Posted on 03/10/2010 6:40:52 AM PST by laotzu
The head of the Toyota National Dealer Council today blasted the federal government for using 'taxpayer dollars' to fund incentive campaigns to lure customers away from Toyota, and accused GM of using ‘fear’ in an attempt to lure away its customers, 1200 WOAI news reports.
"As an American citizen, it is tough on my part to pay tax dollars to an entity that can turn around and use those tax dollars to get my fellow American citizens to not do business with me," Paul Atkinson, who owns Atkinson Toyota in Bryan Texas, and is President of the dealer council, tells 1200 WOAI news.
Atkinson says when General Motors was going through bankruptcy last Spring, Toyota behaved in a 'compassionate way,' and did not use GM's uncertain future as a 'lever to steal its customers.' But he says now that GM has been strengthened with taxpayer money, it is using 'low blow tactics' to hurt his business.
"The government owns 60% of General Motors, and these American tax dollars are funding business activity for one company, with the express goal of negatively impacting another company," Atkinson said today.
Atkinson specifically cited GM dealer mailings which he says have been targeted at existing Toyota owners. He called it ‘a nationwide predatory advertising campaign that uses fear in an attempt to lure customers away from Toyota and Lexus dealers.’
"There are some mailing lists which have been given to dealers, and there have been some mailers, in fact, I've seen several of them," he said. "On the outside of the envelope it says 'important Toyota recall information enclosed.' But when you open up that envelope, it is nothing more than an advertisement trying to get you to come trade your Toyota in at a GM store."
Atkinson calls those 'predatory incentives,' which he says should not be allowed to be employed by a company which is majority owned by US taxpayers against another company which employs hundreds of thousands of Americans.
"We will be sending letters out to Senators and Congressmen, as well as (Transportation) Secretary (Ray) LaHood," Atkinson said. "It's really unfair that American citizens have to fund this."
Atkinson also suggested that the recent Congressional hearings and federal government concern over Toyota's accelerator problems may have been sparked less by a desire to protect the public, and more by a desire to protect the federal government's investment in GM.
"There is a list of twenty manufacturers on these recall lists, and Toyota is number 17," he said. "If we're having hearings on number 17, what are they doing about numbers 1 through 16?"
Atkinson said business at Toyota dealerships was down 10% in January and down 8% in February, but the dealerships are standing behind Toyota products.
"Despite all of this, we outsold all of the other manufacturers in February except for one," he said. "Let's get these numbers in perspective. Sure, our sales are down, but we are outselling a lot of other brands."
Here. I've done your homework for you.
See H.R. 5133 and S. 2300, introduced in 1982, to take full effect in 1985.
This federal mandate forces seven foreign auto mfgs(Datsun, Honda, Volkswagen, Mazda, Subaru, Mitsubishi, and Toyota) to manufacture their autos in the USA.
If it soothes, be advised that it had the full support of the UAW.
I fully expect for your continued denial, even in the face of factual evidence, or for you to suddenly decide that it doesn't matter.....which ever is more convenient to you.
Har!! That is too funny. Thanks.
You’d better pick another make, most Harley’s don’t go very fast. ;)
I’ve owned three Harley’s and nineteen other makes since 1949, I’m still riding, I have a Suzuki SV650. I’ll be ‘80, later this year.
My father had a 3800 Park Ave and would regularly hit 30 mpg. That big ass car could cruise on the highway with the engine barely above idle, yet had gobs of torque to pass cars when needed.
I used to laugh at the old man with his log book at every fill up... I must have been passed down the genes... every fill up of my Harley gets filled out on an Excel spread sheet.
My mother had a '76 Dodge Dart and never changed the oil. The slant 6 never seemed to mind that. Her '80 Toyota Corolla did, however. As a kid, I thought it was cool to see a glowing chunk of metal spit out the back of the car at night. It was a piston.
Where in HR5133 or S2300 do they mandate a company to manufacture their autos in the US? I didn’t see that anywhere.
Blackie, you’re the man! I have been married for going on 22 years and I hope my husband is ALIVE AND KICKING like you when we are married for 46 years. God Bless You!
“...Buick...Dodge Dart...Toyota...”
My Buicks, 3 of ‘em, were 93 Regal GranSport, 94 & 98 LeSabre’s, all 3800. Great cars etc, as earlier posted. My first new car was a Dodge Lancer with the slant six - it was a good engine. No problems with that, a great car too. Then I had an ‘70 Dodge Polara followed by a ‘74 Dart, both with the 318 V8. The Polara had more power and better gas mileage than the Dart - result of the polution crap on the ‘74 Dart. I lived in Ireland for 3 years, then bought a new ‘81 Toyota Corolla when I came back. Will not buy another Toyota anything.
Thanks for the confirmations.
I found a pretty good article on this legislation over at the Heritage Foundation website. Go to:
http://www.heritage.org/research/energyandenvironment/ib87.cfm
Thanks Brwnsuga, I was kidding about getting a faster bike than a Harley...any bike is better than no bike, really!
You’ve been married 22 years... you got married real young, didn’t you? ;)
Barb and I will have been married 47 years on June 29th, this year. It is my third marriage and her second.
If it ever stops raining, I’ll fire up the SV650 and go for a blast over the back roads...
Go rent the “Untouchables” and learn from it.
Ron White
Thanks, and I’ve actually already read that one. My point was that I don’t like it when people report “facts” that aren’t so. The law is about domestic part content, not about location of the manufacturing plant. Even if the effects were the same, I think the actual facts should be discussed.
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100112/CARNEWS/100119974
http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/toyota-extends-brake-override-154194.aspx
The law is about "domestic content". Domestic content involves both labor & parts. While true that it does not mandate where the plants are located, they must use US labor & US parts(defacto: in the USA).
I appreciate your interest, but feel that I am doing all the homework. Which actual facts would you like to discuss?
The bill said it was simply "US value added as a percentage of wholesale price." That's what constitutes domestic content. Although I was wrong to assume that meant simply parts (I just did what I accused you of doing), I don't see where they must use US labor.
I appreciate your interest, but feel that I am doing all the homework. Which actual facts would you like to discuss?
All the homework? I knew enough that it didn't mandate plant location. Besides, I didn't think it passed the Senate.
Please read the article I suggested.
1. Have you tried your link lately?
2. Have you even read the text of the bill?
3. I have read the article you sent (you can use a Google cache of it to review). I did miss the part where domestic labor can constitute domestic content (as I was under the assumption content only meant parts), but the article is a think tank opine. It does not have the text of the bill. It does not say that US labor must be used, although it implies that in order to meet the content requirements, it would not be economically viable to produce the cars outside of the US.
4. Is this discussion not moot, as the bill died in the Senate? I thought it did. Yet you replied in this thread with authority as it was a law, so I thought I was mistaken. But now I can't find any reference to it becoming law. HR5133 passed in the House, but S2300 did not. The follow up bill was S707; it died. I know of no other follow up.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.