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Cass 09/23/2008 09:24 AM Report
Why is it so surprising that the US auto industry didn't want to build what the American public DIDN'T WANT TO BUY? We've all craved Hummers, Rams, and F150 for 10 years and wouldn't touch a small fuel efficient car if it were given away. If you're looking to blame someone then blame yourself, not the industry that was making what you wanted to buy. The gov't bails out Wall Street as their reward for illegal and fraudulant practices, but now they should say no to legit businesses because they can retool overnight? And BTW: All of those Hondas and Toyotas were designed/retooled/built with their governments financial backing & support. Thats the only way they make money on selling small cars. That and because they dont practice social welfare (pension, health care....) like our own US business do. GM, Ford, Chrysler may be easy targets for all blame, but the blame needs to be shared by the American buying public.
Beverly 09/22/2008 01:49 PM Report
I worked as a cashier at Home Depot during the Nardelli regime. The pressure to work harder and faster was never-ending. If there were no customers we had to clean the store or run carts in from the parking lot (we were never informed of these duties during the interviewing/hiring process). Between checkouts we had to stand on cement (more painful that walking on cement). If we took longer than 69 seconds for each transaction, we were written up my Atlanta management every day. We were constantly pushed to sell Home Depot credit cards (which takes longer than 69 seconds). Store management would regularly challenge us to think of ways we could compete with each other, often resulting in bad feelings among co-workers. The stress was enormous. I took home $125 week. Nardelli was earning $2.7 million per week. The problems at Home Depot were at the top, not at the bottom. I think Mr. Rose has great respect for CEOs, but in Nardelli's case it is misplaced.
cass burch 09/21/2008 10:25 PM Report
Someone doesn't have the character to use their own name here! If you have something to say, Use YOUR name. I personally don't even understand what you wrote? I know Bob, as well as the rest of the leadership team at Chrysler and I am very confident in their ability to direct us through this extremely tough time in our country. This is a business that tests your resolve, there are no free lunches...We are a company in transition, moving our ship toward our future. Get on board or get out of the way.
Billie Pagliolo 09/21/2008 01:01 PM Report
Dear Charlie,
You have always been a hero of mine, but all I can say regarding the interview with Nardelli is "Pa-leeze! Really?" Why did you spoon feed this man? He "wasn't there"? Wasn't there? Where was he? I'm assuming it was somewhere on the face of the planet where if he picked up, say, the Atlantic Monthly or watched public television or listened to NPR, he couldn't miss it. I remember an interview on 60 Minutes in the 70's - the 70's mind you - where Mike Wallace interviewed the top 3 auto manufacturers who had just testified before Congress regarding the requirement of meeting auto emission standards. The 3 colluded to tell Congress they couldn't meet the standards! Why? Because it "would cost too much to re-tool." They didn't. Toyota did and had they been responsible they would have followed that lead long ago. Mr. Nardelli's rhetoric has been spewing out of Detroit for YEARS! You fed this guy Pablum. "The auto industry is learning," he says. Again, PLEASE! What we lay people all knew about environmental impact in the 70's, they're learning just now? Where were these people? It's simply not true. It was greed and ignorance and a total lack of vision. They deserve no special praise for what they're doing now. It's their moral and ethical responsibility. Instead, they should be chastised for the impact their decisions have already made upon the planet. They have a lot to pay for. And we, the consumers, should all be ashamed of ourselves for being duped by their ads and pulled into their web by buying their gas guzzling, bloated cars. This was all too important to have blown, and they blew it. Let's hope we can reverse the damage before we've reached the global tipping point. How will our grandchildren ever forgive us?
Dodge dealer 09/20/2008 05:57 PM Report
The time has come to ask the tough questions to Mr . Nardeli:Why are you taking your dealers out of your own auctions ? Why are you pulling the finance arm out from your dealers when they need you the most ? What does Mr. Jackson bring in the financial side to your Chrysler financial ? Why are you still forcing dealers to place orders and when they do not holding up their orders ? If you report all sales for your company why do you not allow your dealers to have credit towards MSR to anything they sell fleet special bid why the different standard ? Mr Nardeli its time to grab Mr Press and do what you can for your dealers do you not agree ? Upset dealer ? Just the real questions that are never asked and need to be addressed . They hide in Detroit and allow the messengers to deliver the bad news . Lee said it best "Where have all the leaders gone " sorry they are not at Chrysler .
chrysler dodge jeep dealer 09/20/2008 05:37 PM Report
To all of the people who wonder whats going inside the companey this man is leading . The top management is the most out of touch that dealers and employees have ever seen . One employee said its like a sinkinking ship he is dead on . Leaders should be seen in these days and Mr Nardeli and his staff stay as far away as they can from dealers unless they are hand selected and the same with employees . They do not support the franchise system and are currently doing all they can to put there dealers out of business . Hard facts but truth.
Leroy Royston 09/20/2008 10:10 AM Report
There has been a lot of mistakes made in the auto industry,but I would bet that most of the authors of the negative articles above are driving import auto and are against developing our own oil resourcces. As the imports grow watch our dollar shrink. A 40 year vetearn of the automobile buisness.
Blake Crow 09/19/2008 02:41 PM Report
I am a Chrysler dealer. alot of the above comments are true. I do not know MR Nardelli. I to beleive there is somting out there. CNG sounds good but if the auto maker could today throw a switch to CNG power, Where is a customer going to purchase this fuel. There are many parts of the US that natural gas is not availible. Saying that there needs to be so sort of national comptetion to develop the next gen of vehicle propulstion. Make it like a NASA or Manhatten project. Put all the great minds in one place and figure it out.
David Hunter 09/17/2008 01:46 PM Report
Yes, I have said it earlier in my comment, Charlie Rose is too soft. Måns Adborn has responded that I and perhaps others think that Mr. Rose, "bring them out to justice." No, neither my comments nor others have suggested this. Mr. Rose will ask a pertinent question and Bob Nardelli responds by dancing around it. Isn't the job of a good interviewer to try and get the guest to answer the questions? Instead, with this interview, we are left with a few chuckles and Bob Nardelli looking like a rather mild protagonist. Where is Ted Koppel when we need him.
Damion 09/17/2008 11:59 AM Report
If we, Individual Americans, dont invest in American Products how can we expect there to be any expansion of the American economy? Whoever is the new president it wont matter at all what he does until our individual and corporate buying philosophy doesnt change. If We dont invest in US, no one else will.
Chrysler employee 09/17/2008 11:59 AM Report
From the shop floor level it seems like we are on a sinking ship, water is lapping at our ankles, and the officers are throwing the pumps overboard to save weight.
We pay a fuel surcharge to the scrap metal hauler for hauling scrap away.
Dyslexia seems to be a hiring requirement for upper management.Heaven help the next generation if this is an example of the way business is going to be. Stockholders have become fat and wealthy by eating their seed corn.
Steve Brown 09/16/2008 10:30 AM Report
I certainly believe Bob Nardelli is a legitimate guess to have on the show. However, the softball questions dumbs the segment down. The Nardelli god complex has been his downfall. Jack Welch passed him over and Home Depot stockholders and customers rebelled against him. His compensation package at Home Depot was shameful. Nardelli is now begging for $25 billion in taxpayer funds to help his industry develop fuel-efficient vehicles. According to the Associated Press, he has warned, "If we don’t get the funding, we will continue to have to resize and reduce our fixed costs." He also warned of "gut wrenching trade-offs" such as large scale layoffs. It appears Captain Nardelli is willing to watch is third ship sink to the bottom. Why should we pay for auto industry neglect? Whatever happened to leading by example? Cutting thousands of jobs while you give yourself a huge compensation program is not a recipe for boosting morale.
History will show the leaders like Nardelli and the Wall Street crowd, the ultimate me generation icons, dragged us down when we had opportunities to soar. Quite a pity indeed. Nardelli needs to look in the mirror and make some personal gut wrenching decisions.
TEA 09/15/2008 09:10 PM Report
Charlie, I have always enjoyed your program however Robert Nardelli? This guy flunked out of GE, and then went on to completely pillage the Home Depot Village. Do you honestly think he really cares about Chrysler or even our country? After the Salaries and stock payouts these executives have taken out of Corporate America and then they have the morals to ask the US Tax Payers to give them a 25 billion dollar bailout loan?
It never ceases to amaze me…
CXV 09/15/2008 08:50 PM Report
Nardelli and friends are eliminating the fat and preparing Chrysler to be sold off in pieces to whoever is interested. I see Renault-Nissan picking up the pieces and selling Renault, maybe Samsung products, under the Dodge and Chrysler brand and taking Jeep upmarket like Land Rover. A sad end for a once great company.
JAY 09/15/2008 03:43 PM Report
Mr Rose good show in trying to get at the 8000 lb. gorilla,OIL monopoly(CARTEL) I guess Mr. Nardelli could not address this issue and still feed his family. Understandable but disappointing. Some time it looks like the alligator problem and I just rather be the last one eaten! Maybe there something to that; especially if you are not the alligator.
CJ 09/15/2008 03:43 PM Report
When your corporate "guests" such as smelly Nardelli say they've been closing factories and putting people out of work instead of "monetizing facilities" and when they have reduced executive compensation to levels commensurate with the stench they have wrought in American industry, let me know and I'll give a listen to ol' "pat 'em on the back even if they're obscenely rich and clueless" Charlie Rose again. Otherwise, I can conclude only that you, CR, are clueless as well. Is there no one except for those few who see that the emperor has no clothes to whom you will not pander?
JAY 09/15/2008 03:38 PM Report
Mr Rose good show in trying to get at the 8000 lb. gorilla,OIL monopoly(CARTEL). I guess Mr. Nardelli could not address this issue and still feed his family. Understandable but disappointing. Some time it looks like the alligator problem and I just want to be the last one eaten! Maybe there something to that; especially if you are not the alligator.
Måns Adborn 09/15/2008 03:32 PM Report
People keep commenting that Charlie's too soft.
I understand what they mean, but his job isn't to "bring them out to justice!". His job is to help project what the guests want to tell, or to project for us to understand how the guests mind work etc... Not confronting and saying "this is wrong! This right!".
Måns Adborn 09/15/2008 03:31 PM Report
People keep commenting that Charlie's too soft.
I understand what they mean, but his job isn't to "bring them out to justice!". His job is to help project what the guests want to tell, or to project for us to understand how the guests mind work etc... Not confronting and saying "this is wrong! This right!".
David Hunter 09/15/2008 02:10 PM Report
Charlie Rose, as usual, was way too soft on his guest. Robert Nardelli was responsible for failure of Home Depot yet at the same time, pocketed $100 million in compensation and severance pay. Now he is heading the Chrysler corporation and together with the other American automotive companies are about to be given $25 billion for research and development into hybrid technologies. Please, do not tell me that this is a loan. These guys are sharks. Chrysler is a privately held company and they deserve to succeed and fail based on their own merits. Instead, Chrysler and the other automobile companies swarm Washington with their lobbyists, pay off Congress, and they get their money. Mark my words, Chrysler will file for bankruptcy and Robert Nardelli will still pocket another $100 milliion.
fccm 09/14/2008 04:34 PM Report
Wake up and smell the sulfur.
Ask yourself where is the diesel-hybrid Dodge Intrepid ESX?
Chrysler Corporation took the best corporate welfare taxpayers ever gave them and the other former Big three and they totally blew it.
The Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) was aimed at keeping U.S. leadership in the development of extremely fuel-efficient vehicles while retaining the features that make them marketable and affordable.
Instead, the former Big Three shelved these PNGV vehicles that taxpayers helped develop and they stuck with Big Oil instead. They ignored the grossly obvious and went back to sleep with the Grand Oil Party in control.
Until we have real leadership in our boardrooms, Oval Office, and legislature; don't expect a change. Instead, look for these faux Milton Friedman lemmings to ask taxpayers for yet another corporate welfare handout to bail these fossil-fueled terrorist enablers out of the mess they created for themselves and every American.
sock puppet 09/14/2008 02:47 PM Report
Cass - poignant point re government assists to Honda, Toyota. Blunted my disgruntlement re so-called loans to big 3. Only drawback remains of just how much "more" the treasury can afford. And will the proceeds belimited to "on-shore" expenditures? If not borrow from the host country.
sock puppet 09/13/2008 09:54 PM Report
The Pride-in-Shear-Magnitude Lobbying organization would exhort all petitioners to not denigrate our worthy patriotism with modest requests less than $25 billion, and preferably $50 b. Our standards and reputation are at risk. Please comply. Ask for more than needed if you must, but keep our standards high or credibility is sacrificed.
TABS 09/13/2008 08:51 PM Report
Where can I put in my application for a "BAIL OUT." A Billion will do, but 2 would be better.
Dave Levy 09/13/2008 03:23 PM Report
This is the bottom line: buy American. Our entire problem with Chrysler, Ford and GM is the US penchant for buying foreign made cars. Hundreds of billions of dollars flow to countries that hate US (oil) and hundreds of millions to countries that own our bonds, notes, etc., and in essence, own us, most especially our children and grandchildren (interest payments). Anyone can check our interest payments, as a percentage of the yearly budget, by going to the 1040 tax forms sent by the IRS (package). It's over 8%.
GM's bonds have declined miserably in the past 5 years..and their stock is even worse. Yet GM, Ford and Chrysler make good cars, as good, if not as pretty as Honda, Toyota, Kia, etc.
It appears we in the US just don't truly care, if our blue collar workers lose their jobs.
We blame the unions..and sometimes management. But it's about choice. Obama pretends to be concerned over unemployment, yet what does he advocate that will change things? The Democrats are in power where it counts, the House and Senate...yet they vote against trading with Columbia, South Korea, etc. over frivilous issues. The Republicans seem to be reliving the Cold War to the point of even approving a fight with the Ruskies (sure, while they can send 10,000 atomic bombs on their long range missiles into our and Europe's cities). Palin says it' fine and dandy to incorporate the Ukraine and Georgia into NATO. That's like Cuba and Venezuela becoming part of Russia.
Give me a break. John Kennedy must be turning over in his grave..and old man Krushev laughing himself
silly. I mean, if we have a problem with Iran's nukes (none yet) and no long range missiles (yet) think of Putin's awesome power.
Bottom line: keep countries that border Russia out of NATO, and keep foreign made autos out of the US. And P.S., it's all about supply and demand., less usage of our cars..lower price of oil. Get it. No matter the incident in Chatsworth, California..lets use more train and buses to get around.
JWH 09/13/2008 02:37 PM Report
I know that Bob Nardelli receives a lot of praise in the business community, but if this interview is any indication of what Chrysler and Cerebus are counting on it seems they might as well close up shop today. The mention of how Nissan will be re badging a small car for Chrysler that is already sold a Nissan and will finally be available in 2010 shows just how far behind Chrysler is.
Nardelli truly did sound like he was just learning about the auto industry as he said he was. Perhaps with some undeserved government assistance GM or Ford will be able to survive as much much smaller companies. Chrysler, which already appeared to be a lost cause, seems only more doomed after seeing this interview, a real case of someone as the head of a company trying to "put lipstick on a pig."
Leonski 09/13/2008 12:54 PM Report
These guys at GM,CHR and F need to go down hard. They have let America down. When I hear them talk about how this all came about so fast (finacial problems>than fuel problems) I can only hope that real leaders will get control. Boone Pickens has the right idea, he could head up the three auto makers in his spare time. We need these companies to make it but their CEO's need the rough landing. That the only CNG out there is a Honda is all that needs to be said.
Amy 09/13/2008 03:51 AM Report
From the Department of Lost Opportunities: Charlie asking Robert Nardelli, if he would consider hiring a regional sales manager from Alaska as his 2IC (second in command).
Rachel Rosenthal 09/13/2008 03:19 AM Report
Dear Charlie!
Please stop saying the GM electric car "didn't work". GM demanded the cars back and squashed them. The owners loved them and wanted to keep them.
The few who still have the EVs caravan to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Hearings to speak out for the future of the plug-in, while scientists explain the delay in the fuel cell cars and hydrogen highway.
Please get the movie "Who Killed The Electric Car?" It is a MUST for anyone who is so informed and aware like Charlie Rose.
Thanks for all the good people/talk as always.
Your fan.
PS.
Please have S. David Freeman on while everybody is yelling drill, drill, drill.
(ex Chair of Bd TVA, Carter Admin Energy Plan, Author of "Energy: The New Era" c.1974, Head of LA Water and Power, California Energy Czar post 2000-01 Energy Crisis, Author: "Winning Our Energy Independence" c.2007.
[see: www.thegreencowboy.com\
Douglass Montrose-Graem 09/13/2008 01:33 AM Report
Listening to your fascinating discussion to-night I moved back in memory-time to Warren Buffet's announcement of investing a huge stake in Solomon Bros THEN my reaction was: How can the world's smartest investor pull such a huge boner? TO-DAY? How was Cerberus pulling such a huge boner investing an enormous stake in Chrysler?
The big Q. I would have asked {having had decades of experience in that position\- do you have truly INDEPENDENT OUTSIDE directors at Chrysler? My guess: - the answer is NO.
Thus we have these lethal combinations: [1\ NO independent directors [2\ The 2 biggest future markets, China - unacceptable risk investing in a hostile corrupt country, India - major risk investing in a corrupt, nationalistic country [3\ Too many major factors over which one has virtually no control. Bottom line; those super-smart guys at Cerberus have pulled a majestic boner.
For above reasons I believe for U.S. tax-payers to invest significant stakes or loan guarantees in the US auto industry would be a gigantic and costly mistake!. Have we learnt ANY lessons at all from the FACT that the Detroit Big Three have displayed magnificent genius in mismanagement in the last decade, if not longer?
Angelo Caciola 09/13/2008 12:09 AM Report
I just watched the interview with Mr. Nardelli and I would like to say to him PLEASE PRODUCE CNG cars and TRUCKS!!! I heard you mention the Pickens Plan at the end of the interview and you could turn your company around if you offered CNG/gas vehicles and took advantage of the cross advertising benifits not to mention the cost to consumer benefits.
RE Mant 09/13/2008 12:01 AM Report
Again, the price of gas is the same as the price of anything else; it depends on the productivity and needs of the industries that use it. If productivity increases or demand drops, the price will drop. It has before, and it will again. Our real concern should be not the supply of oil, but its environmental impact. A tax on gas tho' is not an unreasonable expectation in this connection. Surely the main problem with the American auto industry has been its inconstancy, if not its fickleness. But both the building supply and auto industries rise and fall with our recurring booms and busts, which are at bottom a problem with our fiscal and monetary discipline. And this doesn't help either efficiency or quality. I still think, btw, the natural gas option deserves some discussion.
sock puppet 09/12/2008 01:33 AM Report
If GM, Ford has the chutzpah to ask for $50 billion, why not Chrysler? Hell who cares? Our treasury is toast anyway. Bear Stearns, Fannie, Freddie, Lehman, GM, Ford, Joe's Diner bring em on. Plant your banana trees early. The laissez faire, tax evading capitalists have their self-made, greedy little hands out. Their lobbyists have their advances and greasing the campaign funds of the venal-whores we laughingly call lawmakers. Dayooh, dayooh, daylight come and I wanna go home.