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And more, here: http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/today.guest.html
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Dodge Dealer begs: “I beseech your help” (See “comments” at end of article below)
May 19, 2009
Letter from a Dodge dealer
letter to the editor
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/05/letter_from_a_dodge_dealer.html
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
There are 233 comments to this letter to the editor so far. Here is one of them:
“Two things are extremely unfortunate about this letter. First, the fact that Mr. Joseph and his family will be forced into bankruptcy and lose their ability to operate their business, feed their families and provide an opportunity for 50 other families is certainly a tragedy. Second, the fact that Mr. Joseph is operating under the delusion that we are operating under a “free market economy”. Mr. Joseph and his family and his business are among the first casualties of the Marxist state that Chairman Zero has brought to this country, but are by no means the last. If you think this is fun, just wait until The Chairman takes control of the air conditioning switches in your house and car, confiscates your 401k and takes control of the health care decisions you used to make on your own or with your doctor. Still think we’re free market? Elections have consequences, folks. ...”
Click for more comments here: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/05/letter_from_a_dodge_dealer.html
Jim Anderer, a Long Island Chrysler dearly said the same thing on Neal Cavuto's show the other night. It's a good theme to use against Obama.
Paid the taxes and spent it already, including on a brand new Suburban.
I know it was stupid, but it seemed the best of a menu of bad choices.
I think the confiscation of private retirement savings is a certainty, and I do not believe that the restoration of legal and constitutional government will come in time to prevent it.
Maybe Mr. Joseph should take advantage of the Fla. automobile franchise law to the extent it has any viability in a bankruptcy situation. And if it doesn’t, just what did Mr. Joseph think would happen when Chrysler ended up in a Chap 11, which, btw, was inevitable?
At the dealer, that's like 5 radiator caps and a pair of wiper blades...
The Ob Commies are going to destroy this man, like Joe the Plumber, Sarah Palin and Carrie Prejean before him...