American consumers not willing to sacrifice quality for better mileage
Re: “Profits over principles,” March 2
Recommended Stories
Two of the three major American car companies are teetering on the brink of collapse, making consumers hesitant to purchase their cars due to fears that the company will go belly-up. Now we have Toyotas with questionable quality control standards. What next? If these companies were building cars Americans actually wanted, this wouldn’t be an issue in the first place. As Mr. Thomas correctly points out, the Ford Pinto gaffe was caused by falsely identifying demand – and the car was built on a rushed schedule to meet a demand that didn’t exist. American consumes are not willing to sacrifice quality control for better gas mileage. If I have to continue driving my 1992 Subaru forever, so be it.
Gregory F. Stanley
Chantilly
Europeans may be unemployed, but at least they’re thin
Re: “It would be worse if we were Europe,” Feb. 26
Irwin Stelzer is right: Unemployment would be worse if we were Europe. But what about America’s health issues? Take obesity, for example. This is an issue where the Europeans have us beat, hands down. Europeans exercise more, eat healthier, and walk more than Americans. I know it’s fun to beat up on our European neighbors, but they are enlightened on a number of issues.
Mary Hopner
Washington
U.S. cannot afford more immigration
Re: “Tax credit bill contains loophole for illegal immigrants,” Feb. 8
According to the Center for Immigration Studies, almost half of all immigrants (both legal and illegal) receive welfare. As the Obama administration intends to grant amnesty to between 18 and 20 million illegal aliens and bring in still more foreign workers, their numbers will increase exponentially. Fifteen million unemployed Americans need jobs that illegal immigrants take. With a $1.6 trillion budget deficit (which is rising by the hour) we cannot afford to import more low-skilled workers and pay for their welfare services, Medicaid, food stamps and incarceration costs. Illegals also include some vicious criminal gangs such as MS-13, drug dealers, and doubtless some Islamic terrorists. Calling for amnesty for millions of illegal aliens and increased immigration during a recession is the ultimate in poor judgment. Vote them out.
Robert Wassman
Vancouver, WA
