Posted on 11/29/2008 5:04:06 PM PST by SeekAndFind
The residents of this town are learning to enjoy Korean barbecue, and are wary of bailing out American automakers. 'The foreign cars took the lead, and they deserve it,' says one.
This attractive old mill town along the Chattahoochee River, with its brick downtown and streets of cozy, unpretentious homes, could be the backdrop for a patriotic American car commercial -- lacking only the plaintive croak of a Bob Seger or John Mellencamp.
But America's Big Three automakers, which are teetering at a financial abyss, shouldn't expect much sympathy here.
Kia Motors, the South Korean automaker, is building a plant in town, promising 2,500 jobs to help replace a textile industry that has all but vanished. The locals are excited to have nonunion work that will start at about $14 per hour. They are discovering the joys of bulgogi -- a different kind of barbecue -- at the Korean restaurants popping up.
And many are wondering why Detroit still thinks it's so special that it can ask taxpayers for a $25-billion bailout.
"The foreign cars took the lead, and they deserve it," said Emile Earles, owner of Sweet Georgia Brown, a gift shop on a quiet downtown thoroughfare.
Earles, 60, said she is fed up with Detroit -- fed up with its fat labor contracts, its arrogant CEOs and even her Cadillac, which gets only 15 miles per gallon and cost her dearly when gas spiked to $4.
Buying American, she added, "is still a big deal. But you can only be patriotic until you can't afford it anymore."
Such sentiments represent more than a marketing problem for the CEOs of General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, who will return to Congress next week to argue that a federal cash infusion will help them avoid bankruptcy.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Don’t worry, 0Bambi will come to the Union thugs’ rescue with card check legislation.
I agree. They made the mess.. They should clean it up. If declaring bankruptcy is the way to save them, so be it.
I would go to South Korea again.
I have no interest in ever returning to Japan or the Philippines although I would rather go to either of those before spending an hour in Detroit.
Learning? Took me one bite, and that was in a Korean restaurant where nobody spoke English -- we were not their target market.
No, salesman Eddie, but I haven't heard them bragging on their 83 Mustang or their 1990's something Caprice Classic either.
If you are ever on the east coast, and have a hankering for Korean BBQ, there are tons of places in Palisades Park and Fort Lee, NJ, all of which are good to great.
South Korea has changed a lot in the last 10 years. Much more modern, traffic and the roads are better. Lots of technology everywhere.
of course they are recovering from having a socialist government so the economy is in rough shape.
Also note to self: try out that Korean BBQ in Bellevue...
“Learning? Took me one bite, and that was in a Korean restaurant where nobody spoke English — we were not their target market.”
They have some very good food.
I'm gonna do some bragging on my 2004 Honda Civic si. There is nothing GM makes for the price that can come close to it in terms of handling. I drive over a mountain twice a day and it is awesome....
What is in Korean bar-b-que? Not trying to be funny, just curious. Is it tomato or vinegar based?
Still love my Sonata, which is built with pride in Alabama. Great on fuel, considering the fact that it has six under the hood. The Detroilet defenders (or, more accurately, defenders of the piss poor management of the big three) can stuff it.
But the way things are going, my next car will probably be a Korean make, unless I can find a really great deal on a used Toyota or Honda: They've just gotten to be too expensive to buy new. My first Corolla cost a bit below $10,000. My second was in the neighborhood of $14,000. Today, a new Corolla of the sort I drive runs nearly $20,000. And even "Toyota Certified" used ones run between $15,000 and $18,000!
It's a shame, really, but they're just pricing me out of their brand.
Mark
Korean BBQ is sufficiently different that the question doesn’t quite apply. Maybe somebody here can explain...
Hey, this is in my backyard (almost!). LOL.
I live in the same county as the KIA plant. It’s in the southern part and I live in the northern part. Although the sign used in the story was from when it was first announced over two years ago. It looks a lot different now. I keep posting on here [the internet] to people who say that the whole industry is suffering, not just the unionized automakers. [They think there should be a bailout, me - not so much]. This story gives me another source to cite. Although, they are a little off in some of their points. There are not Korean restaurants popping up in the area. Most people only go to West Point to go fishing in the lake. And unemployment here in Troup Co. is at 7.0%, not 8.9%. They are correct about the textile market though. We’ve had a couple of major employers in that industry close over the last several years. And a lot of people are excited about having a new employer of their size in this area.
Did somebody put a gun to her head to buy this Cadillac?
This UAW issue can either make or break the GA special election. Now the GWB/mcCain Republican party of pre-election 2008 would work with democrats to bailout UAW democrat voters, dis Georgia and loose that Senate Seat also. has the party learned ??
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