As if I Need Another Reason to Despise Unions and Dislike GM...

     My readers know two thing's: I'm Radically Pro-Business and I DESPISE Unions.  The UAW and it's co-conspirator in The White House is doing wonders for the Economy.  GM, has(d) that Beaming Commercial running for The Masses about how they'd paid themselves out of debt; and did it "straight", while having $52 BILLION worth of stock owned by the Mother Government.  Today, they're touting a "profit" of $865 Million!  It is a co. I wouldn't consider if I could take 20% profit a week (but I'll still drive a Cadillac, which I consider their only "saving grace brand").  One has too much Disease Risk when he jumps in bed with a Whore.  
     Remember how much more competitive GM was going to be coming out of bankruptcy. Aside from shedding a lot of its debt and attendant costs, the company was going to emerge with a competitive labor cost structure.  Here's a blip which does not change my opinion:

From the WSJ:

     Three years after General Motors Co. won wage and benefit concessions from its union, the company has yet to realize savings from a key provision that cuts pay by more than half for new U.S. hires.
GM’s deal with the United Auto Workers cuts the combined wage-and-benefit cost for a newly hired factory worker to $25.65 an hour, compared with about $60 an hour for current workers. By comparison, the nonunion workers at Toyota Motor Corp.’s U.S. plants cost the company approximately $48 an hour in wages and benefits, Toyota says.
     But GM can’t add new workers at the lower wage yet. It still has 5,000 laid-off workers who, under their contract terms, have first crack at any union jobs that the company adds, and most would return to work at the higher pay level.
Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group LLC have similar union contracts allowing them to hire workers at the lower wage, but they also haven’t hired significant numbers of new workers.
     “That’s probably one of the reasons the UAW agreed to [the lower wages]. They knew right off the bat there wouldn’t be a lot of leeway for the companies to hire new workers,” said David Whiston, an auto analyst at Morningstar Inc. “There will always be this fundamental difference—that the Detroit companies have union shops” and the U.S. plants of foreign makers don’t.
     If you want to find a pony in all of this I guess it would be that the company is managing to make a profit despite getting no relief from its labor costs. Nevertheless, you might want to keep this little bit of information in mind just in case you have an urge to take a plunge on the upcoming IPO.

Still LUV my Ford! (Vehicle and Stock)

I'm ALL FOR the VAT Tax...

...but I've just a couple caveats.

[Link] 

Take time to remember a Great American...

     Ronald Reagan would have been 99 years old, today.  He was the Greatest President of the 20th Century.  You Young Guns who read my posts may not remember, but he was the driving force of the Go-Go 80's; and Us "Ol' Geezers" lament the loss of Great Americans like him...

We miss you, Ron.

"They've killed Kenny, those bastards"...

When I see these colors on the Holding screeen to my right and on the Working srceen to my left; then, swithing view, I see these in Cowboy... (knowing Green are the gainers...)

     I have flashbacks of the Rookie Days; the feeling just after Buying a "Sure Thing" in time for the  Bust or Holding shares 'til the wither.

I had to Calm Down, then, and I'm staying Calm, now...well maybe.  I'm not so cocky, nowadays that I say, "We're so far Up in The Market, WHO CARES what happpens" with abandon (although, I still say it...).

I'd, normally, save the following for my Viewpoint Blog, but its too apropos:

     Our REAL problem isn't today.  It's the investment quandry we're facing , in the months to come, when the Central Gov't Stimulus begins to run out.  The Leftist Congress and their crony in the White House have chosen not to create a real stimulus for job growth and prosperity through tax incentives.  They have given feel good money to the Masses (which may have well been free Crystal Meth) and propped up companies which should have been downsized years ago.  All this while giving Unions a new foothold in the 21st Century, and the American People looming deficits which are sure to cripple the Economy in the furture.

     The bright spot on the horizon is that 2010 is an election year.  The General Populace which put this Leftist Regime in power, either by their votes or lack thereof, will surely be awakened.  As for the leftist legistlation currently on The Hill; let's hope that, indeed, "The sight of the Gallows quickens a Man's Mind".

(Tim Geithner looks as though he's thinking, "How much longer do you expect the American Poeple to swallow this jive?"...)

ON CLWR...

Let me take care of CLWR!  If the company goes bankrupt, I don't care.  And WHY, as miserly as I am, would I make that statement?  Beacause THAT"S where I got the Idea for our New Strategy which is going to pay and pay and pay in the future.

HERE'S ANOTHER GOOD LINK FOR YOU: United States House of Representatives, 111th Congress, 1st Session

...and let these fellows know, too!

Representative Offices - United States House of Representatives, 111th Congress, 1st Session

I Should Have Kept Channel Surfing...

     This fellow was on HLN, today, saying the time to buy individual stocks is over.  Really?, what then?: "Get into ETFs".

    

     I say anyone who watches 5 minutes of commentary and thinks they know what Positions to take; well, they're not us.  I have advocated ETFs for Commodity Trades, but this low-rent version of the old Mutual Fund is not to replace our R&D and Due Diligence. 

    

     My views on "The Masses" is prominently known, but how stupid does somone have to be?...  Those people are satisfied with a 10% annual increase in their Portfoio.  I wouldn't waste a keystroke to Buy with that return...

This year has both spoiled us and made us more savvy.

A MEEK Moment. "No, Douglas, tell us ain't so..."

Last week I cut the Cowboy Trade in TGIC in half

because I was uncertain about the trade.

      I  owe dinner to a couple people.   As the GP and Prime Motivator of "Cowboys", the only explaination is that I must have had a mini-stroke.  Sure the money was dispersed to other Holdings, but WOW.  Wow-oh-wow...

Harbingers Of Slower Growth (or losing gains)...

       For the first time, my advisors are cutting fees.  Unsolicited discounts in management fees (after already bargained down) is an interesting development.   2009 isn't over, but I seriously doubt is we could achieve the gains we had this year in 2010.  I don't expect the phenom in +%'s to run, even with increased R&D.  I'm up 300% (and heavy change) for the year, but not w/o some Dealing (we've paid broker's kids tuition even at Scott and TD).  Those of us who were IN took a hit in the Fall of '08; but I'd glady take another hit (with the same % loss) to have the same runup in 2010.  The last block of trades we made went to Holding Accounts with the exception of TGIC.  Even that trade, I cut in half and spread to our other Buys.

     As for losing gains: we won't.  It's the contunued plays which concerns me.  The Game isn't over, but I think it will be awhile until we're playing in another Bowl.

     

     Maybe we should think about reorganizing The Clique into

a formal Investment Concern.

(more truth than fiction in this...)

Results from The Quorum re: Next Years Taxes is due, soon.