The Brian Sullivan Blog
  • December 19, 2008 11:32 AM EST by Brian Sullivan

    GM and Chrysler Get the Cash but Big Problems Remain

    Quick thoughts on the auto rescue loan news...

    GM and Chrysler received their loans from the U.S. government today.   Ford is not participating in the program.    General Motors and Chrysler will get $13.4 billion now, with GM to receive another $4 billion in February.    The loan requires the automakers to become "viable" by the end of March, 2009.    As I wrote last week, "viability" in three months is a tall order.

    The fundamental issue is quite simple: the companies spend more than they make.    They are working on the spending part.   GM announced today after the loan was approved that it will continue to cut costs, particularly in payroll, and it hopes to cut hourly labor costs to a total of $4.8 billlion by $8 billion.    That's a 60% reduction in total pay, so it is clear more job and pay cuts are coming.

    The problem is that there are two sides to any balance sheet: costs and assets.  GM can work to cut costs but it has little control over the revenue side of the story.    The point is, very simply, GM and the Chrysler must sell more cars and make money on the cars they sell.   And with the economy in the tank and credit harder to come by, car sales are falling.    And the Detroit 3 have very little control over  the economy and consumer.

    The government wants all this and wants it wthin three months.    I would like to believe the car companies can do it, but since they only have control over half of their problem I am skeptical.   Look for more financial need ahead.

Al

With the socialists about to take over government, this is just the tip of the iceberg. We'll end up with a government sponsored loser automobile industry with no real incentive to improve efficiency or the quality of their products.

December 20, 2008 at 10:16 am

Joe

Seems to me if you want people to buy cars again you give them the bailout money, not the car jacker Ron Kettleringer.

December 20, 2008 at 8:58 am

moving

My favorite condition is the ability to call the loan if the "conditions" are not met....what these companies will just pay back the loan if they have failed to preform...if they had that type of money they would not need the loan!

December 19, 2008 at 1:45 pm

Radarnav

The 800 lb gorrilla in this Living Room is the legacy UAW Pension Plan. That is what is breaking the backs of the Big 3 from a cost standpoint. Why did the Government step in? If the Big 3 go into structured Bankruptcy, the Pension Plans would most likely be divested by them, on orders of the Bankruptcy Court, and the plans would be picked up by the Pension Gurranty Corp at a significantly discounted cost - something like 20 or 30 cents on the dollar for the Automakers current penison liability. This would affect at least 3 million retired auto workers nationwide. What politician or political party wants to allienate 3 million votes? None, regardless if this is the most straight-forward solution to making the auto companies viable.

December 19, 2008 at 12:56 pm

Tom Pauley

What is the point! Do the auto makers really think that we will now jump out and buy a new vehicle?? I have a 2008 Ford f-250 4x4 Diesel with less than 2000 miles. It retailed for $47,045.00. Now with under 2000 miles and not even a year old it is valued at $28,000.00. I will never buy new again! I will look for the poor consumer who paid for a new vehicle and now needs to sell at 40+% off the sticker price. My question is what do auto makes plan to do about the huge customer losses on a new vehicle...why should we buy a new vehicle over a used. No one is helping us out all the auto makers want to to is make more NEW vehicles. Keep up the good work!!!

December 19, 2008 at 12:02 pm

vabelle

George Bush got to put a lump of coal in the Dem's stocking for Christmas as the ultimate failure of the auto companies will happen on their watch.

December 19, 2008 at 11:58 am

6ftrabbit

One of your earlier guests made the point that the entire (economic)system is built on consumption. Without rising consumption, it all falls apart. Absolutely true. For the past 30 years we (the consumer of all these goods, energy, commodities, and so on) have all been entreated, and forced, to "be more efficient, recycle, consume less, etc., etc. ". Well, it seems we got the message. Deal with it.

December 19, 2008 at 11:57 am

RICKBOB

3 month or what? They'll get more of our tax dollars. There is to much political influence at risk for all of the washington insiders. I'm done with them. I'll vote independent in 2010. Term limits for congress. Stop the madness!!!!

December 19, 2008 at 11:46 am

about this blog

  • Brian Sullivan joined FOX Business Network (FBN) in April 2008 as an anchor. He co-anchors the 10am-12pm ET hours of the FOX Business block. Prior to joining FBN, Sullivan served as an anchor for Bloomberg Television where he hosted the programs Morning Call and In Focus.

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