Things I've learned from this: 1. The city's sole reliance on the auto-industry was always a bad thing for their economy. 2. Lack of research and development on the products they are selling. Japan left them behind on fuel-efficiency, Germany and Italy left them behind on overall car performance, And the rest of the world left them behind on manufacturing cost. All of them contributed to the decline of their auto-industry, 3. Education not being prioritized enough like half of the citizens are illiterate.
I commute to Wayne State University in the heart of Detroit everyday. I see a lot of things- and I see a lot of depressed people. Sometimes it makes me very sad. But it's my home- it's been my home for 18 years. I love Detroit and most of you will never understand why. But if you've never been here, you have no right to slander my home. Instead of leaving the 'pile of garbage' that most of you think Detroit is to fester, why don't you try helping out? How about praying for us?
American cars look good but are unreliable and lose their value fast. Japanese cars are boring but reliable, efficient and hold their value. So I heard what my head said and bought a toyota Camry, even though my heart desired a Cadillac CTS. I wish american cars are better built.
Thank you for mentioning the unions in your response. Decades ago, they repeatedly protested for more and more generous pensions despite the city losing hundreds of thousands of people. And no politician can get elected in Detroit without their backing, so they did whatever the unions wanted. It was a vicious cycle.
They didnt get a good salary, they were getting 74 bucks an hour to do the bare minimum effort. If a toilet backed up, the employees would walk by and say get a plumber, because its not my job. The city set up lavish pensions for all their employees, spent the money and now 1/2 of the entire city budget is needed to support the pensions. There is no money for police or fire and the city has dropped into anarchy. Anybody with money left long ago. And now its a waste land.
I remember when I first came to Detroit I hate this city but as I got older I grew to love this city and I still love Detroit I just don't love what people do and say about the city. ...people just don't care about each other and they don't care about the city like they should....I hope things change soon I hope all the killing stop and love come back to the Motor City 💖💖💖💖💖💖
They depended mostly on many car companies not just one! Obviously, they had plenty of other jobs like any other big city back in the day but all the auto related work was the largest employer.
Detroit stubbornly refused to start making smaller more fuel efficient cars. The Japanese got the jump on us. Plus the quality suffered. It's difficult for a city when its entire economy is primarily based on one industry. As a former Pittsburgher, and a proud American, I hope Detroit finds its way and can reinvent itself.
over inflated corporate salaries are to blame not the unions. Giving their management 6 and 7 figure salaries, and bonuses is shameful when you have to take away a loyal employee's dental care away. Corporate greed is what busted the auto industry to unions.
I am young (late twenties)but not naïve. I realize a companies number 1 priority is profit, or in the case of a non-profit, efficiency. I've worked for a large faceless sort of organization and I've also worked for a smaller company where they are loyal to employees that have worked there for 30 years but even then I know the main interest of the business is to remain in business. I believe a strong work ethic and willingness to adapt ensures you will be an important tool in the company shed.
I'm an engineer with 0 benefits, no retirement $65k/yr. My uncle worked at Ford welding the rear gates on pickups in Lorain OH. Last five years at Ford he was on parking lot duty making $100,000 a year. Retired with incredible pension and benefits. A co-worker at a prior engineering job told me how at Ford, someone would sabatoge the line. If the line was down for more than two hours or so, workers were sent home with full pay thanks to the union.
The Union helped kill GM just as much as the executives and the in-ability to manage a brand properly. The Unions owned something like 20% of the shares. This should never be allowed. This gives leverage in decision making. When you have a company, you need to make cuts and re-structure to survive. If one type of car 'sucks'... you need to stop trying to sell it to the people. (or 15 types of the same SUV for that matter). Focus on what sells, and keep it simple. Don't keep dead weight either... this includes union bosses that extort. Put the Union bosses to work on the line for a while.
What if you bought the LAND RIGHTS and all the buildings on a city block in detroit? Could you turn that into farmland or would the soil be unable to sustain it?
At 2:36 shows the Michigan Central Train Deport. It went out of business when AMTRAK stopped running trains there in 1987. People take planes instead of trains nowadays. At 2:41 shows the Brush Park neighborhood, with some home built in the 1870s. After WW2, many of these former mansions were converted in apartments, then evolved into flophouses. A few of these mansion have been restored, such as 97 Winder Street built in 1880, and having 11,000 sq. ft. Currently listed at 2.5 million.
Dave Cole talking out his a$$. Those workers paid into those pension plans, be it with lower wages or GM taking a portion of their wages. Until idiots like this realize, that middle to upper management to the CEO, are the reason these companies are failing, things will never change. But i would expect a response like that from him because he's fighting his own corner. CEO pay is up an astounding 725%. The average CEO used to be paid about 65 times the average worker, now it's 273 times the average worker. They get this even though the businesses they are running are failing. Rewarded for failure with bonuses etc and they wonder why things are going wrong.
Checkm8king2 Worker's built those cars. They earned those pensions. Who are you to say they didn't. Worker productivity in the US has gone up decade on decade since the 70's, yet inflation has out paced their pay rises. They are earning less than they did in the 70's when adjusted for inflation. On the other hand CEO's pay has gone up an astounding 273 times more. Debate me on those issues.
Checkm8king2 First off, i'm self employed. It was part of their agreement with GM. It does not matter if they paid into it or not, which my guess is that most probably did. So if i make a work agreement with you and i go back on that agreement then its ok with you? Nah didn't think so.
Poor old Detroit. I was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario and a large amount of the steel we produced there went to the automotive industry in Michigan and the rest of North America. We, as a blue collar industrial city always looked on the situation in Detroit with empathy. I hope that better days come for Detroit. They've endured enough.
GM couldn't compete with Toyota, Honda, VW etc. The later are low cost producers, always innovate for consumers benefit & reliable after sales service.
I paid for college on my own, graduated in 2008 and had the loans paid off by 2012. My parents didn't help at all. My mom's condo was foreclosed on and the company my dad worked for went under about 10 years ago so he was working free-lance and borrowing money from me. I went to community college the first two years and worked as many hours as I could to save money. I went to Northern Illinois where I got my Bachelors, I hope to get a masters one day. I have yet to surpass the 40K/year mark.
@@alundavies8402 I appreciate the sentiment; but in the interum between the previous comment and now, I was promoted, changed professions, and was promoted again, and my salary has increased by a good amount since this comment. I look at this old post and kinda laugh that I wanted to spend time, energy, and money on getting a masters degree.
no bailout... not if its going to cost the country al that money... instead, lets get rid of the criminals who still have survived hiding in Detroit and put them in jail or process them via the criminal justice system.... then, lets have private industry come to Detroit and further expand.... finally, lets BRING THE ILLEGAL ALIENS TO THIS CITY AND STRUCTURE DETROIT BRICK - PER - BRICK.... HAVE A HARD WORKING CLASS COME TO DETROIT TO STRUCTURE IT AGAIN... AND THE CHEAPEST HAND OF LABOR ARE THE MEXICANS.... SO ... IN OTHER WORDS, HOLMES, THIS COULD BECOME A LATINIZED CITY.... ARRIBA... AMIGO.
I realized I was a conservative years before I got a white collar job. while in college when a friend was explaining the ideals of the Republican party. I worked service, retail, labor, carrying around drywall and toting a drill. I had a lot of blue collar neighbors growing up, I respect anyone who works for a living. I have always tested well in mathematics, top 1% in all those standardized tests back in school. I figured I'd try to maximize my ability. Good debate. Take care Lou.
You’re correct, cities can break down but only those individuals who feel entitlement after the break down will fail, those who pick themselves up by the bootstraps and move to find work to support their families win. People spend more time and energy waiting for the actions of others when they should be focusing on making things happen for themselves and their families. Self preservations has been the way of the American, since our beginning.
How do you figure, out sourcing of jobs ruined the American economy. Toyota manufactures more vehicles and parts in north America then all the big three combined.
bob suruncle Oh sure, now Toyota does employ a lot of Americans, but the Big 3 used to employ a lot more Americans. Hiring some Americans is the least Toyota can do after having wrecked the American economy from the 70s to 2008.
Sending our entire manufacturing industry to China ruined the American economy. Printing money like there's no tomorrow ruined the economy. Some guy driving a Toyota had basically nothing to do with it.
Jerry Garner The decline began before they moved to China and massive layoffs happened. All those young baby boomers buying Corollas and Civics instead of Fords and Chevys in the 1970s got the ball rolling.
What is scary is its not just the manufacturing industry it's all aspects of employment. My husband has a Ba and 20 yrs exp and he's been out of work for 2 years. It's scary
You're both right. I always thought joining a Union would help us, the non-union workers fared better. Pay union dues and not getting represented properly. Your job is at risk because the union wages and benefits are too high to compete again non-union employers. The companies can't handle the pressure either. Corporate big-wigs and union leaders are on the same side.
This video is from 2009. It's even worse now because GM doesn't make too many vehicles here in the US and the demand for GM vehicles in general has not recovered.
Stop paying people 30$ per hour that just push a button. I have an actual skill trade of tig welding in aerospace industry and don't make that. I've seen how these union works at a gm plant and it was pathetic. Hidden beds for people to sleep, overtime was just a rotation with next shift rather than more production, no one ever got fired. Union killed Detroit.
so sad to see a once thriving city in ruins.i am G.M.till i die.i always had one,always will.i still believe in G.M. even though some may say i am crazy to do so.feel very,very sad for Detroit.i hope things get better.later.
I've read up on it quite a bit, listened to the radio, watched the news, talked to people that work in hospitals. The ACA is already damaging the economy and has the potential to be detrimental to it long term and that truly concerns me. Come on Lou, any change is not good change. That's like saying trading in your 2013 Ford F150 for a 1991 Ford F150 with slipping transmission is good because its a change. Congress and their staff have been exempted from it, even Unions are now opposing it.
I grew up in Detroit and saw what happened to it after the riot in the summer of 1967. It took a city that was racially divided and made it worse. Instead of people working together, blacks became angrier, whites moved from the central city to the suburbs. Few wanted to sit down and work out the problems from the riots, most wanted to just leave. For blacks, Coleman Young became their symbol of hope and for whites, he was a racist that didn't care if they stayed or left.
I'm a welder in kalamazoo mi im 21yrs old and i will tell you how hard it is to find production jobs in michigan you are damn lucky if you can find a skilled job at $15/hr.
Randy Sanduski speaking at 13:00 must have had his eyes closed. The miracle was that GM made it as long as it did before falling into government hands.
He is and that's probably why he acts confused about what really caused Detroit to collapse. Detroit had fallen apart before the auto companies left en masse.
That room full of people you see at 12:20, they are part of the problem. Listen to them "my city is dying, people are dying, thousands of children suffer in the city but I want all my money!" This was the attitude that helped lead Detroit to hell, take all you can take and ignore the end result of taking more than production can provide. It does not matter your age or your condition, you can be a bad person at any age. A smart person knows NEVER to pool all your money in one spot.
From 3,000 people to produce to 50 to produce. If industry is eliminated there is no opportunity to have a viable town anywhere whether its Detroit or West Virginia. If a solution is not figured out for our nation in terms of jobs and industries with living wages, we will sadly no longer have a nation. And this applies to every nation around the world.
"more generous pensions and when GM is on its knees for these exact reasons" == That's funny. Any data to back it up? Union member peaked in 1960s, so did the economic boom. After that, union had no choice but being defensive. Detroit started declining in 1980s when the management already had upper hand over union thanks to the help from Reagan. In 1920s, Calvin Coolidge was famous anti-union. the economy went down and car companies nearly lost their business. Coincidence?
The main cause of the decline in the auto industry in Detroit is their inability to adapt, and they still haven't done it much. Some American manufacturers have made smaller models that are selling in Europe, but continuing to make big gas guzzeling cars are like a death sentence to GM and other American car manufacturers.
@SeanP7195 Here's another funny bit. Toyota makes cars in the US, and at a good profit. They refuse to allow unions in any factory they run, and will close shop and move elsewhere if the workers do decide to unionize. They did have one factory that was unionized - the NUMMI plant in California, which had a union because the plant was run in partnership with GM. When GM went bankrupt, the union DEMANDED that Toyota pick up GM's obligation. Toyota immediately shut the factory down.
The city of Detroit has been locked in a downward spiral for 40+ years. To think that the negotiations of a UAW contract will make a difference either way is completely laughable. Thank goodness Sanduski didn't lose his pension though. Pity the thought.
The lack of a national health program in the US put the auto industry into a hopeless competetive situation, It cost about $2000 LESS to build a car in Canada than in the USA. The same said for Europe and Asia. The same applied to all manufacturing in the US. That plus the greed of owners who moved plants to Mexico and China and elsewhere killed the USA. Not even a light bulb or a TV is made in the US anymore. Sad!
when i see those people walking out these plants in danger of loosing their jobs and livelihoods i find it hard to joke about their suffering... in fact, i find it a tad bit sickening.
Most of that was shed after they declared bankruptcy. I don't think you've been paying close enough attention to what's happened to GM. I'm not kidding, most of those contracts simply evaporated when they reorganized. What this man said about the factories only needing 50 people now rather than 3000 then is basically the story. Labor is not needed anymore and nobody has any illusions about it.
I can't relate to that. I'm from the Gulf Region of Texas and living expenses are incredibly cheap. Average petroleum refinery operator is getting paid around $27 an hour, and they are risking their lives in amongst highly flammable chemicals and oil. Considering cost of living in Detroit is below the national average, it doesn't stand to reason that these people are getting 30-40 bucks an hour for a relatively safe job. Not for me at least. However, I do respect your opinion.
Try as hard as you may, you can NEVER compare Michigan to California! I am from California and moved to Michigan and moved back to California within 90 days. Michigan is living in a serious time warp, economically and socially. California does not have the same problems as Michigan because they do not attempt to tax their way out of defits, property values and property taxes are commensurate and California has multiple industries, not just focused on aerospace, manufacturing, etc.
I don't have any kids, nor a wife, just a girlfriend. Although I enjoy working with my hands I switched from a labor job to a desk job about a year ago. I took a cut in pay but I have a lot of potential with it. I'm very good with math, and that's the most important aspect of what I do so i enjoy it. Haha, you could have worse addictions than working hard. Glad you are able to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Germany has a highly profitable auto-industry and strong labor unions. But they (indursty and unions) call themselfs "social partners", which means: everybody gets it fair share of the cake. But 2 thing: a) reluctant leadership is suicid, b) never ever have your pensions at a/your company
I'm just going to clarify the ".357 magnum" comment the commentator made. That IS NOT a .357 Magnum. Glock does not make a .357 magnum. IF it is a .357 at all it is a .357Sig.
Glad people didn’t have this attitude during the 1930s depression - this current recession is nothing compared to what happened after the 1929 stock market crash! As long as we have enthusiastic, ingenuitive, hard working Americans, America will never be finished! Also we have never embraced our past good or bad; we just endure and move forward. Our democracy allows us the right to elect new representation, rebuild ourselves from the ground up if need be and live to fight another day.
We have been an "indebted" nation since our inception; having borrowed money from many established counties to help start our democracy. We do need change; we need to move this country back to being mainly an exporter and not just an importer of goods. Our current economy is based on how much we spend as consumers, not on how much goods and services we produce. Our democracy and our freedoms give us the ability make rapid change. United we stand, divided we fall.
U.S will continue to be the greatest power nation in the world ...... It's just a bad time, but the U.S never be underestimated ..... I hope the U.S stand up again.Hi from Brazil
That Gold toy Corvette he holds at 10:42 is one of the Made In China ERTL series classic cars. The originals were made in Detroit by Jo-Han and then X-L plastics. Good luck finding any toy made in the USA.
She was condemned because the kids were not eating what the schools were offering. My little sister would take her lunch money and put it in the vending machines for chips and pop. Its parents that need to take responsibility. As far as corruption in insurance companies, I haven't read anything on it so I won't argue you on that one.
I'm appalled at the amount of blinkered racism in these comments. I believe that racism contributed towards making Detroit what it is today. Until I was 8, I lived in Delray -- back when it was a Hungarian community -- and returned to the city -- the Cass Corridor -- when I got out of the Air Force in 1974. I miss *that* Detroit. Got out in '81, for warmer climes.
there are many factors to this. 1- real estate has inflated a lot, one has much less money for a car. 2- oil has dramatically increased, so every good s costs went up as well. 3- cars became overly sophisticated instead of simple, they are more expensive to do that way. 4- the market needs a Chevette, no electric package, for a very low cost reliable car that can be bought new. 5- there also needs to be an electric equivalent available, with minimum accessories. 6- Detroit needs to manage goods for homeless - poor in exchange for work - services. 7- salvaging the safe buildings should be a priority, it could be done by homeless people to live in temporally. 8- once cleaned up, wind turbines and solar panels can be installed to save on power in growing food. 9- social services could manage this structure to salvage citizens and buildings together. 10- the city will get safer as people will not be as desperate, and gain hope for improvement quickly. university projects by students could help for the technical process of green food and energy. Detroit needs new ideas to get back up, the economy is so different now, do the math.
"We know nothing else but the car industry". That is the problem. The solution is to adjust. Detroit is no longer the Motor City it used to be. It needs to find a new model to go after. Detroit can rise out of the ashes. It is going to take alot of work.
It pisses me off that you have all the auto workers unions pushing harder and harder and pummeling GM for more and more benefits, higher wages, more generous pensions and when GM is on its knees for these exact reasons, the unions just go but, but, but, but...GM promised us all this money. They turn it around and try and blame GM for all of the problems
German auto-workers get paid over $67.00 per hour. A stationary economy, corporate and union greed, technological advancements, and a global automotive market. When you go all in on one hand(the auto industry) and it losses, well you're screwed.
Yes, I understand profit margins, in fact my job requires I understand them. I work for a manufacturing company in an industry that operates on an average 2% margin. I would be willing to bet 99% of CEOs don't have a $100,000/annual office remodeling budgets. If they do, good for them, they worked for it and the company they are in charge of made a profit that enables them to do so. Many CEOs would decide to reward their employees with profit sharing instead. They have the freedom of choice.
My greatgranpa' was the only blacksmith in town during1901-1922 and with the money that he saved up move over to the selling of chickens & eggs. We all lived off that bit times change. We are now looking for a better business like tobacco & tequila. Detroit will risen in the forefront of efficient alternative-fuel solutions. Take some courses in electronics.
i am from one of the other GM towns in michigan (saginaw) and that town got nailed very badly as well. the numbers of the jobless and crime rate literaly hit the roof!!! it is such an ugly time to be living in here in america, especialy in michigan where the economy is at its worst out of all 50 states :(
Oh, please. The unions overplayed their hand decades ago with abominably high demands for wages, pensions and benefits. Where the auto corporations went awry is failing to stay abreast of changes in customer demand. In the 1970s, when the Japanese were selling Coronas, Corollas and Celicas, the American makers gave us Pintos and Vegas. People want quality, and Toyota, Datsun/Nissan, Honda and Mazda delivered. All that didn't matter, though. At bargaining time, the unions still overreached.
I live in a city with the largest rail yard west of the Mississippi, there used to be thousands that worked there, but now with computers, they don't even need half of the people they used to use. There are people in Omaha NE, on a computer and can tell people in California , Utah etc where a BoxCar is , and where to take it, everything is being done with fewer employees, doesn't matter if your talking Car manufacturing, Phone Company or the Rail Roads its all being done with less workers
I loved it when the CEO and upper management of GM flew to Washington in a G3 to ask for a multi-billion dollar bailout...kind of answers the question of why?
Poor old Detroit. I was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario and a large amount of the steel we produced there went to the automotive industry in Michigan and the rest of North America. We, as a blue collar industrial city always looked on the situation in Detroit with empathy. I hope that better days come for Detroit. They've endured enough.
The problems in Detroit go way beyond GM.
Things I've learned from this:
1. The city's sole reliance on the auto-industry was always a bad thing for their economy.
2. Lack of research and development on the products they are selling. Japan left them behind on fuel-efficiency, Germany and Italy left them behind on overall car performance, And the rest of the world left them behind on manufacturing cost. All of them contributed to the decline of their auto-industry,
3. Education not being prioritized enough like half of the citizens are illiterate.
4. Democrats suck
Thanks democrats
I commute to Wayne State University in the heart of Detroit everyday. I see a lot of things- and I see a lot of depressed people. Sometimes it makes me very sad. But it's my home- it's been my home for 18 years. I love Detroit and most of you will never understand why. But if you've never been here, you have no right to slander my home. Instead of leaving the 'pile of garbage' that most of you think Detroit is to fester, why don't you try helping out? How about praying for us?
"Thats who gave me the opportunity to dress the way I like to dress, drive the cars I like to dress, wear the jewelery I like to wear."
American cars look good but are unreliable and lose their value fast. Japanese cars are boring but reliable, efficient and hold their value. So I heard what my head said and bought a toyota Camry, even though my heart desired a Cadillac CTS. I wish american cars are better built.
GMC = Gotta Mechanic Comin'
There re 2500 Mercedes on Craigs list Phoenix Better, guess so but at twice the cost.
Hahaha gay
"In the U.S. employers typically pay for they're employees Healthcare and Pension" Lol, wish I worked for one of those 'typical employers'
Thank you for mentioning the unions in your response. Decades ago, they repeatedly protested for more and more generous pensions despite the city losing hundreds of thousands of people. And no politician can get elected in Detroit without their backing, so they did whatever the unions wanted. It was a vicious cycle.
They didnt get a good salary, they were getting 74 bucks an hour to do the bare minimum effort. If a toilet backed up, the employees would walk by and say get a plumber, because its not my job. The city set up lavish pensions for all their employees, spent the money and now 1/2 of the entire city budget is needed to support the pensions. There is no money for police or fire and the city has dropped into anarchy. Anybody with money left long ago. And now its a waste land.
I remember when I first came to Detroit I hate this city but as I got older I grew to love this city and I still love Detroit I just don't love what people do and say about the city. ...people just don't care about each other and they don't care about the city like they should....I hope things change soon I hope all the killing stop and love come back to the Motor City 💖💖💖💖💖💖
the whole city depends upon one big company to survive ? its the biggest problem right there.
stop making so much sense.
They depended mostly on many car companies not just one! Obviously, they had plenty of other jobs like any other big city back in the day but all the auto related work was the largest employer.
don,t blame the g m company blame the dam unions strike strike and the riots in the 60,s and 70,s
Robocop is returning. Maybe Alex Murphy can decrease the crime as he did in the 80's.
Detroit stubbornly refused to start making smaller more fuel efficient cars. The Japanese got the jump on us. Plus the quality suffered. It's difficult for a city when its entire economy is primarily based on one industry. As a former Pittsburgher, and a proud American, I hope Detroit finds its way and can reinvent itself.
over inflated corporate salaries are to blame not the unions. Giving their management 6 and 7 figure salaries, and bonuses is shameful when you have to take away a loyal employee's dental care away. Corporate greed is what busted the auto industry to unions.
That’s a great comment still today true.
I am young (late twenties)but not naïve. I realize a companies number 1 priority is profit, or in the case of a non-profit, efficiency. I've worked for a large faceless sort of organization and I've also worked for a smaller company where they are loyal to employees that have worked there for 30 years but even then I know the main interest of the business is to remain in business. I believe a strong work ethic and willingness to adapt ensures you will be an important tool in the company shed.
Just fyi the guys piece was a glock chambered in .357 SIG, not '.357 magnum' as idiot narrator said. You're not dirty harry.
+AssadNizam Relax nerd, not everyone is a gun expert.
+AssadNizam Relax nerd, not everyone is a gun expert.
Dirty Harry used a Smith and Wesson Model 29 chambered in a .44 Magnum, not a .357 Magnum. Just sayin'.
Do the sight shoot 357?.
just a thought: when a corporation promises you something for a lifetime of work, don't assume they will uphold their end of the bargain.
How sad. Good luck everyone in Detroit. God bless them
Thanks democrats
I'm an engineer with 0 benefits, no retirement $65k/yr. My uncle worked at Ford welding the rear gates on pickups in Lorain OH. Last five years at Ford he was on parking lot duty making $100,000 a year. Retired with incredible pension and benefits. A co-worker at a prior engineering job told me how at Ford, someone would sabatoge the line. If the line was down for more than two hours or so, workers were sent home with full pay thanks to the union.
The Union helped kill GM just as much as the executives and the in-ability to manage a brand properly.
The Unions owned something like 20% of the shares. This should never be allowed. This gives leverage in decision making.
When you have a company, you need to make cuts and re-structure to survive. If one type of car 'sucks'... you need to stop trying to sell it to the people. (or 15 types of the same SUV for that matter).
Focus on what sells, and keep it simple. Don't keep dead weight either... this includes union bosses that extort. Put the Union bosses to work on the line for a while.
Welcome to the death of the (former) dominant paradigm, folks.
Another great documentary by Journeyman. Keep 'em coming!
What if you bought the LAND RIGHTS and all the buildings on a city block in detroit? Could you turn that into farmland or would the soil be unable to sustain it?
At 2:36 shows the Michigan Central Train Deport. It went out of business when AMTRAK stopped running trains there in 1987. People take planes instead of trains nowadays. At 2:41 shows the Brush Park neighborhood, with some home built in the 1870s. After WW2, many of these former mansions were converted in apartments, then evolved into flophouses. A few of these mansion have been restored, such as 97 Winder Street built in 1880, and having 11,000 sq. ft. Currently listed at 2.5 million.
357 magnum Glock? lol
Glock only has a 357 sig. The guy on here said 357 magnum, but its a Glock. He doesn't even know what he has. Mossberg all the way!
357 Sig maybe? lol
This is really well made, good job.
Dave Cole talking out his a$$. Those workers paid into those pension plans, be it with lower wages or GM taking a portion of their wages. Until idiots like this realize, that middle to upper management to the CEO, are the reason these companies are failing, things will never change. But i would expect a response like that from him because he's fighting his own corner. CEO pay is up an astounding 725%. The average CEO used to be paid about 65 times the average worker, now it's 273 times the average worker. They get this even though the businesses they are running are failing. Rewarded for failure with bonuses etc and they wonder why things are going wrong.
Bullshit! Workers never contributed one penny to those pensions. They were 100% funded by GM.
Checkm8king2
Worker's built those cars. They earned those pensions. Who are you to say they didn't. Worker productivity in the US has gone up decade on decade since the 70's, yet inflation has out paced their pay rises. They are earning less than they did in the 70's when adjusted for inflation. On the other hand CEO's pay has gone up an astounding 273 times more. Debate me on those issues.
Simple. Look at your paystub. Where does it say "contribution to pension".
Checkm8king2
First off, i'm self employed. It was part of their agreement with GM. It does not matter if they paid into it or not, which my guess is that most probably did. So if i make a work agreement with you and i go back on that agreement then its ok with you? Nah didn't think so.
Poor old Detroit. I was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario and a large amount of the steel we produced there went to the automotive industry in Michigan and the rest of North America. We, as a blue collar industrial city always looked on the situation in Detroit with empathy. I hope that better days come for Detroit. They've endured enough.
Slash taxes and let the unions fail. Detroit is fixed.
Completely false.......Detroit failed because it could not be competitive in a world market.
GM couldn't compete with Toyota, Honda, VW etc. The later are low cost producers, always innovate for consumers benefit & reliable after sales service.
Overpay ? U must be Republican
I paid for college on my own, graduated in 2008 and had the loans paid off by 2012. My parents didn't help at all. My mom's condo was foreclosed on and the company my dad worked for went under about 10 years ago so he was working free-lance and borrowing money from me. I went to community college the first two years and worked as many hours as I could to save money. I went to Northern Illinois where I got my Bachelors, I hope to get a masters one day. I have yet to surpass the 40K/year mark.
Well done what you achieved in studying but my heart is sore that you can’t get a really good salary
@@alundavies8402 I appreciate the sentiment; but in the interum between the previous comment and now, I was promoted, changed professions, and was promoted again, and my salary has increased by a good amount since this comment. I look at this old post and kinda laugh that I wanted to spend time, energy, and money on getting a masters degree.
50 billion dollars aint shit compared to a 800 billion dollar BANK BAILOUT!
no bailout... not if its going to cost the country al that money... instead, lets get rid of the criminals who still have survived hiding in Detroit and put them in jail or process them via the criminal justice system.... then, lets have private industry come to Detroit and further expand.... finally, lets BRING THE ILLEGAL ALIENS TO THIS CITY AND STRUCTURE DETROIT BRICK - PER - BRICK.... HAVE A HARD WORKING CLASS COME TO DETROIT TO STRUCTURE IT AGAIN... AND THE CHEAPEST HAND OF LABOR ARE THE MEXICANS.... SO ... IN OTHER WORDS, HOLMES, THIS COULD BECOME A LATINIZED CITY.... ARRIBA... AMIGO.
Without competition, GM would be more profitable. A very intelligent observation.
"all races are equal"
hahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahhaaaaaa
I realized I was a conservative years before I got a white collar job. while in college when a friend was explaining the ideals of the Republican party. I worked service, retail, labor, carrying around drywall and toting a drill. I had a lot of blue collar neighbors growing up, I respect anyone who works for a living. I have always tested well in mathematics, top 1% in all those standardized tests back in school. I figured I'd try to maximize my ability. Good debate. Take care Lou.
unions did that to motor city.
Susanne Sheffer that and GM never evolved thir product to keep up with Japan.
I’ve never heard of black gangs being referred to as “unions.”
You’re correct, cities can break down but only those individuals who feel entitlement after the break down will fail, those who pick themselves up by the bootstraps and move to find work to support their families win. People spend more time and energy waiting for the actions of others when they should be focusing on making things happen for themselves and their families. Self preservations has been the way of the American, since our beginning.
"Drive the cars I like to dress" oops lol
Journeyman Pictures: In the description, "Detroit is becoming more famous for its murder rate", not it's.
It really is a shame, people that wanted to buy a Toyota instead of a GM vehicle ruined the American economy.
How do you figure, out sourcing of jobs ruined the American economy. Toyota manufactures more vehicles and parts in north America then all the big three combined.
Toyota just make better cars ,full stop ,G.M shit
bob suruncle Oh sure, now Toyota does employ a lot of Americans, but the Big 3 used to employ a lot more Americans. Hiring some Americans is the least Toyota can do after having wrecked the American economy from the 70s to 2008.
Sending our entire manufacturing industry to China ruined the American economy. Printing money like there's no tomorrow ruined the economy. Some guy driving a Toyota had basically nothing to do with it.
Jerry Garner The decline began before they moved to China and massive layoffs happened. All those young baby boomers buying Corollas and Civics instead of Fords and Chevys in the 1970s got the ball rolling.
Thu Phat, again, how do profits go UP for companies that need bailouts? What do you use to count with?
What is scary is its not just the manufacturing industry it's all aspects of employment. My husband has a Ba and 20 yrs exp and he's been out of work for 2 years. It's scary
You're both right. I always thought joining a Union would help us, the non-union workers fared better. Pay union dues and not getting represented properly. Your job is at risk because the union wages and benefits are too high to compete again non-union employers. The companies can't handle the pressure either. Corporate big-wigs and union leaders are on the same side.
on an intellectual note - NYC was declining at a rapid rate in the 70s but managed to turn itself around... Can Detroit follow NYC?
This video is from 2009. It's even worse now because GM doesn't make too many vehicles here in the US and the demand for GM vehicles in general has not recovered.
Stop paying people 30$ per hour that just push a button. I have an actual skill trade of tig welding in aerospace industry and don't make that. I've seen how these union works at a gm plant and it was pathetic. Hidden beds for people to sleep, overtime was just a rotation with next shift rather than more production, no one ever got fired. Union killed Detroit.
so sad to see a once thriving city in ruins.i am G.M.till i die.i always had one,always will.i still believe in G.M. even though some may say i am crazy to do so.feel very,very sad for Detroit.i hope things get better.later.
A lot of us dont have any health care and retirement..I left Detroit in 63 and see that as the best thing I ever did
Anyone know where 09:02 is? I can't figure out through Google Earth where it is.
I've read up on it quite a bit, listened to the radio, watched the news, talked to people that work in hospitals. The ACA is already damaging the economy and has the potential to be detrimental to it long term and that truly concerns me. Come on Lou, any change is not good change. That's like saying trading in your 2013 Ford F150 for a 1991 Ford F150 with slipping transmission is good because its a change. Congress and their staff have been exempted from it, even Unions are now opposing it.
I grew up in Detroit and saw what happened to it after the riot in the summer of 1967. It took a city that was racially divided and made it worse. Instead of people working together, blacks became angrier, whites moved from the central city to the suburbs. Few wanted to sit down and work out the problems from the riots, most wanted to just leave. For blacks, Coleman Young became their symbol of hope and for whites, he was a racist that didn't care if they stayed or left.
hey Journeyman why don't you show some of the new construction in Detroit ?
4 years ago.....
I'm a welder in kalamazoo mi im 21yrs old and i will tell you how hard it is to find production jobs in michigan you are damn lucky if you can find a skilled job at $15/hr.
@plaguex1
It looks to be due north from Renaissance Center?
Randy Sanduski speaking at 13:00 must have had his eyes closed. The miracle was that GM made it as long as it did before falling into government hands.
He is and that's probably why he acts confused about what really caused Detroit to collapse. Detroit had fallen apart before the auto companies left en masse.
That room full of people you see at 12:20, they are part of the problem. Listen to them "my city is dying, people are dying, thousands of children suffer in the city but I want all my money!" This was the attitude that helped lead Detroit to hell, take all you can take and ignore the end result of taking more than production can provide. It does not matter your age or your condition, you can be a bad person at any age. A smart person knows NEVER to pool all your money in one spot.
The American way, "me me me" no concern about the community or the people next door. That's why U.S is in a drown spiral..
From 3,000 people to produce to 50 to produce. If industry is eliminated there is no opportunity to have a viable town anywhere whether its Detroit or West Virginia. If a solution is not figured out for our nation in terms of jobs and industries with living wages, we will sadly no longer have a nation. And this applies to every nation around the world.
"more generous pensions and when GM is on its knees for these exact reasons"
==
That's funny. Any data to back it up?
Union member peaked in 1960s, so did the economic boom. After that, union had no choice but being defensive.
Detroit started declining in 1980s when the management already had upper hand over union thanks to the help from Reagan.
In 1920s, Calvin Coolidge was famous anti-union. the economy went down and car companies nearly lost their business.
Coincidence?
So how much do they get for pension and what are they paying for health insurance?
The main cause of the decline in the auto industry in Detroit is their inability to adapt, and they still haven't done it much. Some American manufacturers have made smaller models that are selling in Europe, but continuing to make big gas guzzeling cars are like a death sentence to GM and other American car manufacturers.
American dream has turned into American nightmare.
@SeanP7195 Here's another funny bit. Toyota makes cars in the US, and at a good profit. They refuse to allow unions in any factory they run, and will close shop and move elsewhere if the workers do decide to unionize.
They did have one factory that was unionized - the NUMMI plant in California, which had a union because the plant was run in partnership with GM. When GM went bankrupt, the union DEMANDED that Toyota pick up GM's obligation. Toyota immediately shut the factory down.
@ the 4:26 mark, the narrator said the pistol is a 357 magnum, he's incorrect, it's probably a Sub-compact Glock 33 that shoots 357 SIG .
UAW workers were paid $75/hr + benefits at one time. I don't know what they get now.
The city of Detroit has been locked in a downward spiral for 40+ years. To think that the negotiations of a UAW contract will make a difference either way is completely laughable. Thank goodness Sanduski didn't lose his pension though. Pity the thought.
I died a little inside when the reporter said the man had a "357 magnum" and then showed his glock.
I think he meant .357 sig, but what would he know.
The government would not do any other group of people like this.nor would any other group aloud this.
The lack of a national health program in the US put the auto industry into a hopeless competetive situation, It cost about $2000 LESS to build a car in Canada than in the USA. The same said for Europe and Asia.
The same applied to all manufacturing in the US. That plus the greed of owners who moved plants to Mexico and China and elsewhere killed the USA. Not even a light bulb or a TV is made in the US anymore. Sad!
when i see those people walking out these plants in danger of loosing their jobs and livelihoods i find it hard to joke about their suffering... in fact, i find it a tad bit sickening.
Most of that was shed after they declared bankruptcy. I don't think you've been paying close enough attention to what's happened to GM. I'm not kidding, most of those contracts simply evaporated when they reorganized. What this man said about the factories only needing 50 people now rather than 3000 then is basically the story. Labor is not needed anymore and nobody has any illusions about it.
Detroit has made a decent comeback. Crime is still rampant beyond the gentrified areas.
I can't relate to that. I'm from the Gulf Region of Texas and living expenses are incredibly cheap. Average petroleum refinery operator is getting paid around $27 an hour, and they are risking their lives in amongst highly flammable chemicals and oil. Considering cost of living in Detroit is below the national average, it doesn't stand to reason that these people are getting 30-40 bucks an hour for a relatively safe job. Not for me at least. However, I do respect your opinion.
Try as hard as you may, you can NEVER compare Michigan to California! I am from California and moved to Michigan and moved back to California within 90 days. Michigan is living in a serious time warp, economically and socially. California does not have the same problems as Michigan because they do not attempt to tax their way out of defits, property values and property taxes are commensurate and California has multiple industries, not just focused on aerospace, manufacturing, etc.
I don't have any kids, nor a wife, just a girlfriend. Although I enjoy working with my hands I switched from a labor job to a desk job about a year ago. I took a cut in pay but I have a lot of potential with it. I'm very good with math, and that's the most important aspect of what I do so i enjoy it.
Haha, you could have worse addictions than working hard. Glad you are able to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Germany has a highly profitable auto-industry and strong labor unions. But they (indursty and unions) call themselfs "social partners", which means: everybody gets it fair share of the cake. But 2 thing: a) reluctant leadership is suicid, b) never ever have your pensions at a/your company
I'm just going to clarify the ".357 magnum" comment the commentator made. That IS NOT a .357 Magnum. Glock does not make a .357 magnum. IF it is a .357 at all it is a .357Sig.
Glad people didn’t have this attitude during the 1930s depression - this current recession is nothing compared to what happened after the 1929 stock market crash! As long as we have enthusiastic, ingenuitive, hard working Americans, America will never be finished! Also we have never embraced our past good or bad; we just endure and move forward. Our democracy allows us the right to elect new representation, rebuild ourselves from the ground up if need be and live to fight another day.
We have been an "indebted" nation since our inception; having borrowed money from many established counties to help start our democracy. We do need change; we need to move this country back to being mainly an exporter and not just an importer of goods. Our current economy is based on how much we spend as consumers, not on how much goods and services we produce. Our democracy and our freedoms give us the ability make rapid change. United we stand, divided we fall.
U.S will continue to be the greatest power nation in the world ...... It's just a bad time, but the U.S never be underestimated ..... I hope the U.S stand up again.Hi from Brazil
That Gold toy Corvette he holds at 10:42 is one of the Made In China ERTL series classic cars. The originals were made in Detroit by Jo-Han and then X-L plastics. Good luck finding any toy made in the USA.
She was condemned because the kids were not eating what the schools were offering. My little sister would take her lunch money and put it in the vending machines for chips and pop. Its parents that need to take responsibility. As far as corruption in insurance companies, I haven't read anything on it so I won't argue you on that one.
I'm appalled at the amount of blinkered racism in these comments. I believe that racism contributed towards making Detroit what it is today. Until I was 8, I lived in Delray -- back when it was a Hungarian community -- and returned to the city -- the Cass Corridor -- when I got out of the Air Force in 1974. I miss *that* Detroit. Got out in '81, for warmer climes.
there are many factors to this.
1- real estate has inflated a lot, one has much less money for a car.
2- oil has dramatically increased, so every good s costs went up as well.
3- cars became overly sophisticated instead of simple, they are more expensive to do that way.
4- the market needs a Chevette, no electric package, for a very low cost reliable car that can be bought new.
5- there also needs to be an electric equivalent available, with minimum accessories.
6- Detroit needs to manage goods for homeless - poor in exchange for work - services.
7- salvaging the safe buildings should be a priority, it could be done by homeless people to live in temporally.
8- once cleaned up, wind turbines and solar panels can be installed to save on power in growing food.
9- social services could manage this structure to salvage citizens and buildings together.
10- the city will get safer as people will not be as desperate, and gain hope for improvement quickly.
university projects by students could help for the technical process of green food and energy.
Detroit needs new ideas to get back up, the economy is so different now, do the math.
I love the way you think.
"We know nothing else but the car industry". That is the problem. The solution is to adjust. Detroit is no longer the Motor City it used to be. It needs to find a new model to go after. Detroit can rise out of the ashes. It is going to take alot of work.
Unfortunetly for them to have you as a dad, and the university for you as a student.
It pisses me off that you have all the auto workers unions pushing harder and harder and pummeling GM for more and more benefits, higher wages, more generous pensions and when GM is on its knees for these exact reasons, the unions just go but, but, but, but...GM promised us all this money. They turn it around and try and blame GM for all of the problems
German auto-workers get paid over $67.00 per hour. A stationary economy, corporate and union greed, technological advancements, and a global automotive market. When you go all in on one hand(the auto industry) and it losses, well you're screwed.
How sad. The unsung heroes of yesterday. God bless them all. Regardless of skin colour.
Pensions are supposed to be separate from other money.
What is happening to the pension money?
Yes, I understand profit margins, in fact my job requires I understand them. I work for a manufacturing company in an industry that operates on an average 2% margin. I would be willing to bet 99% of CEOs don't have a $100,000/annual office remodeling budgets. If they do, good for them, they worked for it and the company they are in charge of made a profit that enables them to do so. Many CEOs would decide to reward their employees with profit sharing instead. They have the freedom of choice.
My greatgranpa' was the only blacksmith in town during1901-1922 and with the money that he saved up move over to the selling of chickens & eggs. We all lived off that bit times change. We are now looking for a better business like tobacco & tequila. Detroit will risen in the forefront of efficient alternative-fuel solutions. Take some courses in electronics.
i am from one of the other GM towns in michigan (saginaw) and that town got nailed very badly as well.
the numbers of the jobless and crime rate literaly hit the roof!!!
it is such an ugly time to be living in here in america, especialy in michigan where the economy is at its worst out of all 50 states :(
Oh, please. The unions overplayed their hand decades ago with abominably high demands for wages, pensions and benefits. Where the auto corporations went awry is failing to stay abreast of changes in customer demand. In the 1970s, when the Japanese were selling Coronas, Corollas and Celicas, the American makers gave us Pintos and Vegas. People want quality, and Toyota, Datsun/Nissan, Honda and Mazda delivered. All that didn't matter, though. At bargaining time, the unions still overreached.
I live in a city with the largest rail yard west of the Mississippi, there used to be thousands that worked there, but now with computers, they don't even need half of the people they used to use. There are people in Omaha NE, on a computer and can tell people in California , Utah etc where a BoxCar is , and where to take it, everything is being done with fewer employees, doesn't matter if your talking Car manufacturing, Phone Company or the Rail Roads its all being done with less workers
That "357 magnum" looks like an awful lot like a Glock. Just sayin.
This video is still relevant today.
I loved it when the CEO and upper management of GM flew to Washington in a G3 to ask for a multi-billion dollar bailout...kind of answers the question of why?
Poor old Detroit. I was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario and a large amount of the steel we produced there went to the automotive industry in Michigan and the rest of North America. We, as a blue collar industrial city always looked on the situation in Detroit with empathy. I hope that better days come for Detroit. They've endured enough.
SuperSix Bravo Well said & totally true.
So can someone please tell me what the bloated executives, boardmembers and shareholders have given up?? GM's boss looks pretty smug and well fed.