Category Archives: fools ‘n frauds

The Film – Chevy 100, An American Story – Debuts in Detroit

Do not confuse this Chevy 100 infomercial with other serious documentaries sponsored by GM and produced by Ken Burns during his long association with the largest automaker in the U.S. Chevy 100 lacks an organizing theme – other than it’s time to sell more Chevrolets. Instead, Chevy 100 is comprised of sporadic observations along with snapshots of the history of the brand, supplemented with large amounts of quick-cut contemporary footage from collectors clubs and fawning owners. Be forewarned, you will not see the history of Chevrolet, or the history of the automobile in U.S.A. that Chevrolet is such a significant part of, given justice in this treatment. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, design and styling, fools 'n frauds, manufacturing, marketing, milestones, news, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

New Jersey Stiffs U.S. Taxpayers over $271 Million Grant. Republicans, Democrats Collude on Cancelled ARC Tunnel

Well, it sounds like LaHood (an Illinois Republican appointed by Obama) had no choice. Defenders of the deal, and there are some, say that DOT maneuvered to get N.J. taxpayers some benefit from the cancelled transit investment. In their view this solves the standoff over reimbursement — interest and penalties were accruing daily that New Jersey taxpayers would have been responsible for — and maybe New Jersey residents will also get the benefit of improved transit in the state. We will see. There sure is enough political manure here in my view to help New Jersey remain the garden state… Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, economy, fools 'n frauds, people, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Obama Administration Submits Controversial FTAs to Congress. Largest Loss of Jobs since NAFTA Coming?

The AFL-CIO said the “The Korea agreement is the largest offshoring deal of its kind since NAFTA. If enacted, it likely will displace 159,000 U.S. jobs, mostly in manufacturing. And its glaring loopholes would allow unscrupulous businesses to import illegally labeled goods from China and possibly even from sweatshops in North Korea—potentially without any tariffs at all.” Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, economy, fools 'n frauds, labor issues, manufacturing, people, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Facebook Posting Costs Chicago BMW Salesperson His Job

A National Labor Relations Board Administrative Law Judge ruled this week that Knauz BMW, a Chicago area car dealership, did not wrongfully terminate an employee for his Facebook postings. Back in May the NLRB alleged unlawful termination of an employee … Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, fools 'n frauds, litigation, people, results | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Treasury Receives $2 Billion TARP Repayment from American International Group. U.S. Taxpayers Still out at Least $51 Billion

During the financial crisis and Great Recession caused by Wall Street financiers, the U.S. Government’s support for AIG totaled approximately $180 billion. After today’s repayment, the taxpayers remaining outstanding investment in AIG through Treasury is $51 billion. Not one of the involved executives has been prosecuted for what were various forms of financial fraud that lead up to the near collapse of the global financial system and the ongoing Great Recession. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, economy, fools 'n frauds, news analysis, results | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Editorial: Happy Fourth of July! More Independence Needed

We should celebrate our past today, and honor the men and women of vision – and property – who created this country starting with the War of Independence, continuing through the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution that is still in place, as fine a document of governance of the people, by the people and for the people that ever existed. Remember well the resounding words of its preamble – WE THE PEOPLE. And we need to toss out of office the people who don’t understand WE, who are in it just for ME. Continue reading →

Posted in economy, environment, fools 'n frauds, people | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Volvo Winces at Dour Depiction of British Pol in Project Volvo

The Daily Telegraph broke a story about the 2006 plot – dubbed Project Volvo – designed to ultimately replace Prime Minister Tony Blair with Gordon Brown. In it Brown was said to be viewed by voters as “”humourless, dour, moody, aggressive, unapproachable.” Brown was characterized as a “Volvo, British Rover.” Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, fools 'n frauds, marketing, people | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Tavares Replaces Pélata as COO of Renault as Fallout from Spy Case that Embarrassed French Government Continues

Renault announced yesterday in Paris that Carlos Tavares is its new chief operating officer, replacing Patrick Pélata. It was the latest development in an industrial espionage case that embarrassed the French government and saw the firings of Remy Pagnie, Director of Group Security, as well as his two co-workers, Dominique Gevrey and Marc Tixador. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, fools 'n frauds, people | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Toyota Recall Study Finds Adversarial Relationship with NHTSA

The Quality Report, since it was paid for by Toyota, has already come under attack for bias from organizations linked to product liability lawyers. Nonetheless, the Report describes Toyota’s attitude toward federal safety regulators as “adversarial.” Unintended acceleration or stuck gas pedal problems are implicated in thousands of incidents and more than 90 alleged deaths. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, fools 'n frauds, litigation, news analysis, quality, safety, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Pork Update – USDA and DOE Award $47 Million in Taxpayer Dollars for Biomass Research to Special Interests

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu have announced that $47 million in taxpayer dollars will be diverted to fund eight research and development projects to support the production of biofuels, bioenergy and biobased products from … Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, fools 'n frauds, news analysis, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Heads Roll at Renault over Industrial Espionage Case that Embarrassed French Government. Pélata, Ghosn Survive

As a result what it deemed of failures and dysfunctions within the company, the Board of Directors of Renault today erected the corporate equivalent of a guillotine outside of Paris that saw the firings of Remy Pagnie, Director of Group … Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, fools 'n frauds, news analysis, people | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

House Bill Says Greenhouse Gases not Air Pollutants. Republican Attack on EPA Despite Supreme Court Ruling

Since nothing in the Act precludes states from pursuing their own GHG policies, this is a severe setback for automakers that need one coordinated national standard for fuel economy and CO2 emissions. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, environment, fools 'n frauds, people | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ghosn, Pélata, others Lose Bonus over Renault Spy Case

Renault’s board of directors has approved a plan that would see CEO and President Carlos Ghosn and Chief Operating Officer Patrick Pélata, as well as other involved senior managers lose their 2010 bonuses and 2011 stock options because of the wrongful termination in January of three employees on false charges of industrial spying.
This ends speculation that Ghosn’s and Pélata’s positions were threatened by the corporate bungling, which became a minor political controversy in France. Pélata had tendered his resignation, but Ghosn refused to accept it.
Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, fools 'n frauds, people | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Renault Spy Case Executive Firings Wrong Prosecutor Says. French Government Investigations Continue into the Fraud

The board of directors of Renault met today in an unscheduled meeting after a French prosecutor said earlier that three executives dismissed by Renault are innocent of claims by Renault that industrial spying was going on and that the executives were depositing payments into bank accounts in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, fools 'n frauds, litigation, news analysis, people | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Senate Dithers as Highway Trust Fund Goes Broke

During a hearing today in Washington, Democrats and Republicans postured over President Barack Obama’s proposal for a six-year, $556 billion highway bill with none of the partisans suggesting how it will actually be paid for.

This ducks the real issue of the ongoing decline in highway trust fund revenues that built the interstate system during the 1950s and contributed to what was then a booming American economy. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, fools 'n frauds, people, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment