Posted on 06/05/2009 11:13:34 AM PDT by pissant
Zero Hedge covers a court hearing involving terminated Chrysler dealers with some follow-up on its previous analysis of Dealergate and possible Clinton-tied cronyism in Arkansas.
Tyler Durden points to one very interesting declaration from Ethel L. Cook, a Chrysler dealer based in Little Rock. Click on his post for the PDF link to the full testimony, but here’s an excerpt:
Having reviewed the pattern of assumption and rejection of dealers throughout their region, I have detected a pattern: In every market where there is a dealership connected with former Penske Automotive executive Steve Landers, or his new automotive partnership with “Mac” McLarty (former Chief of Staff for President Clinton) and Robert L. Johnson (majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats), the competitors are rejected.
In the Little Rock, Landers Chrysler Dodge Jeep is located far out of town in Benton, Arkansas. Nevertheless, the two Little Rock dealers, Cook and Crain were rejected.
In the Fayetteville, Arkansas area, Landers-McLarty Dodge Chrysler Jeep is located far out of town in Bentonville, Arkansas. Competitors Springdale Dodge Chrysler, Steve Smith County Jeep and Jones Brothers were all rejected.
In the Shreveport, Louisiana market, Lee’s Summit Dodge Chrysler Jeep (a Landers McLarty dealership) is located in Bossier City, Louisiana. Both competitive dealers, Claude de Beaux in Vivian, Louisiana and Greater Birmingham Dodge Chrysler in Shreveport were rejected.
In the Springfield, Missouri market, Tri-Lakes Motors (a Landers-McLarty dealership) is located in Branson, Missouri. Competitors Heritage Chrysler Jeep in Ozark, Missouri and Ramsay Motor Company in Harrison, Arkansas were rejected. A pattern seems to be emerging. Everywhere there is a Landers-McLarty dealership, Chrysler has rejected the competition.
In the Huntsville, Alabama market, Landers McLarty Dodge Chrysler Jeep, is located in Huntsville. Competitor Cloverleaf Chrysler Dodge Jeep was rejected.
Favoritism and cronyism towards preferred dealer group is not a valid exercise of business judgment.
I’ve said it before: WHERE THE HECK ARE MCCONNELL, BOEHNER AND THE REST OF THE REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP ON THIS ISSUE?
Busy securing their own friends’ dealerships? I don’t know.
I agree but by who?
The MSM is effectively a branch of the Baraqqi government.
Maybe it’s faulty memory, but I think in the Clinton years there were at least a few critics in the MSM.
They're not back from surgery yet.
Has Michael Steele weighed in on this yet?
.
Aw cum'on! They ain't having them removed..they NEVER has them...
Rolling over. That’s where they are. They want to go along for the ride more than they want to do the right thing for the people.
“Everywhere there is a Landers-McLarty dealership, Chrysler has rejected the competition.”
Given that this dealer group is backed in part by a billionaire, it might be very likely that the RLJ dealerships are the best capitalized and best performing dealers in those markets.
But they aren’t
>>>But they aren’t
I did not see anything in the article to indicate that the closed dealerships were better performing than those left open. Please provide a source indicating that the closed dealers outperformed the RLJ delaerships.
True. Not in this piece. Read up on the many other deleargate pieces that have been posted here and elsewhere.
I have read several. I have yet to see anything that indicates that the closed dealerships competing against RLJ were outperforming RLJ.
Again, you have a former Penske exec and a billionaire backing these dealerships. I don’t think it is surprising that these would survive against ownership grouops that may consist of only one dealer.
Just saw Cook on Neil Cavuto's show and she really waffled! Maybe she was just nervous to be on live television or maybe she was overcoached by her lawyer, but boy did Cavuto's jaw drop when she went soft on the McClarty claims. I'm sure Ethel Cook meant well, but somebody a lot tougher and hard-charging should be making these appearances.
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