The Bankruptcy Woes of GM

I had heard last night that General Motors had decided they would declare bankruptcy on Monday, June 1st. The news didn't come as a shock to me, because I know GM was one of several automobile manufacturers that were having trouble in this economy. It is definitely a sad day though, mainly because of GM's long standing in the American tradition of making cars. I feel saddened for all employees of General Motors from the guys who make the cars, to the guys who sell the cars and all the way down to those who fix the cars. It is another sad reminder of the mess the country is in.

General Motors has been a part of my family life since I was a small child. My grandfather, a mechanic for over fifty years, has always stated his preference for GM vehicles. He has always felt and always taught everyone in the family that if you want a quality made car you should buy American and if you bought American you should buy GM. His favorite make of GM cars is Chevrolet. To this day the sight of a Chevy car or truck practically gets his mouth salivating.

I live in Port Saint Lucie, Florida and many of my neighbors feel the same way my family and I do about GM cars and trucks. I simply find it hard to imagine that GM is having this kind of financial trouble. I will still trust the automaker's ability to produce a quality vehicle, but I don't know if I'll ever trust the top-brass of the company. Poor decision making on their part, coupled with what's been happening economic-wise, has created this tailspin. If there isn't an internal company shake-up I don't know if there'll be a General Motors to buy cars from in the future, which is a crying shame.

I own a 1991 Buick Park Avenue, which was manufactured by GM. Buick; in my opinion has been the crowning achievement of General Motors. The cars practically drive themselves. This is the kind of quality I would like my children to be able to experience when it comes to cars, but I'm not sure if that will happen now. Like I said, I still trust GM's ability to make a car; I'm just not so sure if I trust the fact that they'll be around to continue making cars.

Of all GM dealerships the one that plays a large part in my family history are those that carry the Roger Dean name. My grandfather worked at two Roger Dean dealerships and was proud to be part of the GM family. When my car still needs extensive work that we cannot perform, we take it to Roger Dean Buick in Fort Pierce, Florida on US1. The kind of service we receive there is also a big part of why we like GM cars and trucks.

I only hope that General Motors can find their way out of this. I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but it has. As President Obama has pointed out several times, the auto industry is an American crown jewel. We shouldn't let it slip away, but sadly it seems to be doing so. All I can say for now though is what my grandfather has always said, "if you want a quality made car, buy American. If you buy American, buy from a GM dealer."