[Ducati] Re: Strike at Harley (NDC) some motorcycle content

[Kathleen Corgan]

Well spoken Art,

I've seen first hand some of the points you mentioned...in 2005, I  
worked in India during the spring, and my Indian counterparts were  
all willing to perform the work we were doing for a fraction of the  
price AND be on call to our producers seemingly 24hrs a day without  
additional pay (and no, we were not saving lives or providing  
essential public service).  The hunger was there...and of course it  
was an unspoken request that we not discuss our pay deals with them.

As far as competing in the global manufacturing market...we were  
amazed during our motorcycle trip in Turkey last spring that probably  
75% or more of the motorcycles on the street were Chinese marques.   
Advertising for Hyosung and other makes was everywhere....you could  
get a small displacement motorcycle (the most popular size) for about  
half the price of it's Japanese counterpart (European marques need  
not even try to compete, unless you're selling to the more affluent  
population in the northern 'burbs of Istanbul).  Throughout the rest  
of the year back home we noticed Chinese marques popping up in a few  
dealerships Stateside...I'm sure here in the city someone's going to  
start marketing them as cheap commuter bikes.

Kath


On Feb 4, 2007, at 1:49EST, Art Ramos wrote:
>
>
>  Somewhat rightfully so.
>
>  Right after WWII we sat right on top of the economic world, we  
> reaped the
> rewards of nations that had been devastated by the war. We took  
> their labor,
> their smartest people and their natural resources. Sure we paid,  
> but at a
> very reduced price. We grew as a nation from this. We sat at the  
> head of the
> global table when it came to world wealth. Today it isn't the same,  
> right
> now we at the middle of the table and the world is catching up very  
> fast.
> Just look at the goods your purchasing and were they come from.  
> Things have
> changed. We used to produce the brightest students and engineers  
> that kept
> us at the fore front. For decades many of the world brightest  
> wanted to come
> and live the American way, it isn't so today. We gained wealth from  
> these
> folks and from the products they designed and produced. Now they  
> can do so
> in their own country comfortably and with great wealth and at a  
> lower cost
> of living. It's a real Global World now! It made all the news last  
> week at
> the New York Auto show, China can produce a car at a labor rate of  
> 1 dollar
> an hour! How do you compete with this? Oh and don't tell me we make a
> better car than they do, we might make some right now, but give  
> them five
> years and let's see what happens. All the American auto makers are  
> in a
> world market bind and it going to get worse. We love to point  
> fingers at the
> worker for our countries problems, but it's really us that we have  
> to blame.
> We are too arrogant to see the writing on the wall. Your going to  
> see more
> knockoff motorcycles coming to the states, give them time as well.  
> We'll
> blame imports, cheap labor, bad economy, unions, political parties,  
> our
> foreign neighbors, Drugs, the Goverment, on and on. Not until all  
> is said
> and done will we really wake up.
>
> We are fat and lazy compared to the rest of the world, they are  
> lean and
> hungry and fighting for their share of the world market. This is  
> something
> we have lost over time. The Romans, the Spanish, and the Britts all  
> sat on
> top of the world at one time, just like us. China I feel will be  
> the next
> great economic engine in the worlds future. I wonder were that will  
> put us?
>
> I live in Phoenix, AZ. By our state law the local waitress or  
> waiter earns
> $2.13 an hour. It's only in the food service industry though. No  
> health
> insurance, retirement, Blah, Blah....Why should we as patrons have to
> subsidise the owners payroll with tips? I can get the same plate of  
> food in
> California for the same price and I still tip. Not all pay this  
> wage, but
> most do here. It's greed, but we as a nation donate to world causes  
> more
> that any group of countries combined. Go figure? Where and when  
> will it all
> end? Hell I don't know. Having fifty tears behind me gives me some  
> insight
> to world change. We've had some great times, I just don't see them  
> happening
> with the broadness like they did years ago. So next time you  
> kicking the guy
> that's on strike at the HD plant, remember you or your neighbor put  
> him
> there by paying $30,000 for a tractor motor! : ) All he's doing is  
> trying to
> hold on to what he's been used to. Rest assure he won't have it for  
> long,
> as most of us won't either over time.......
>
> Just my 2 cents.......
> *****
>
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