Posted on 06/11/2009 6:54:56 AM PDT by Caleb1411
Imagine owning a successful business you've built from the ground up. Maybe you provide several dozen people with good-paying, full-time jobs or are one of only a few businesses left in a small community. You've likely made difficult decisions just to keep your business afloat and employees on staff during these tough economic times.
One day you're given notice that you have 30 days to close your doors; no explanation, no chance to appeal -- just an ultimatum. I'm willing to bet few people would take that directive kindly.
Sadly, this scenario is not a figment of imagination -- it's a very disturbing reality for local automobile dealers across Minnesota.
The President's Auto Task Force recently allowed the planned elimination of over 3,000 dealerships nationwide. The actions are expected to put more than 100,000 people out of work, with many more job losses sure to follow.
With the recent bankruptcy filing by General Motors, the federal government, which has committed $50 billion of taxpayer money to GM, now owns a 60 percent equity stake in the company. Additionally, with Chrysler in bankruptcy over the last several weeks, the government is playing a significant role in the business decisions for both companies.
Auto dealers are threatened because GM and Chrysler are able to bypass state franchise laws that normally restrict what they can demand of and do to them. Most troubling is that the decisions on which dealers are forced to close appear to be arbitrary, and the reasons aren't being shared with the public.
In my district, for example, a longtime dealership, Bill Mason's Chrysler Jeep in Excelsior, was given 30 days to shut its doors. It didn't matter that Mason built the business and provides many good-paying jobs.
Similarly, George McGuire of Shakopee Chevrolet is being shut down
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
To quote a well respected lady: “We Told You So!”
Right. Just about the time we Minnesotans feel like moping about the electorate’s myopia in the Senate race, we can be encouraged by a House district that’s now more conservative than when Jim Ramstad held the seat.
Not too long ago we did as well. Your state is on a bad trend I’m afraid.
Is that the same race in which 2800 dead people voted Democrat. I’d say Minnesotans weren’t myopic at all, just cheated.
But I thought dealerships cost GM and Chrysler nothing. They buy the cars and sell them at their own risk. So closing these dealerships doesn’t help their respective companies. It just hurts the dealerships and helps whomever Obama decides to reward a dealership.
Along with Kline and Bachmann, Minnesota features three of the most reliably conservative GOP voices in Congress.
“Why is government closing businesses?”
Ask a brilliant Democrat. (He’ll probably tell you that you’d be too dense to understand the reasoning anyway.)
(Try it.)
IMHO
btt
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