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GM Boss Hopes Senate Gets a Charge From His Hybrid

This time, GM's Wagoner drives Volt to hearings

By Peter Fearon,  Newser Staff

Posted Dec 4, 2008 3:05 AM CST

(Newser) – Last time they went before Congress rattling tin cups, the chief executives of the Big Three automakers made the mistake of flying to Washington in luxuriously tricked-out corporate jets. Today GM chief Rick Wagoner is driving a fuel-efficient hybrid Chevy Volt prototype to Senate hearings on the proposed bailout for the car companies, reports the Detroit Free Press.

GM  officials plan to start building a production model of the Volt in late 2010. The car is designed to travel on electricity for 40 miles. A gas engine kicks in to recharge the batteries, power electric motors and provide a few hundred miles more of driving.

The Chevrolet Volt is unveiled at a General Motors centennial celebration in Detroit. Whether the corporation survives to build it may depend on Congress.
The Chevrolet Volt is unveiled at a General Motors centennial celebration in Detroit. Whether the corporation survives to build it may depend on Congress.   (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner steps from a Chevrolet Hybrid car yesterday at his hotel in Washington after driving from Detroit to testify at Congressional hearings on the auto industry bailout.
General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner steps from a Chevrolet Hybrid car yesterday at his hotel in Washington after driving from Detroit to testify at Congressional hearings on the auto industry bailout.   (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
GM CEO Rick Wagoner (right) speaks as the other chiefs of the Big Three automakers listen during testimony before Congress in an earlier plea for bailout help.
GM CEO Rick Wagoner (right) speaks as the other chiefs of the Big Three automakers listen during testimony before Congress in an earlier plea for bailout help.   (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
General Motors CEO Rick Waggoner speaks at a press conference in Beijing in October.
General Motors CEO Rick Waggoner speaks at a press conference in Beijing in October.   (AP Photo/Greg Baker)
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COMMENTS
Showing 1 of 1 comment
Guest
Dec 4, 2008 8:35 PM CST
Tashacherry.com) Bad News for 2009 The headlines today offer a grim reality for 2009. Stock markets are in a crisis and no doubt that it will hit 7000 by year’s end. Companies like circuit city are using the pension of its retired employees just to stay afloat. The failing of our banks and credit systems ripple down and affected many other sectors of the U.S. economy; the sector at the forefront today is the automotive. As congress listens to the automotive companies few understand the impact of what it would mean for them to fail. Collectively Ford, GM and Chrysler employee over 200,000 employees and is responsible for hundreds of thousands of pensions. Not to mention the companies that makes the parts for the big three. Job loss is 533,000 and the unemployment rate is 6.7 verses 6.5 in October that brings the number to date, negative a million, the largest drop since November 1974. That’s the worst in 34 years, while we are hitting historic numbers one can only assume that our worst days are ahead of us. As the news rally around the distressing information my question is why we aren’t rallying around possible solutions; this seems to me to be about survival not striving in the U.S. economy. Are the answers that we are looking for right in front of our face? How can we recognize the right solutions and not fight against the very things that will help us out of our crisis. The News reports that some are terrified that if we don’t get the housing and credit market under control that this could become worst that the recession. However, I know that God allowed my family to make it through the recession; I know this because here is sit and if he did it for them he will do it for us. While, I don’t presume to know all the answer I will share with you some practical things that I am doing. I am on a 7 day a weekly menu my parent often spoke of how they had fried chicken every Sunday. I change my menu every month but it’s the same concept; this is practical because you can go to bulk retail stores like Sams Club. You can also save cooking time by cooking that day’s menu for the whole month. An example would be if you wanted to make spaghetti sauce for the month. After you make the sauce you can vacuum seal them and when you are ready to cook them you just put the bag in a pot of boiling water and it will ready in a matter of minutes. Another thing that can help is to go through your budget and try to buy extra items every month. You might also want to invest in buying seeds for your spring or summer garden or even to trade.

More Newser Stories

Big 3 CEOs Head Back to DC—This Time by Car

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Big 3 Execs Finish With Senate

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GM, Chrysler Mull 'Packaged' Bankruptcy to Get Bailout


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