Buy American, not domestic

Automotive Industries, Dec, 2004 by Joseph J. Neff

I disagree that we should buy Big 3 cars to protect the excess pay, benefits and health care costs of the small 13 percent of American workers who are union. The Big 3 lost market share because they allowed the UAW to forced excess pay packages instead of concentrating these past 35 years on short- and long-term quality, durability, reliability and customer-desired product features.

Please don't ask Washington or taxpayers to subsidize excess pay and benefit packages for Big 3 workers and retirees. The contracts are between the employers and the unions, not taxpayers. My 40-year career as a chief engineer does not provide employer sponsored health care, early retirement benefits prior to age 65, inflation adjustment of benefits, or benefits exceeding 20 percent of my former salary. I can't afford the reduced durability and reliability of Big 3 cars, hence I recently bought my fourth American-built Honda since 1981.