Posted on 05/19/2009 10:29:47 AM PDT by American Dream 246
My name is George C. Joseph. I am the sole owner of Sunshine Dodge-Isuzu, a family owned and operated business in Melbourne, Florida. My family bought and paid for this automobile franchise 35 years ago in 1974. I am the second generation to manage this business.
We currently employ 50+ people and before the economic slowdown we employed over 70 local people. We are active in the community and the local chamber of commerce. We deal with several dozen local vendors on a day to day basis and many more during a month. All depend on our business for part of their livelihood. We are financially strong with great respect in the market place and community. We have strong local presence and stability.
I work every day the store is open, nine to ten hours a day. I know most of our customers and all our employees. Sunshine Dodge is my life.
On Thursday, May 14, 2009 I was notified that my Dodge franchise, that we purchased, will be taken away from my family on June 9, 2009 without compensation and given to another dealer at no cost to them. My new vehicle inventory consists of 125 vehicles with a financed balance of 3 million dollars. This inventory becomes impossible to sell with no factory incentives beyond June 9, 2009. Without the Dodge franchise we can no longer sell a new Dodge as "new," nor will we be able to do any warranty service work. Additionally, my Dodge parts inventory, (approximately $300,000.) is virtually worthless without the ability to perform warranty service. There is no offer from Chrysler to buy back the vehicles or parts inventory.
Our facility was recently totally renovated at Chrysler's insistence, incurring a multi-million dollar debt in the form of a mortgage at Sun Trust Bank.
HOW IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CAN THIS HAPPEN?
THIS IS A PRIVATE BUSINESS NOT A GOVERNMENT ENTITY
This is beyond imagination! My business is being stolen from me through NO FAULT OF OUR OWN. We did NOTHING wrong.
This atrocity will most likely force my family into bankruptcy. This will also cause our 50+ employees to be unemployed. How will they provide for their families? This is a total economic disaster.
HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN IN A FREE MARKET ECONOMY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA?
I beseech your help, and look forward to your reply. Thank you.
Sincerely,
George C. Joseph President & Owner Sunshine Dodge-Isuzu
Dear Sir: I only hope you voted Republican and dont have to blame yourself for this mess. You have been Obamanised.
For the first time in 250 years a President has taken charge of auto companies , banks, and mortgage firms, if he were a Republican president the country and th media would be up in arms. Unfortunately the media is as much to blame for this travesty as anyone else, and it isnt over yet.
Pretty soon he will take charge of Health Insurance and his brownshirts will take charge of Communities.
I feel sorry for your loss , but I know that pretty soon you will be joined by almost every tax paying American, you are simply in the forefront.
Hope and Change , Obama has taken your hope and changed your life, much as he changed the lives of poor black DC kids yesterday, when he took the voucher system away.
What a guy, and yet thousands cheer him ,poor ignorant fools. They just havent been nailed yet.
This story will soon face GM.
Menatime this poor men and his employees just got the Dodge Ram rammed up their butts.
I know that the automakers’ problems and the bailout fiasco didn’t start with the election/inauguration of Obama but if any of those people voted for Obama then my sympathy factor drops precipitously.
Excellent point.
A question and a statement.
1. Who is this actor playing Tom Paine in this video that keeps popping up here. I can’t believe the real Tom Paine was that annoying and full of himself. I think I saw this actor in a sausage commercial.
2. It is terrible that innocent workers are suffering for the sins of their management and union. Too bad there isn’t someway of squaring the circle that those who deserve punishment get punishment and the innocent “worker bees” don’t lose their jobs, families, livelihoods and futures.
This is the sort of thing that makes even the most devout falter in their faith.
Just stop it! It is as though we are to just give in and give up. Never! This does NOT have to happen to every American, and it won't if we can help it. Now please help!
There was a dealer on the east coast who was in the top 2% nationwide in revenue - it's on the chopping block. There was the suggestion that campaign donations were the reasoning - but there was another post here that says in the west, a dealer who supported libs is on the list.
There seems to be no rhyme or reason.
The best thing this man can do is send a letter to all his employees who supported Obama and hold them accountable for the change.
Obvious. He’s a Republican.
I’ll wait a day to send this to a few friends. By then it may be shown to be a fake letter. I mean, come on. This kind of thing only happens in the Soviet Union, Venezuela, and Ayn Rand books. Right?
(April 1st was really hard this year. Almost impossible to tell the real stories from the fake ones.)
I believe one of their criteria was to get rid of one-brand dealerships.
So if you just sold Dodges, but not Chrysler or Jeep, you were on the chopping block.
Can’t recall where I heard that, might have been on Cavuto (no web source in any event).
I don’t get the outrage. Not trolling here at all, just one honest question. Is it in the contracts that the companies can do this? If so then what is this guy whining about it’s legit and part of the deal. If not then also what is he whining about sue sue sue the companies which aren’t yet nationalized and cannot claim sovereign immunity.
I recall last autumn someone posted a story about a contractor who was worried about Obama's election. He foresaw nothing but bad economic conditions as a result. The part I recall was him saying that he'd walked out to the parking lot and idententified 3 or 4 of his workers with Obama stickers on their bumpers. They, he said, would be out of a job within a week of his being elected. I'd love to have heard the follow up.
Actually from what I have read he was.
He died pretty much friendless and penniless.
It’d be just awful if the dealership suffered a fire on that date....
The trouble is, from what I’ve seen, it is the franchises that are making money that are being closed and passed on to those which are not.
The letter is real. I called the dealer for confirmation.
Well, I guess he’s a better actor than I thought!
I think, if I were him, I would be looking for ways to protect and maximize my personal wealth during the inevitable bankruptcy.
Take a look at the photo. The guy is a racist - only two black guys and a few hispanics. Hopefully a few years in a re-education camp will help him become a more fair and just business owner.
How is “thinning the herd” going to improve Chrysler’s financial condition?
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