General Motors (NYSE: GM) disclosed yesterday that it had borrowed another $4 billion from the Treasury Department, raising its total indebtedness to us to $19.4 billion.
The New York Times reports that "G.M. originally said that it would need an additional $2.6 billion from the government to operate through June 1, but added $1.4 billion to that amount."
Whoops! GM underestimated its cash needs by an astounding 53.8%!
What I don't understand is why the U.S. government is just doling out the cash without asking questions. Get those people out of there! The problem with this latest shortfall is that it's indicative of just how bad GM's predictions for the future are: If the company couldn't estimate with reasonable accuracy a few months ago how much cash it would need now, how can we possibly believe its rosy predictions for a turnaround?
Oh and GM is now expected to file for bankruptcy sometime around June 1, a filing that then-CEO Richard Wagoner said was "not an option" just a few months ago.
While Wagoner bickers with the company over his $20 million severance package, it's time for the SEC to start looking at some of the optimistic predictions the company has made over the past few years, and maybe investigate the myriad GM executives who've been dumping stock lately for insider trading.
But of course none of that will happen. Instead we just dump more money into the company.











Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-23-2009 @ 3:00PM
Ken Templin said...
I am not a GM fan (car buyer or shareholder), but it is very easy to criticize an error in a forecast (micro or macro) to make a point and much more difficult to develop a prediction, especially an accurate one about the future.
5-23-2009 @ 2:43PM
ij70 said...
Mr. Bissonnette, GM is getting money for political reasons, not economical reasons. As long as Mr. Obama and his party are in office, the GM will be kept afloat so that UAW remain a viable organization.
The best I can guess is that GM will finally be gone in the end of 2009. Until then Mr. Obama will keep it afloat.
5-23-2009 @ 3:32PM
RON said...
i wonder how many so called learned economists predicted las year that we would have the recession/ depression that we are now in? a prediction of the future is based somewhat on past history.
5-23-2009 @ 9:01PM
BUSTED said...
with all that cash seems like g.m. cars should be almost free
5-23-2009 @ 10:00PM
UAW LIVEON said...
I have had it with GM shutting down operations in the U.S. and increasing production in other countries to ship cars into the U.S. for sale. We gave them a bail out to created and save jobs not eliminate them. I say that the government and UAW take over GM and fire the board of directors and fritz henderson.
5-23-2009 @ 10:53PM
Yon said...
GM's demise has been long overdue. It is about time their dangerous junk gets off the roads.
5-24-2009 @ 12:55AM
AUSA Corbo said...
GM officials should be prosecuted and jailed, they take our tax dollars, then lie and take more with no intention ever of repayment because they will be declaring bankruptcy in the near future.....Their actions are 1005 CRIMINAL....Wake up Obama !!!
5-24-2009 @ 3:04AM
ij70 said...
@UAW LIVEON
This sort of thing takes time, a year or two. Your expectation of results within less then a year is very unrealistic.
On related note. I am not looking forward to Government Motors or UAW run car company. All I have to do is to look at Soviet cars that I grew up with. I will not buy what you want to build.
5-24-2009 @ 8:53AM
Donavan said...
I for one refuse to do business with any bank,automaker, or business that has received TARP funds. My Government forced tax donation is enough money contributed to any of them.
5-25-2009 @ 1:37PM
Mary said...
Unions are ruining this country.