The Investment Paid Off: GM Adds Thousands of New Jobs

[kpete]

The Investment Paid Off: GM Adds Thousands of New Jobs
Posted by Josh Cohen on Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 2:02 PM

In 2008, the American auto industry was in trouble. General Motors and Chrysler had filed for bankruptcy. In states across the country, more than 400,000 had lost their jobs. Only a few months after he was sworn in, President Obama was faced with the decision on whether to intervene or allow the collapse of entire auto industry and the elimination of an estimated 1 million jobs.

The President chose to save America's car companies and committed the federal government to that mission.

And it paid off.

Now, GM and Chrysler are growing again. For the first time in 16 years, these companies are gaining market share compared to foreign automakers. In fact, Detroit has added 115,000 jobs since emerging from bankruptcy.

MORE:
http://www.democrats.org/news/blog?/blog.html

[Oceansaway]

1. K&R...n/t

[DainBramaged]

2. The new plant producing the Aveo replacement Sonic comes online in weeks in Detroit

The Chevrolet subcompact, which rides on GM’s global Gamma II architecture and is scheduled to begin production in the summer of 2011 at Lake Orion Assembly Plant in Michigan, will be available in hatchback and sedan form. The five-door hatch carries over the styling of the Aveo RS Concept (shown exactly a year ago at NAIAS) while the sedan definitely looks a lot better than the “shoot, we have to make a sedan too?” variant of the industry-darling Ford Fiesta. In fact, Chevy’s press release points out that the two variants look “distinctively different” — with the five door carrying a two-box shape with aggressive, diving feature lines whilst the sedan provides a “notchback” profile and has a more upscale and mature presence. The hatch even looks like it only has three-doors by concealing the door handles of the rear portals in the C-pillar while delivering details never before seen on a subcompact vehicle — including exposed, motorcycle-inspired rear taillamps.

The Sonic will offer the same familiar powertrains as seen in the Chevy Cruze, only in a smaller and lighter package: the 1.8 liter ECOTEC (135 horsepower, 125 lb.-ft. of torque) paired with a either a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic and the 1.4 liter turbocharged ECOTEC (138 horses, 148 lb.-ft. of torque, pro code LUJ) mated with a six-speed manual gearbox. For those keeping track, the turbocharged engine offers 18 horsepower more than the Ford Fiesta.

Inside, the Sonic rings true to the Aveo RS Concept — with a unique instrument cluster featuring a large, round analog tachometer set within an asymmetrical LCD readout accompanied by a large digital speedometer display. The front seats are buckets with available heating while the rear seats fold flat for lugging larger items.

http://gmauthority.com/blog/2011/01/2012-chevrolet-sonic-aveo/

[CTyankee]

3. I hope Obama goes to those factories often and gets lots of press

around his visits. I want to see photos of him shaking hands with smiling, happy workers back on the job.

Nothing succeeds like success and the repukes are just gonna have to sit and take it...