Perhaps new manager can turn GM plant around

Perhaps new manager can turn GM plant around
EDITOR:
Did the GM Lordstown assembly plant lose $9 billion in potential revenue?
In 1994, the GM Lordstown assembly plant was awarded $300 million from GM headquarters in Detroit to revamp the assembly plant to produce 450,000 newly redesigned J-Car Chevrolet Cavaliers and Pontiac Sunbirds per year.
GM Lordstown assembly, with a 450,000 per year volume capacity, would become the predominant U.S. plant to build the redesigned J-Car. The GM Lordstown assembly plant implemented a three-crew two-shift staffing operation capable of producing 450,000 cars per year.
Because of engineering bottlenecks and glitches in the totally rebuilt body shop production process, GM Lordstown never even came close to achieving potential production capacity.
According to The Associated Press and GM sources, GM Lordstown assembly produced 213,000 cars in 1995, 277,200 cars in 1996, 302,200 cars in 1997 and 256,100 cars in 1998 -- a four-year total of 1,048,500 cars, before giving up on the 450,000 annual car production goal and the three-crew two-shift staffing operation in 1999.
Potential production volume capacity for the four-year period from 1995 through 1998 was (4 x 450,000) 1.8 million cars. GM Lordstown assembly produced 1.05 million cars in the same four year period. For the four-year period, GM Lordstown ended up with a production-volume capacity loss of 751,500 cars, which translates into a $9 billion plus plant volume capacity revenue loss.
Nine billion lost in production is a pretty dismal return on a $300 million investment.
Is there a mystery as to how GM manages to make a profit? Perhaps a female manager will be Lordstown's lucky charm. And a few good engineers wouldn't hurt.
PAUL TERLESKY
Warren
Justice system easy on criminals, hard on victims
EDITOR:
My heart goes out to the grandparents and the mother of Shannon Kos who was so viciously murdered.
I lost a best friend, who just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, approximately 14 years ago.
My personal feelings toward criminals who have no conscience and deliberately take another's life is an "eye for an eye." They should suffer the same painful death that they inflict on their victim.
Why do we have to support these criminals in jail? They eat well, get to work out and get a free education. Does that make sense?
We as a country deliberately use innocent animals for lab testing. Why not use criminals convicted of a felony? If the lab test fails -- oh well -- next felon, step up.
All of us have choices to make in our lives. If you make the wrong one, you should pay the price. Unfortunately our laws support the criminals and punish the victim.
In this country, if we all knew that the consequence for taking a life would be the sacrifice of your life, I guarantee our crime rate would drop drastically.
To the Shannon Kos family, as heart- breaking as it may be, those criminals will eventually be up for parole. That's when the ball is in your field. Have everyone and anyone sign petitions to keep these criminals behind bars, where they belong.
This is an unfortunate situation that many of us go through in life. Our laws are in desperate need of change. The victims' families deserve justice -- not excuses.
JACKIE FRANK
New Waterford
Blame Clinton for deaths
EDITOR:
This recent carnage on our high school campuses finds its root in the Clinton-led Democratic Party.
"All that is required for evil to exist, is for good men to do nothing."
Bill Clinton is a liar. In my life, that is not acceptable. Those of you who defend him should have difficulty sleeping.
RICHARD McKERNAN
Girard