The U.S. Car Industry will collapse ???

Hey Robin,

Totally agree that a levelling of the playing fields would be a good thing. I hope that design over practicality is but one of the issues that may be reversed in the restructuring.

Whilst Multi-National companies rule the roost though ... I wouldnt hold my breath waiting for improvements in lots of areas ... vehicles, fuel, food etc.

In regards to cruiser equivalents ... the yanks have always had Ford / GMC / and others, in 4x4 worktrucks. Jeep has always had a 6cyl swb offroader. The chevy sold here as a Suburban was about the only contender in the wagon style.

Its only in Aus that we are led to believe a cruiser is a huge workhorse vehicle. The power of advertising is an amazing thing over time. That and Landcruisers reputation from 50yrs ago, which is no longer applicable.

On a side note ..... Chrysler LLC has al ready started production of its J8 series JK wrangler.

An equivalent workhorse style vehicle to the tojo 70 series, designed for military, govt dept, etc., use. Whether or not this "new" Jeep is capable of holding its own against the competition, is not likely to be known firsthand in Australia.

Just as the Govt banned Jeep from building the XJ Wagon here in Australia back in the 80's ( preventing it adapting to our conditions ), this new model wont be allowed either .... for a variety of reasons but essentially those reasons, will again protect the poor, hard done by japanese manufacturer that spends more on advertising today, than on design for australian conditions - other than bitumen or well graded roads.

"..... No more hand outs to prop up $hit businesses.
Run it right or don't run it at all!!"

So why is Mr Rudd bailing out ABC Learning Centres with $22M of our money?

he's not "bailing it out", it is already insolvent, he's just paying for the places to stay open so the parents have time to book in another, it's the same as paying increase childcare, but it has a cap it so it's not that bad.

I'm a bit of a pinko here. I reckon we should [govt] just buy them up at firesale prices and provide childcare at cost..... IMHO

Good logic Royce ....

Shame our govts have a history of mismanagement worse than ABC tho ....

I second that Royce.

Can't stand people profiting from gov subsidy, especially where kids are concerned, so if no-one can make a profit then they shouldn't and it should be government owned.

Porl, "....he's just paying for the places to stay open so the parents have time to book in another,"

And that must be why the Gov is pleading with the parents to keep them in the centres and not to go elsewhere.

If it waddles like a duck and quacks like a duck ..........

Royce, and while they're (Govt) at it they could buy buy the oil companies for fuel at cost, the banks for loans at costs and on and on. Aren't there a couple of other countries that act on that principal?

Geoff a question to be directed at Mr Rudd me thinks??

Royce (Simplistically speaking) perhaps just consider that ABC was not covering its costs under the current private enterprise fee structure, how much will a "Government" run enterprise need to increase the fee over the current level just to cover the current operating costs and will parents be able to afford that "Government" run at cost enterprise??

Parents are leaving as they need to have security of child placements next year and currently there is no suggestion that ABC will be able to provide that in 2009.

A "Government" run enterprise will increase fees to whatever level they decide subsidised by us taxpayers... same as schools and preschools, and hospitals, police, ambulance etc.

Nice... petrol at cost, banks controlled...... I like the idea... pink turns to RED!

Government mismanagement worse than ABC? Not historically so. The mismanagement makes news. All the well run govt and semi govt enterprises just keep on going underpinning our social structure without much notice.

I know, continuing off topic but ... it wasn't that ABC wasn't covering it's domestic costs, it could have, just like all the others, it just wasn't able to fund it's expansionist policies to take over the world, well the US anyhow.

40% of ABC Australian child care centre's were not covering there costs at the operating level.

yeah okay, they were idiots.

I would worry about Govt running chidcare.

They can't run much anything else - what with all the govt do gooders - we would have paedophiles running the childcare centers wirthin weeks - probably as part of their parole conditions :rollseyes:

Lets leave the govt out of it and not deliberately make it any worse than it already is! The kiddies already have it tough enough.

Cheers

I always feel sad when 'the government' is slammed and put down with claims that they 'can't run anything else' kind of statements.

They do run most things well. They are just like any large corporation or business. Run by people with faults and a range of abilities. I guess though, you can't argue with people who think otherwise.

I know I am always looking at roads and thinking that it's blindingly obvious what's needed and not being done... but then I don't give credit for the massive works that ARE done. It's always the same.... easy to knock. Sometimes by people who don't even bother to think before they vote.... ????

ABC Child Centres went belly up because they expanded into the USA and spent money on over valued properties.

Cost them $1 Billion. That is to say One Thousand Million Dollars.

I heard about it listening to "PM" driving home last night.

Oh for "Our ABC", quality, informative news coverage.

Jim.

Wouldn't it be easier if all child care centres closed and the parents had to stay home and look after their brats? If you can't look after 'em, don't have them. Simple, really.

Funny that most child care centres in this country are doing just fine, but they are run by councils, state or even a few federal ones, so maybe they can run something.

Have fun

Craig

The wider and more alarming national economic problem for the collapse of ABC is that if parents cannot find childcare they will have to quit their job. Many families rely on dual incomes to pay their mortgages and other debt and if they cannot do so this will exacerbate the current economic crisis.

It's not ABC the company that they are worried about, it's the service it provides.

Eddie Groves ain't got no money left, margin calls wiped it all out.

And now his ex wife is busy picking over the ruins.

Too big, too quick. They always over do it, and end up broke!!

(On paper at least!!)

Ian

Yes Ian I agree.ABC fell to the simplest business trap of all ,to big to quick and greed.
To go from being such a successful company to complete failure is a huge disappointment especially to its share holders.
Cheers.
Tony

How come young Eddy purchased a $1.5Mill unit two weeks ago at Kangaroo Point in Bris if he is that brike??