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 ya know that the Fed’s never make mistakes.
/sarc
A: A rancher.
LOL!
It's spelled UAW.
I agree. I have a Honda motorcycle, 2 Honda Accords, bought a Honda Civic for my daughter to drive back and forth to college, and also have a Honda lawnmower.....'nuff said.
I was burned for the last time by "American" auto dealers selling "American made" cars.
If the Big 3 had not given Americans a reason to buy foreign made cars (i.e. undependable vehicles, low resale values, and not taking care of their customers when they had a problem with one of their products) they wouldn't be in the position they're in (or not as bad).
I have Hondas because they are a quality product not because they are foreign made. If someone wants my business they have to earn it. Honda has done that and then some.
Sarcasm not appreciated . It seats 4 JAPANESE ( I am Japanese size LOL ) comfortably . Only $ 10,000 . Gets us where we want to go . You got a problem with that ?
Stay away from the Entourage. Other than that, knock yourself out.
” That buggy couldn’t survive a wreck with my WheelHorse garden tractor........
“
Wanna bet a*s***e ?
Paedon the extra * . I was thinking arsehole .
That’s a `Fit’, right? I tried one on once.
Yeah, I do. I put my clothes on, not my car.
I had never been exposed to hentai however and in Japanese bookstores porn isn't separated and I was exposed to the whole tentacle demon sex thing. Also there were those Kogal clubs , which amount to societal institutionalization of pedophilia - from my perspective.
The biggest difference is that sometimes it is dog.
But you are permitted to think "dog" if that's your preference. Less competition for the product keeps the price down. *\;-)
You know what, I think it was dog, come to think of it... Why sure, of course it was!
I’ve been by there, there must be 3000 illegals working full time to build the place.
Which would probably beat armadillo...
No, I’ve ripped up 17 in my 1985 300zx. I live in Clearlake, now, and rip over Hwy 29 between Middletown and Calistoga....
It's two totally different things. I'm sorry you lack the brainpower to see that.
Heard of ‘em. Seen em’. Blown past them and watch their headlights recede around the curves behind me in the distance....
Wow. The 2009 looks impressive. The earlier version was unimpressive. The new one looks fantastic. I stand corrected.
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