Time running out on “Cash for Clunkers”
(NECN: Katie Davis - Dedham, MA) - Time is running out for people looking to trade in their gas guzzlers for new cars.
The popular "cash for clunkers" program ends Monday night at 8PM.
That means it's been a busy weekend at car dealerships across the country.
The program was supposed to run for another two weeks.
But because of enormous popularity, the $3-billion from the government is almost gone.
That means employees at many car dealerships are working overtime.
But dealerships are still waiting for the government to pay up.
One Stockholder’s advice for GM
I face the day with a new sense of obligation and responsibility. I am, after all, now part of the taxpayer bloc that owns 60 percent of General Motors. None of us sought this role, but we now have it. In that spirit, a few suggestions for my/our company:
* Build fuel efficient vehicles that are not shaped like eggs. Every car looks the same these days. Put some of that design expertise to work.
* Listen. To our customers. They know what they want. To our employees. They know what’s wrong with the cars. Get both groups in the loop.
* Cut the nonsense. Americans hate the hassle of buying cars. The internet has cleared up some of the mess, but be transparent in pricing. Stop trying to sell us the undercoating. Make cars that don’t rust.
* Move! The company wouldn’t be in this shape if you’d made critical decisions sooner and faster. Get it in gear.
* And finally, don’t abandon the muscle car. There’s still a market for it. Make it nimble, make it fuel efficient, and make it good looking.
