Posted on 07/05/2009 7:07:12 PM PDT by reaganaut1
When it was deciding where to build its new compact car, General Motors Corp. made a point of saying it would push politics aside and use strictly commercial criteria.
So Tennessee's three top officials were astonished last month, in a meeting with GM, when they were told the first two criteria were "community impact" and "carbon footprint" -- or how the choice would affect unemployment rates and carbon-dioxide emissions.
"Those didn't strike us as business criteria at all," said Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, who was joined in the meeting by fellow Republican Sen. Bob Corker and the state's Democratic governor, Phil Bredesen. Those factors, Mr. Alexander said, "seemed odd for a company struggling to get back on its feet."
On June 26, after a monthlong competition, GM tapped an existing factory in Orion, Mich., pushing aside competing plants in Spring Hill, Tenn., and Janesville, Wis.
All the sites had merits, but the Michigan plant had additional attractions. It is embedded in a struggling state that is a Democratic stronghold. The Orion site, 35 miles from GM's Detroit headquarters, is also close to tens of thousands of current and former United Auto Workers union employees, whose pressure previously helped persuade GM to scrap plans to build the car overseas.
The area has one of the region's highest unemployment rates, at 12.4%, though the Wisconsin site's was even higher, at 12.9%. Janesville, by contrast, offered a less-expensive labor pool, according to people briefed on the plan. In Spring Hill, GM has a new, $225 million paint shop. The Orion plant's paint shop needs to be replaced.
Set to emerge from bankruptcy within weeks, GM declined to disclose the factors it weighed in picking Orion, but said the process was free of political meddling.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
I'm thinking either a Toyota truck or an F-150 and I don't care how many "inducements" or "rebates" the government offers to buy one of their pieces of junk.
Get by with used cars built pre Colonel Obama until the this experiment in fascism runs its course, maybe?
You can do that when you are funding it with the taxpayers $ and don’t worry about profit.
Of course there wasn't. Since the government owns the company, it wasn't meddling, it was just a command.
ANYTHING attached to UAW or unions is off our buy list..... after they backed this POS Precedent Criminal from Kenya. I will research before I buy new parts and if need be will use the salvage yards.
Even had they chose TN or WI .......no more of my dollars get spent without knowing their destination. UAW or MSM or others supporting the socialist POS in the WH.
Doom on em all I hope they get damn hungry for what they have done to this nation !
BTW below was in my e-mail this AM..........:o)
If George W. Bush had made a joke at the expense of the Special Olympics,Would you have approved?
If George W. Bush had given Gordon Brown a set of inexpensive and Incorrectly formatted DVDs, when Gordon Brown had given him a thoughtful and Historically significant gift, would you have approved?
If George W. Bush had given the Queen of England an iPod containing videos of his speeches, would you have thought this embarrassingly narcissistic and tacky?
If George W. Bush had bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia, would you have approved?
If George W. Bush had visited Austria and made reference to the non-existent “Austrian language,” would you have brushed it off as a minor slip?
If George W. Bush had filled his cabinet and circle of advisers with people who cannot seem to keep current on their income taxes, would you have approved?
If George W. Bush had been so Spanish illiterate as to refer to “Cinco de Cuatro” in front of the Mexican ambassador when it was the fourth of May (Cuatro de Mayo), and continued to flub it when he tried again, would you
have winced in embarrassment?
If George W. Bush had mis-spelled the word advice would you have hammered him for it for years like Dan Quayle and potatoe as “proof” of what a dunce he is?
If George W. Bush had burned 9,000 gallons of jet fuel to go plant a single tree on “Earth Day”, would you have concluded he’s a hypocrite?
If George W. Bush’s administration had okayed Air Force One flying low over millions of people followed by a jet fighter in downtown Manhattan causing Widespread panic, would you have wondered whether they actually “get” what
happened on 9-11?
If George W. Bush had been the first President to need a teleprompter Installed to be able to get through a press conference, would you have laughed and said this is more proof of how he is inept he is on his own and is really controlled by smarter men behind the scenes?
If George W. Bush had failed to send relief aid to flood victims throughout the midwest with more people killed or made homeless than in New Orleans , would you want it made into a major ongoing political issue with claims of
racism and incompetence?
If George W. Bush had ordered the firing of the CEO of a major corporation, even though he had no constitutional authority to do so, would you have approved?
If George W. Bush had proposed to double the national debt, which had taken more than two centuries to accumulate, in one year, would you have approved?
If George W. Bush had then proposed to double the debt again within 10 years, would you have approved?
So, tell me again, what is it about Obama that makes him so brilliant and impressive? Can’t think of anything? Don’t worry. He did all this in six months — so you now have three years and six months to come up with an answer.
Ford? I have one. Fix or repair daily. Found on road, dead. My Bronco is spare and I have named it the Beast. When I drove it daily two years ago, it was exciting! Never knew when I would make it home.
parsy, who loves his Bronco, but drives his Dodge.
With ya, buddy, all the way. Ford it is.
OK, so now we know who is calling the shots at the new GM, the US Democratic party hand picked politically correct Tzars.
Heaven help our economy. Lord hear my prayer.
They are when the "business" is Government Motors. After all the purpose of the business has just changed from making money for the shareholders, to keeping the "Senior Management" in power, not just over the "business", that was true before, but over the nation.
I'm sure THAT has been The Plan all along. After all, how can they demonize the management/owners, if they *are* the owners?
Throw them away like you should have years ago?
The heartbeat of America is now a Toyota Camry made in Indiana.
I live 5 minutes from the plant and this is the first good news we’ve had around these parts in a real long time.
Cool another FReeper in Orion. Whodathunkit? :-)
My cousin, Michael Gingell, an Oakland County Commissioner (R) , apparently worked hard to help get this deal done.
So, I know the folks in TN and WI are unhappy about it. But you can be sure that the UAW in all regions were lobbying hard for it.
As for the whole GM bailout...I was totally opposed to it. Still am. Think it would have been better to let GM go bankrupt and rebuild. But nothing I can do about that.
Just glad to have some jobs for the hurting folks in this town.
Excellent post.
“I call on all Americans to NEVER nuy a government motors car. The government will sell them to the army and the post office and tell you they are fine. Not me. I will not ever buy these crap cars. They are absolutely history. FORD TRUCKS !!! BIG TRUCKS!!!”
A lot of people agree with you,including smaller companies which buy or lease cars/trucks.
My concern with FORD is two fold:
1. The Union thugs at Ford:
2. When will the Union Thugs and 0b0z0’s Thugs “kneecap” Ford? If Ford continues to recover and not wanting 0b0z0 thugs running Ford, the Ob0z0 thugs and union thugs will have to “kneecap” Ford. Their government motors will not be able to compete with a capitalistic driven Ford.
I have to say, as much as I despise the Kelo decision, that would be an awesome solution! Give the feds a taste of the sauce they cooked up! BRILLIANT!
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.