finance a tank on wheels. At this stage in our economic life one cannot indulge the way we used too. We have to be responsible and choose to get where we are going with more fuel economy, isn't that what they are now telling us we want? If they were listening then and now they would have made that Tahoe a better fuel driven vehicle. but now they are saying that because you the public have slowed the demand for such a tanker that they must seek other methods to save their company's profit, and that is to layoff thousands of people. They are not the first this year as far as car company to propose layoffs as a way of cutting losses, has it worked? Why don't we ask those who have now joined the unemployed and seek their opinion. Have you ever seen the movie "Dick and Jane" starring Jim Carrey and Tea Leoni. It is about one Corporation that goes under and lays off its entire employees. Not a bad flick, its premise was as true as real life. When just one group are layed off and then another then those with similar job experience are too looking for that "one position" available, not so easy then is it. So when the Car Company lays off its people to help boost sales and adjust the structure of the powers that be, are we more able to buy their vehicles too? If few thousand people in one region lose a job as well as in another region how do you suppose their is more money in the economy to purchase a vehicle that one could barely afford before the job market slowed down. I just don't see how they can think that by not making more affordable cars that the public would desire at a better price isn't the answer. Heck they have had ten plus years to make that Tahoe get better gas mileage, they just didn't care because we didn't either. Now that we are waiting and searching for a more affordable car and foregoing the "bring all your friends" car they are taking notice.

Yeah they want you to think that they care about you the consumer and that you expect a cleaner solution. If that were the case then why do their hybirds and such the like cost more than they need to. Its the same Tahoe theme all over again, give the consumer what the think they need, but at a greater cost. Gas prices have made the public give up their large vehicle for a smaller one even if they are upside down in that large vehicle. And when you go looking for that well commercialized car remember that you are facing are much larger task. If you thought that the housing market didn't affect the car market wake up. As the loans are harder to come by for a home loan, then so too are the car loans available to you as well.

And now it comes down to the local scene, and how you get your newspaper. The Atlanta Journal Constitution has too layed off in hopes to boost circulation. The only way to boost sales that way is in hopes that all those looking for a new job use the old fashion way and buy a paper to search the want ads.

Is there an alternative to layoffs, sure... but no one entity has the solution. I trust they in power have looked at all angles and to layoff so many isn't what they went into business to do. I'm just asking how does it not affect so many other things in the economy. Its a trickle down affect that has no end until certain things get taken care of. I haven't yet seen that in all the layoffs propsed and carried out. Your cars still are not affordably economic and your newspaper still comes to me the same way as before...missing the ads I want and full of the ones I don't. Not to mention all the big gas guzzlers it takes to deliver "the good ..the bad..and the ugly." Our economic future is waiting in the unemplyoment lines across America, now what kind of solution is that??