Posted on 03/07/2009 10:01:07 AM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist
SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - The layoffs and furloughs at Gulfstream have some people blaming those in Washington DC for what's happening.
Thursday Gulfstream Aerospace announced they are going to lay off 1,200 workers and temporarily lay off another 1,500 this summer. A large number of those workers will be from Savannah. See Gulfstream cuts plane production, announces layoffs.
Gulfstream plans to release more information on exact numbers and what types jobs will be eliminated on Monday. Those layoffs and the company's planned furlough this summer are a direct result of our slumping economy.
But there are some who said Gulfstream's sales issue may be loosely linked to troubles between politicians in Washington and the big three automakers. And many believe that has led to negative connotation with owning what many consider a high class luxury item.
Last fall during bailout hearings for the auto industry, both republican and democratic members of Congress chastised CEOs for using corporate jets.
"It's almost like seeing a guy show up at the soup kitchen in high hat and tuxedo," said representative Gary Ackerman, a democrat from New York.
Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, a republican told the automaker executives, "Look you gotta get rid of the corporate jets you got to get rid of the executive dining room."
Getting rid of private jets is a scary prospect for those whose jobs depend on them. A couple hundred private planes and corporate jets fly in and out of Savannah on any given week.
Jason Davis flew into Savannah today on a King Air aircraft. "It's truly heartbreaking to see such a valuable asset to many companies has now become this dark horse that is almost a tabu, it's a little frustrating," Davis said.
Davis said his King Air allows him to do more business, in more cities, in a shorter amount of time. "It's something aggressive businesses cannot do on the airlines and they can't do with driving."
"I think it's an essential tool because time is money," said Billy Hair, president of Productivity Air in Savannah.
"If it's such a luxury why are our government officials flying all over the country in government aircraft," Hair said. "I think the government is being very hypocritical here."
He said their attitude toward private planes is hurting more than just manufacturing companies like Gulfstream.
"This is going to have a trickle down effect of tens of thousand of jobs and I think the government needs to understand that," said Hair.
He worries if this negative attitude toward private planes continue it will only drive the economy down farther.
No way the prospects of far higher taxes on the rich and a generally anti-business climate are hurting employees at a private jet maker. After all, the employees aren’t “rich” so they’re not the ones Obama is asking to make sacrifices for their country.
You get what you vote for. Buyer’s remorse alert.
Also shame on so called conservatives here who criticized the “evil” big wigs without realizing who gets hurt the most..
“Trickle-up poverty” in action.
/dem
The net result of this was that virtually the entire industry moved offshore to places like the Bahamas.
They need to be force-read Thomas Sowell's Applied Economics - Thinking Beyond Stage One.
Remember when GHB (it was GHB, right?) enacted that 25% luxury tax? Instead of making the rich pay, it absolutely destroyed the yacht building industry on the east coast, and the rich simply used it as an excuse to travel outside the US and buy their fancy yachts elsewhere.”
IIRC, it was Jimmah Carter...the prince of class envy.
“Trickle-up poverty” in action.”
Correct.
NObama is sure proving that ON THE JOB TRAINING does not work.
As the economy recovers—after NObama Biden Pelosi Reid are gone, it will be remembered by the employers to avoid on the job training, IMO.
Nam Vet
Once Obama completes his wealth redistribution you will have to get the money to buy a Gulfstream from 10,000 people like the New Orleans roof perchers, Peggy The Moocher and Henrietta The Whiner.
I did some contracting work at Gulfstream in the 90s in Savannah. I hate to see these good folks lose their jobs. The G-5 is the finest piece of aircraft you can buy in private aviation.
It was Carter..
With GHWB's collusion, perhaps.
Nope.
Now, another manufacturering company that employees highly compensated blue and white collar jobs is shrinking from it's former self - Hope and Change!
It's definitely something stupid Carter would have done, but it was Clinton
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