Posted on 12/13/2008 6:26:05 AM PST by re_tail20
The Other American Auto Industry
Plenty of car makers make a go of it in this country--they're just non-union and not headquartered in Detroit.
West Point, Georgia
Drew Ferguson IV is a 42-year-old dentist whose family has lived in this town, population 3,300, "since God put us here." To be precise, the family arrived eight generations ago. Ferguson went off to the University of Georgia, then on to dental school, after which he came back to West Point. He and his wife, whom he met in college, have four kids. A year ago, Ferguson was elected mayor. "There's a reason I live in West Point," he says. "I love it. There's a sense of place here." No doubt, but West Point is located in what might also be considered the middle of nowhere. It's pinched between I-85 and the Alabama border. Atlanta is a good hour's drive away.
West Point today isn't the same town Ferguson grew up in. Textile company executives used to live here. But when the textile industry collapsed in the 1980s, the victim of foreign competition, they moved away. Thousands of jobs were lost. A few small technology firms took up some of the slack. But the high-tech bust of the late 1990s proved to be another job killer. "We survived without a federal bailout," Ferguson says sarcastically. Now, while much of America wallows in the gloom of a recession, there's great joy in West Point. "West Point will have more economic growth in the next 24 months than anywhere else in the country," Ferguson boasts. And he may be right.
(Excerpt) Read more at weeklystandard.com ...
I have lived in rural like places that turned into pavement too. As long as nobody pauses to reframe the problem from “too few jobs” into perhaps considering it is “too many workers” then this will continue to happen. Our country is getting more crowded. At least it feels that way. When I grew up everybody we knew had houses, garages, ample yards. Now we know people with very tiny yards, condos, etc. where they often don’t even own the ground the dwelling sits on.
West point is a corrupt little town spent many summers on West Point lake. They were probably glad people lost jobs and had to move.
Things aren't always as they appear.
Once the people decided it was okay for the government to impose property taxes - nobody owned their property anymore. The government owns it and "homeowners" merely rent from the government. The government can raise the rent at will. And if the property "owner" doesn't pay what is demanded, he will be evicted - by deadly force if necessary.
The last Chevy I bought was built by UAW workers who are owned lock, stock, and barrel by their union boss thugs, and I felt like I was like buying a car from the Mafia.
Unions had their place and were necessary in the early decades of the 20th century. But IMHO they have long since outlived their usefulness, and have become criminal enterprises rather than supportive partners with industry and commerce as our US industries struggle to compete with aggressive foreign competition that isn't weighted down by corrupt unions.
"Why would a worker in Alabama or Texas making far and away the best wages he ever could want to join the UAW?" says Washington attorney Richard Wyatt, who specializes in labor issues. "The UAW has no story to tell these people that makes any sense."
. . .
Also, nearly all elected officials, Republicans and Democrats, are favorable to business. The efforts are bipartisan.
It's also worth noting that one of the most important factors in attracting new auto manufacturers to the South over the last 15 years really had nothing to do with auto manufacturing or government incentives at all: efficiency improvements and consolidation in the railroad industry.
Auto manufacturing relies heavily on railroads to carry inbound parts/components and outbound finished vehicles. Efficiency improvements in the railroad industry now provide these manufacturers with a much greater global reach, and mergers/acquisitions among the railroads have helped streamline the process. The acquisition of Conrail by Norfolk Southern and CSX in 1998 was probably a huge factor, for this provided competitive rail service into the nation's largest consumer markets in metro New York and New England -- and enabled auto manufacturers in the south to move finished vehicles on a single rail trip with a single carrier (either NS or CSX).
The Dems want to force unions on these jobs. They are making the entire Country Detroit.
Pray for W and our Troops
BTTT
That's outrageous, the governor of the state should have called out the National Guard to retake possession of the company's property.
I have said this before on FR, IMHO the Teamsters, the UAW, and the teacher's unions are the largest criminal enterprises in the US.
All the more reason that the Big Three should have brought the union to it's knees years ago.
Let them strike. I'd be willing to support the companies if they had held their ground and pushed the UAW back in it's place.
They had a chance as recently as a year ago. The companies bent over and gave the UAW a new contract with little concession in 2007. That means company management was not willing to do their job. Why should I help support them now? Management and the UAW are both to blame.
>> Let them strike.
The effect is a petition for a portion of your salary.
Red States = Pro Business :)
The very idea of paying 97% of wages when they don’t work is absurd as are many of the other elements that lead to a $73/hr wage bill. A bailout simply allows the auto firms to avoid the hard decisions it must make to become competitive with other auto makers.
It is amazing to me that the shareholders of corp. allowed this management team to continue offering these sorts of benefits—97% of salary if not working?! —unless the unionized autoworkers do get stock as part of compensation...anyone know?t
“Toyota is building a new plant in the Tupelo, Ms area. It will produce vehicles in 2010. A $1.3 Billion investment and 2000 jobs.”
And how many of those jobs will be filled by the drooling, whining, idiots sitting in their homes in Michigan, complaining about being out of work? Over qualified and under brained!
“How do the Big Three manage to de-unionize their plants? “
Ch. 11.
“I have said this before on FR, IMHO the Teamsters, the UAW, and the teacher’s unions are the largest criminal enterprises in the US. “
And you are 100% correct!
How do they de-unionize the Big Three plants? Chapter 11. Life goes on but union contracts are on the table and can be voided. It would help to make Michigan a Right-To-Work state at the same time.
I'm sure they did see it coming, but were stuck in the stranglehold of the UAW. When they try to get concessions from UAW, UAW threatens to strike and stop production of their vehicles. Stop production=stop inflow of $$.
And if the "Big 3" tried to move production lines south, UAW threatens to strike again. UAW wins concessions to keep x amount of vehicle production on their turf.
Best medicine for "Big 3" is bankruptcy. UAW bloodsuckers are forced by bankruptcy court to "take it or leave it" on pay and benefits, and then "Big 3" can have a fighting chance to compete with non-union shops in the south.
When will Michigander autoworkers realize that UAW is taking their money and spending it on fancy union HQ in DC, parties and "retreats" and trips and campaign donations to crooks and liars?
I think the Big 3 de-unionizes their operations by adding one more thing to what you say. Close the plants and shut them down. Go open new ones in the South, abandon Ohio and Michigan. I’m sure every southern state would give the Big 3 the same incentives they are giving the transplants.
It’s time to end an abusive marriage and stop being enablers of an alcoholic. They have got to divorce the UAW and move out of the house.
Please don’t include IN in your list of pro-union states. We have Toyota and Subaru plants here and they are non-union.
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