Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler will close all of their factories

[Atticus]

Again, for the vast majority of them, it's not the auto workers catching it that's the problem. It's them spreading it on their way to and from work and to relatives at home. The same as everyone else who goes out. It's really a matter if you're comfortable with the number of deaths Italy is experiencing, which haven't peaked yet.

No I get all of that. My point is that unless we are on lockdown for a year until the vaccine comes, many of us will get the disease [[including plant workers). And then it will spread to everyone we are in contact with.

The shutdowns are not to prevent people from getting the disease per se, but to prevent the hospitals from being overwhelmed by people showing up at the same time. And maybe a plant closure is needed to do its part to “flatten the curve”, but the economist in me says plant closures should be one of the final measures implemented given the severe economic impact they have.

No offense to restaurant workers and the hardships they will be undertaking, but the state economy can survive better with restaurants closed and factories open [[Picking the lesser of evils, and again not treating the restaurant closures lightly). And thus it is better to fill the hospital with sick factory workers than sick restaurant workers, because that means the factories keep going. The hospitals are going to be filled by somebody. The real challenge and risk is figuring out how to not put too many people at risk to overwhelm the hospital, but not going too far the other way either because every closure does economic and social damage in other ways.

[401don]

No I get all of that. My point is that unless we are on lockdown for a year until the vaccine comes, many of us will get the disease [[including plant workers). And then it will spread to everyone we are in contact with.

The shutdowns are not to prevent people from getting the disease per se, but to prevent the hospitals from being overwhelmed by people showing up at the same time. And maybe a plant closure is needed to do its part to “flatten the curve”, but the economist in me says plant closures should be one of the final measures implemented given the severe economic impact they have.

No offense to restaurant workers and the hardships they will be undertaking, but the state economy can survive better with restaurants closed and factories open [[Picking the lesser of evils, and again not treating the restaurant closures lightly). And thus it is better to fill the hospital with sick factory workers than sick restaurant workers, because that means the factories keep going. The hospitals are going to be filled by somebody. The real challenge and risk is figuring out how to not put too many people at risk to overwhelm the hospital, but not going too far the other way either because every closure does economic and social damage in other ways.

I get the feeling demand for vehicles will plummet so it won't be an issue for a while. What company is going ahead with that new fleet purchase? What retiree is buying that new caddy when he just lost half his nestegg? What family is going to get the new vehicle for the family vacation? Dealer inventories were already high. The plant shutdowns are probably just moving up the layoffs a few weeks.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

I get the feeling demand for vehicles will plummet so it won't be an issue for a while. What company is going ahead with that new fleet purchase? What retiree is buying that new caddy when he just lost half his nestegg? What family is going to get the new vehicle for the family vacation? Dealer inventories were already high. The plant shutdowns are probably just moving up the layoffs a few weeks.

How is anybody going to buy anything, with out a job? Are they going to use that $1,000.00 check 45 is suppose to give out as a down payment?

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

I get the feeling demand for vehicles will plummet so it won't be an issue for a while. What company is going ahead with that new fleet purchase? What retiree is buying that new caddy when he just lost half his nestegg? What family is going to get the new vehicle for the family vacation? Dealer inventories were already high. The plant shutdowns are probably just moving up the layoffs a few weeks.

Two retirees in my household, each with a lease ending this year. I can tell you for sure that we will have only one car later this year.