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No sympathy for Detroit at a Kia plant in Georgia
Los Angeles Times ^ | Nov 28,2008 | Richard Fausset

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 ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Georgia; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: automakers; detroit; ford; gm; kia; uaw; unionmadejunk
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To: waterhill

soy sauce, sugar, garlic. Very little tomato in asian cuisine.


21 posted on 11/29/2008 5:25:53 PM PST by ari-freedom (Conservatives solve problems. Libertarians ignore problems. Liberals create problems.)
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To: MrEdd

Well, I have been to downtown Atlanta, and its no prize.


22 posted on 11/29/2008 5:27:10 PM PST by CharacterCounts (1984 was supposed to be a work of fiction, not a how-to manual.)
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To: SeekAndFind

The term American made car is a stretch in and of itself IMO. My Dodge Truck was made in Mexico. Jeep is made in Canookistan I think (could be wrong)..... These days the term assembled in America may be the better rant as to what is or isn’t good for USA. Not sure of the validity of the statement yet once heard that more than 90% of Toyota was made in America and assembled here yet Big 3 were using mostly foreign made parts and being assembled here......anyone know if that is true ?


23 posted on 11/29/2008 5:27:46 PM PST by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet)
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To: sionnsar

I am imagining it to be a terryaki style as in Japanese cuisine.


24 posted on 11/29/2008 5:27:47 PM PST by waterhill (An armed man has the means for independence)
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To: MarkL

You ever think about a Subaru?


25 posted on 11/29/2008 5:29:02 PM PST by wastedyears ("Al Gore is an apostle of arrogance." - Vaclav Klaus, Pres. of Czech Republic)
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To: freebilly; EggsAckley
I drive over a mountain twice a day and it is awesome....

So that's you tearin' up 17...?

< |:)~

26 posted on 11/29/2008 5:29:25 PM PST by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: ari-freedom

Ok, sounds delicious! Especially pork...


27 posted on 11/29/2008 5:31:05 PM PST by waterhill (An armed man has the means for independence)
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To: Azzurri
Did somebody put a gun to her head to buy this Cadillac?

No, but once Detroit gets its bailout there will be a gun to all taxpayers' heads to pay for Cadillacs and their counterparts.

28 posted on 11/29/2008 5:31:13 PM PST by NittanyLion
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To: SeekAndFind

Bulgogi is mashi-sao!


29 posted on 11/29/2008 5:31:57 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet (Barack Obama: In Error and arrogant -- he's errogant!)
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To: SeekAndFind

I bought a KIA Sportage. I hate driving in general, but I do love driving that car. I’m proud and glad it’s made in the USA. It’s no surprise to me that it runs so well.


30 posted on 11/29/2008 5:32:21 PM PST by pray4liberty (Always vote for life!)
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To: waterhill

And the Koreans are really expert at walking (sp?) the dog, I hear.


31 posted on 11/29/2008 5:33:05 PM PST by Revolting cat! (Everytime they open their mouth they shoot themselves in the foot.)
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To: Phoenix11
I come from a neighboring county {Heard}and the prospects of employment from Kia or Honda to the west are a bright spot for the whole area.Some 90% of the folks here have to commute to work anyways.
32 posted on 11/29/2008 5:33:10 PM PST by Dixie Dawg
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To: SeekAndFind

I sure wish Detroit could be more like Detroit.
—Hyundai owner


33 posted on 11/29/2008 5:33:15 PM PST by JulienBenda (Erasmus: (paraphrasing) "Logic would dictate that one call a shovel a shovel.")
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To: NonValueAdded

I won’t brag on a ‘57 Honda, but I will brag on my old ‘89 Honda. Best car I ever owned, especially compared to the various Detroit junk that I had driven previously. If it hadn’t been for that woman in the SUV that tried to cut across three lanes of stopped traffic when the third lane was not stopped, I would still have that car today.


34 posted on 11/29/2008 5:34:23 PM PST by yawningotter
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To: SeekAndFind

The only thing I have to say to this is...the American auto makers make lots of fuel efficient vehicles. And they are cost competitive. And dependable. Buyers have a choice.

The unions are killing the US auto industry, not the product.

But keep in mind, if we need to ramp up production for a full scale war..Kia and Honda??? Even the “pope mobile” for Barry is a GM product.


35 posted on 11/29/2008 5:34:37 PM PST by berdie
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To: waterhill

“What is in Korean bar-b-que? Is it tomato or vinegar based?”

Neither really. It is generally based on ginger, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, onions and lots of red pepper paste. In some restaurants the meat is cooked on a metal pan that is then directly served sizzling hot. This is generally beef.

Another way you’ll find it is where they have a grill in your table and the meat is cooked there. You’ll get pork, beef, chicken, fish, and goose this way. Then you take a big leaf of lettuce (not iceberg) and put the cooked meat inside along with spices, rice, pepper and then pop the whole thing in your mouth. This way is technically not bulgogi but the meat is prepared pretty much the same way just cooked and served differently.


36 posted on 11/29/2008 5:35:50 PM PST by driftdiver (No More Obama! - The corruption has not changed despite all our hopes.)
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To: SeekAndFind
"You ever heard of anybody braggin' on a '57 Honda?"

FREE CLUE HERE.

If your first though is to go back 51 years for something to brag about, you ain't got it anymore.

END FREE CLUE.

37 posted on 11/29/2008 5:36:35 PM PST by Izzy Dunne (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
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To: Revolting cat!

I think you meant ‘woking’?!

Seriesly, garlic is essential in cooking....


38 posted on 11/29/2008 5:37:12 PM PST by waterhill (An armed man has the means for independence)
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To: waterhill

“I am imagining it to be a terryaki style as in Japanese cuisine.”

It can taste similiar but not as sweet and a lot more spicy.


39 posted on 11/29/2008 5:37:47 PM PST by driftdiver (No More Obama! - The corruption has not changed despite all our hopes.)
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To: NittanyLion
No, but once Detroit gets its bailout there will be a gun to all taxpayers' heads to pay for Cadillacs and their counterparts.

Yeah, but taxpayers already had a gun put to their head when Kia was given $420 million in taxpayer subsidies to open there, too.

40 posted on 11/29/2008 5:38:49 PM PST by Azzurri
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