Don't get Wyman'ed

The more I drive Toyota's Camry, the more impressed
I become. That is one well-built machine. Fudge, I fear
for Ford and GM.

I don't want Ford to go bankrupt, but if they do,
I must say I won't grieve much. In the 1970's,
Representative "Little Louie" Wyman apparently took his
marching orders from "Henry Ford The Second" when Wyman
managed to forbid the National Highway and Safety
Administration (NHSA) from requiring that cars could only
start if the driver's safety belt were buckled.

Henry Ford II and New Hampshire Representative Louis
Wyman are
responsible for **Millions** of American casualties and
fatalities over the past 33 years. (Not a positive
legacy for New Hampshire.)

If Ford disappears, it would be poetic justice.
GM, on the other hand, anticipated the NHSA's safety
belt-ignition switch regulation, and produced the
safer cars for an entire year before Ford managed to
torpedo the NHSA, an agency that spent time researching
the matter, scientifically and thoroughly.

GM does not have blood on its hands like Ford. If one
U.S. auto manufacturer is to survive, let it be GM.
Ford has a lurid history of disregard for the public's
safety. Pinto, anyone?

GM was playing ball with the NHSA. Ford,
unforgiveablly, chose not to.

I believe approximately 40 percent of Ford's
stock is owned by Ford family members--kind of
astonishing. I'm pleased to see their investment
is down to a mere 8 dollars a share, which is
an 80 percent loss in value from the high seven
years ago.

Also, the dividend was cut in half a few months
ago.

And CEO Bill Ford stepped down a few weeks
ago. I don't believe in guilt by association,
and am not superstitious, but you gotta wonder
if "karma" has something to do with all this.

Oh yes, and the company's Chief of Staff, who
happens to be CEO Bill Ford's brother-in-law, also stepped
down.

"Built_Well" <Built_Well_Toyota@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1159636020.987019.123640@c28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> The more I drive Toyota's Camry, the more impressed
> I become. That is one well-built machine. Fudge, I fear
> for Ford and GM.
>
> I don't want Ford to go bankrupt, but if they do,
> I must say I won't grieve much. In the 1970's,
> Representative "Little Louie" Wyman apparently took his
> marching orders from "Henry Ford The Second" when Wyman
> managed to forbid the National Highway and Safety
> Administration (NHSA) from requiring that cars could only
> start if the driver's safety belt were buckled.[/color]

Don't you mean the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)?


--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

Ray O wrote:
[color=blue]
> Don't you mean the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)?[/color]

Right, Ray O. Thank you for the correction. An agency as
important to the country as the NHTSA should not be misspelled by me.
It's a shame it's not better known. Everybody knows NASA, but how
many of us know about the NHTSA. Maybe more of us would, if it
weren't for Wyman and Ford II.

"Built_Well" <Built_Well_Toyota@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:1159636020.987019.123640@c28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:
[color=blue]
> The more I drive Toyota's Camry, the more impressed
> I become. That is one well-built machine. Fudge, I fear
> for Ford and GM.[/color]


Their problems are a result of their own shortsightedness and arrogance.

[color=blue]
>
> I don't want Ford to go bankrupt, but if they do,
> I must say I won't grieve much. In the 1970's,
> Representative "Little Louie" Wyman apparently took his
> marching orders from "Henry Ford The Second" when Wyman
> managed to forbid the National Highway and Safety
> Administration (NHSA) from requiring that cars could only
> start if the driver's safety belt were buckled.
>[/color]


Let's also not forget the Airbag initiative that they torpedoed during
this era.



[color=blue]
> Henry Ford II and New Hampshire Representative Louis
> Wyman are
> responsible for **Millions** of American casualties and
> fatalities over the past 33 years. (Not a positive
> legacy for New Hampshire.)
>
> If Ford disappears, it would be poetic justice.
> GM, on the other hand, anticipated the NHSA's safety
> belt-ignition switch regulation, and produced the
> safer cars for an entire year before Ford managed to
> torpedo the NHSA, an agency that spent time researching
> the matter, scientifically and thoroughly.
>
> GM does not have blood on its hands like Ford. If one
> U.S. auto manufacturer is to survive, let it be GM.
> Ford has a lurid history of disregard for the public's
> safety. Pinto, anyone?
>
>[/color]

Unfortunately GM does have blood on its hands and is just as evil and
underhanded as Ford when it comes to public safety. One outstanding
example is that death trap, the Corvair, they pawned off on the public as
an alternative to the Voltswagen Beetle. For anyone who doesn't believe
this I suggest they Google "Ralph Nader" and his book "Unsafe at any
Speed" in which he exposes the Corvairs' rear axle tendency to "tuck
under" during certain driving conditions. GM, in an effort to silence
Nader, went on a campaign of intimidation and harassment; Hiring PI's to
investigate his past, tap his phone, and burglarize is office. When this
uncovered nothing GM even went so far as using prositiutes to try and
lure Nader into a morally compromising situation.

Nader eventually found out about GM's subterfuge, sued them in court and
won, and forced GM's CEO to publicly appolige for their shenanigans
before a U.S.Senate committee. If this isn't an example of "a lurid
history of disregard for the public's safety" I don't know what is.

Insomuch as the Pinto (the barbecue that seats four) and disregard for
public safety, you are right on the mark, considering it would have only
cost Ford (at the time of design) an $11.00 modification to fix the fuel
tank problem.

Built_Well wrote:[color=blue]
> The more I drive Toyota's Camry, the more impressed
> I become. That is one well-built machine.[/color]

What year Camry are u talking about any? I want to buy the 2007.

Blondie wrote:[color=blue]
> ....I suggest they Google "Ralph Nader" and his book "Unsafe at any
> Speed"...[/color]


Thanks for reminding us about GM's unsavory history, too.

I seem to recall that Nissan also acted against the public
interest, in a big way. Something about Nissan officer(s) being
indicted (or maybe just censured?) a few years ago after several
people died or were seriously injured in Japan. Maybe somebody
can fill us in on the details. Nice to see that the Japanese
government went so far as to legally indict corporate officers.

The Korean manufacturer Hyundai is no knight in shining
armor either. "Business Week" wrote of the "indictment of
chairman Chung Mong Koo on charges he created a 100 million
dollar slush fund to bribe various government officials..." But that
Sonata is so nice...

Why are Republicans always complaining about too much
government meddling in corporate matters? My goodness, if it
weren't for the very minimal federal oversight that exists,
corporations would totally run over the public.

You know, Representative Louis Wyman and Henry Ford "The Second"
were both Republicans. What a shameful legacy those two have left.
Henry Ford "The Second" just shoveled money into Nixon's campaigns.
(This was before federal legislation was enacted to limit campaign
contributions to $1,000 per person.)

Wyman, Ford, and Nixon...the unholy triumvirate. They're
responsible
for *Millions* of American casualties and deaths on our roads over
the past 33 years. Wyman's last-minute, "midnight" amendment is
still on the books. I guess it's true that the "Enemy Within" is more
dangerous than the enemy outside our borders. Excessive corporate
greed is the enemy within.

I suppose only the tobacco industry and lobby are responsible for
more American casualties and fatalities. The Soviets and the Nazis
never managed to hurt us as much as the auto and tobacco industries.

[email]Denis_333@yahoo.com[/email] wrote:[color=blue]
> Built_Well wrote:[color=green]
> > The more I drive Toyota's Camry, the more impressed
> > I become. That is one well-built machine.[/color]
>
> What year Camry are u talking about any? I want to buy the 2007.[/color]


The '06.

How did the do that, did the force your to buy their products? LOL


mike hunt


"Built_Well" <Built_Well_Toyota@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1159702133.001082.285330@i3g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> Blondie wrote:[/color]
[color=blue]
> I suppose only the tobacco industry and lobby are responsible for
> more American casualties and fatalities. The Soviets and the Nazis
> never managed to hurt us as much as the auto and tobacco industries.
>[/color]

Mike Hunter wrote:[color=blue]
> How did the do that, did the force your to buy their products? LOL[/color]
=====

In the early 1970's, The NHTSA, a government agency, was going
to mandate that cars could only start if safety belts were buckled.

GM was already going along with the NHTSA, voluntarily
incorporating the interlocks in their cars for a whole year. But
Ford managed to thwart a government agency whose job is
to /protect the public./

One of NHTSA's mottos is "People Saving People." I suppose
Ford's motto could be "Corporations Killing People."

Roughly 100,000 Americans were killed during each year of
World War 2. That number of Americans is killed on U.S. roads
about every two years--well, about every 2 years and 3 months.
Evidence suggests that number could probably be cut
by 50 to 80 percent if everybody wore seat belts. And here we're
not even talking about the millions who are seriously injured in
car accidents but survive.

The "Holocaust on the Highways" must end. Wyman's
old law (actually midnight amendment) must be removed from the
books, and the NHTSA allowed to do its job. It kinda reminds me
of some of those old state laws still on the books outlawing
sodomy in the privacy of one's old home! (It would be kinda
funny if it weren't so sad--millions paying with their lives, limbs,
and
health.)

It makes no sense. It's simply one of those illogical, irrational
laws that's
still on the books. What *Audacity* on Henry Ford's part
to thwart a government agency whose job is to protect the public.

"Built_Well" <Built_Well_Toyota@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1159636020.987019.123640@c28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> The more I drive Toyota's Camry, the more impressed
> I become. That is one well-built machine. Fudge, I fear
> for Ford and GM.
>
> I don't want Ford to go bankrupt, but if they do,
> I must say I won't grieve much. In the 1970's,
> Representative "Little Louie" Wyman apparently took his
> marching orders from "Henry Ford The Second" when Wyman
> managed to forbid the National Highway and Safety
> Administration (NHSA) from requiring that cars could only
> start if the driver's safety belt were buckled.
>
> Henry Ford II and New Hampshire Representative Louis
> Wyman are
> responsible for **Millions** of American casualties and
> fatalities over the past 33 years. (Not a positive
> legacy for New Hampshire.)
>
> If Ford disappears, it would be poetic justice.
> GM, on the other hand, anticipated the NHSA's safety
> belt-ignition switch regulation, and produced the
> safer cars for an entire year before Ford managed to
> torpedo the NHSA, an agency that spent time researching
> the matter, scientifically and thoroughly.
>
> GM does not have blood on its hands like Ford. If one
> U.S. auto manufacturer is to survive, let it be GM.
> Ford has a lurid history of disregard for the public's
> safety. Pinto, anyone?
>[/color]

OK. Did you know that in 1974 that Ford also built cars with those
ridiculous seat belt interlocks? I drove one in driver's ed. It was a
lot to go from a 62 Corvair to a 1974 LTD Land Yacht. We only had a Corvair
at the time at home. I'm afraid that a lot of these 'madatory' safety
things is to make the nut behind the wheel think he's safer.

Charles of Schaumburg

On Sat, 30 Sep 2006 21:39:20 GMT, Blondie <DontCallMe@Home.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>Unfortunately GM does have blood on its hands and is just as evil and
>underhanded as Ford when it comes to public safety. One outstanding
>example is that death trap, the Corvair, they pawned off on the public as
>an alternative to the Voltswagen Beetle. For anyone who doesn't believe[/color]

Yes, but... :-)

The Beetle actually had the same flaw and nobody ever made a fuss
about them.

GM certainly did have dirty hands in this case, and Nader was right to
raise a public stink, but I always wondered why he didn't make a fuss
about VW too.

On 1 Oct 2006 10:27:53 -0700, "Built_Well"
<Built_Well_Toyota@hotmail.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>Mike Hunter wrote:[color=green]
>> How did the do that, did the force your to buy their products? LOL[/color]
>=====
>
> In the early 1970's, The NHTSA, a government agency, was going
>to mandate that cars could only start if safety belts were buckled.
>
> GM was already going along with the NHTSA, voluntarily
>incorporating the interlocks in their cars for a whole year. But
>Ford managed to thwart a government agency whose job is
>to /protect the public./[/color]

I could swear that our '72 Mercury had the same interlock.

On Mon, 02 Oct 2006 09:36:36 -0400, Stuart Krivis
<jd@mongo.krivis.com> wrote:[color=blue]
>On Sat, 30 Sep 2006 21:39:20 GMT, Blondie <DontCallMe@Home.com> wrote:[/color]
[color=blue][color=green]
>>Unfortunately GM does have blood on its hands and is just as evil and
>>underhanded as Ford when it comes to public safety. One outstanding
>>example is that death trap, the Corvair, they pawned off on the public as
>>an alternative to the Voltswagen Beetle. For anyone who doesn't believe[/color]
>
>Yes, but... :-)
>
>The Beetle actually had the same flaw and nobody ever made a fuss
>about them.
>
>GM certainly did have dirty hands in this case, and Nader was right to
>raise a public stink, but I always wondered why he didn't make a fuss
>about VW too.[/color]

Hey, don't forget Porsche - they STILL build cars in the 911 family
that way (rear engine, rear wheel drive, swing-arm or modified link
suspension) and the handling is described as "Spirited" not
"Dangerous".

Corvairs are not dangerous if driven sensibly by informed drivers.

Where it got Dangerous was fools pumping all four tires up to 32
PSI, not following the Owners Manual to the letter (14 Front 28 Rear
or thereabouts). When you pump the front tires up that hard with a
minimal load on the front end (empty trunk, 1/4 gas, no passengers)
you reduce the contact patch to the size of a dime and essentially
have no traction.

Push understeer that eventually turns to snap oversteer.

And if you can't drive through it and get control, you are going for
a wild ride. Been there, Done that - caught my Corvair going sideways
on me more times than I'd like to remember. But none of them were
real shockers, I knew I was pushing the envelope every time.

--<< Bruce >>--