GM Recognizes Gay Marriages

General Motors will now recognize same-sex marriages for the purposes of insurance and pension benefits.

“GM will recognize a legal marriage for U.S. employees no matter the state of residence,” the automaker said in a statement. “For example, if a GM employee residing in Michigan, where same-sex marriage is not recognized, got married in New York, GM would recognize that marriage.” GM also changed its policies to allow same-sex partners of GM employees to inherit their spouse’s pension when they die. “Because marriage is considered a ‘life event,’ U.S. hourly and salaried employees can add their spouse to their health care coverage at any time within one year from their date of marriage or during the next annual enrollment period with proof of a valid, legal marriage license,” GM said in a statement.

Let's see if this prompts a Dump General Motors boycott by NOM.

General Motors Flies Pride Flag

Somebody's not gonna like this! (Tipped by JMG reader Bill)

Chevy Volt Goes Gay-Friendly

Source. (Tipped by JMG reader Danny)

OnStar Is Always Watching You

Even when you stop paying them.

Navigation-and-emergency-services company OnStar is notifying its six million account holders that it will keep a complete accounting of the speed and location of OnStar-equipped vehicles, even for drivers who discontinue monthly service. OnStar began e-mailing customers Monday about its update to the privacy policy, which grants OnStar the right to sell that GPS-derived data in an anonymized format. Adam Denison, a spokesman for the General Motors subsidiary, said OnStar does not currently sell customer data, but it reserves that right. He said both the new and old privacy policies allow OnStar to chronicle a vehicle’s every movement and its speed, though it’s not clear where that’s stated in the old policy.

It's a literal eye in the sky.

General Motors Thanks America

Yesterday General Motors ran this oddly affecting clip thanking Americans for bailing them out of bankruptcy.

The End Of Pontiac

The last Pontiac was manufactured in August 2009, but it wasn't until yesterday that the contract to sell the 84 year-old line expired at General Motors dealers nationwide. GM will honor Pontiac warranties and dealers will continue to service them, but as of today any unsold 2010 Pontiacs are considered used. The photo above is the 1973 Pontiac LeMans, my first car. Mine was also mint green with a landau top.

GM Lies About Bailout Repayment

Have you seen the below ad from General Motors claiming that they've repaid their loan from the federal government "five years early and with interest"? Yeah, not so much.

Lawmakers, and even the inspector general for the bailout fund GM borrowed from, point out that General Motors only repaid the bailout money by dipping into a separate pot of bailout money. They say the company did not actually use its own earnings to make the early payment and are questioning why executives are making such a big deal out of it.

They borrowed more to payback the first loan and have the nerve to crow about it. And their second lie: "The $6.7 billion is also just a fraction of the $52 billion General Motors received in government aid. Grassley said lawmakers are being told government losses on GM are expected to exceed $30 billion." Unreal.

Your Daily Minute Of Crazy

Rep. Michele "Crazy Eyes" Bachmann says the president and Barney Frank are a "gangster government" because the federal bailout of General Motors including closing some dealerships. Because it would been better to let the company go bankrupt and close ALL the dealerships.

Bankruptcy For GM

General Motors will get another $30B in bailout loans as it steers the company into bankruptcy next week.

The Obama administration is preparing to send General Motors into bankruptcy as early as the end of next week under a plan that would give the automaker tens of billions of dollars more in public financing as the company seeks to shrink and reemerge as a global competitor, sources familiar with the discussions said. The move comes as the administration prepares to lift the nation's other faltering car company, Chrysler, from bankruptcy protection as soon as next week, industry sources said. The shifts into and out of bankruptcy are landmarks in the Obama administration's attempt to broker a historic restructuring of the American auto industry in the space of months.

The UAW retiree health fund will own 39% of the newly structured company as it forgives $10B that GM owes it.

The End Of Pontiac

Today General Motors announced that they will be discontinuing the Pontiac line next year as part of their plan to stave off bankruptcy.

"The objective here is not to just survive but to come up with an operating plan that will allow us to win," Chief Executive Fritz Henderson said Monday. The U.S. Treasury will extend an additional $11.6 billion to GM, in addition to $15.4 billion in existing loans. The government will forgive half the debt in exchange for equity in a restructured GM. Henderson said earlier this month the White House had demanded "faster, deeper" cost cutting. Under the latest viability plan, GM's fourth iteration, the company will idle one additional factory and look to eliminate 500 additional dealers. Other reductions will come sooner than initially planned. GM said it expects to further reduce salaried employee headcount as well, but did not specify a number. The company said it will focus on four core brands in the U.S. - Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC - as it looks to make fewer different models and focus on product development programs. Production of the Pontiac brand will end by next year. "You have a strategy that wins or you have to stop," Henderson said. "We didn't have a strategy that allowed us to win with the Pontiac brand."

The taxpayers will end up owning a good chunk of GM.

Wikipedia: "Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating public or state ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods."

The Freepers are having a field day.

RELATED: My first car was '73 Pontiac Lemans just like this one, so I'll always have a soft spot for the brand.

GM CEO Resigns At Obama's Demand

These days when the president tells you to resign, you do it.

The Obama administration asked Rick Wagoner, the chairman and CEO of General Motors, to step down and he agreed, a White House official said. On Monday, President Barack Obama is to unveil his plans for the auto industry, including a response to a request for additional funds by GM and Chrysler. The plan is based on recommendations from the Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry, headed by the Treasury Department. The White House confirmed Wagoner was leaving at the government's behest after The Associated Press reported his immediate departure, without giving a reason. General Motors issued a vague statement Sunday night that did not officially confirm Wagoner's departure. "We are anticipating an announcement soon from the Administration regarding the restructuring of the U.S. auto industry. We continue to work closely with members of the Task Force and it would not be appropriate for us to speculate on the content of any announcement," the company said.

Wagoner has been CEO for the last eight years of his 30-year run at General Motors.