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.
I would love to see a poll which breaks down how many of these 2,700 workers were morons who voted for that p.o.s. Dumbo.
As one who doesn’t frequently follow the following advice:
:-)
Read all the posts; you’ll see that we’ve discussed that into the ground.
Thanks for playing, though.
Wonder if the drive-by media will compare this job loss to the trivial deals Baraq has been flying around the country to publicize?
He's a socialist and definitely no Republican, I don't care how he registered!
this will hit all the industries that provide the components for these planes too
the avionics for gulfstream’s new g250 would use rockwell collins new fusion product - bet that took some r&d to produce and i am not sure if anyone else uses it - but the democrats will probably extend unemployment benefits for another year for those rockwell collins guys put out of work
barry sure is punishing those rich guys that buy private jets
here is the model plane rush tools around in - gulfstream’s g550
I live in Savannah. One would not believe the number of employees of Gulfstream that supported Obama. Guess they are reaping the benefits of his presidency.
Nope, it is still the first hundred days and therefore it is still Bush’s fault. Or so the MSM and Obama will claim.
Well you can always count on Romney.............
/s
I thought I sumarized things nicely for the next reader ;)
That was the little peanut brain, Jimmie Carter.
“Remember the luxury tax on yachts?Who was hurt by that?”
I guess that would be the Boatbuilders and everyone down the supply line. Stupid thing to do.
Are you series?
Now, another manufacturering company that employees highly compensated blue and white collar jobs is shrinking from it's former self - Hope and Change!
i think their new g250 is to be produced in israel - i don't blame these companies for moving to less hostile countries
every time i see those smug congressmen grilling company ceos i get infuriated - i was hoping the oil company ceos would have an opening statement that went like this
"we are tired of your crap - you suck more money from the sale of our product than we make in profits - then you tax us on those profits and when our stockholders realize income from holding stock in our companies, you tax them again
"our companies are successful - if we were not successful, we would not exist - your time would be better spent investigating your own failures in your government bureaucracies
"in any event, we have decided to move to dubai - haliburton has been gracious enough to provide us office space until our new headquarters building is completed
"in closing, we'd like to say that maxine waters is one ugly chick and with an iq of 40, we suspect she is the result of inbreeding - since the voters in her district elect her, we assume they are idiots too - as such, we have decided to discontinue sales of our products in her district
"piss off and good luck with your next victim - we'll reserve space in dubai for them"
You are correct...it was Bush the elder.
That's my favorite part. For as long as I live, I will remember Maxine Water's idiotic pontification during a Congressional hearing about her ability to "Squash" a subpoena. She didn't misspeak, as she repeated SQUASH about 15 times during that same hearing. What an ultra-moron.
Hehehe.
A summary is worth a hundred words.
Democrats saving [THEIR OWN] jobs.
Correction of your previous post.
:-)
"Somebody remembered! Somebody remembered!" /SallyFields
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