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Chuck Stokes' Blog

Mr. President: The Auto Industry is in Your Hands!

 

AN OPEN LETTER TO

 

GEORGE WALKER BUSH

 

 

Dear Mr. President:

 

We need you to act swiftly!  Your administration recently indicated it was ready to step in and prevent the auto industry from collapsing.  That’s the right attitude, Mr. President, but until the deal is done, millions of hardworking Americans will not get a peaceful night’s rest.  Helping Detroit’s Big Three is the moral thing to do and the right course of action. 

 

This issue has been debated and politicized long enough.  You don’t need to see anymore  grandstanding from Senator NO, the hypocritical politician from Alabama who believes it’s ok to spend federal funds on businesses in the south, but not the north.  Senator Richard Shelby doesn’t realize that the American Civil War ended in 1865.  Listen to voices of reason in the Republican Party.  Senator George Voinovich of Ohio is one of them.

 

You don’t need to hear anymore about the automaker CEOs who arrogantly flew their corporate jets to Washington, D.C.  They now know that image doesn’t jive with tin cans in their hands.  When they returned to Capitol Hill driving their quality products, it was obvious they had finally gotten the message loud and clear.  

 

Detroit’s Big Three and the United Auto Workers aren’t perfect but they don’t deserve  a federal government that has  presided over a record $10.6 trillion national debt giving them economic lectures. 

 

Just think about the millions of hardworking Americans who are employed in automotive-related jobs that touch every sector of our nation.  Think about the disastrous ripple effect that a bankrupt auto industry will have on our fragile economy.  And remember the number of times in history that the U.S. auto companies and their workers have tossed a lifeline to America; from the Arsenal of Democracy to 9/11!  

 

Mr. President, you hold the most powerful political job in the free world.  Don’t waste your power and don’t take your responsibility for granted.  Leave office as the Commander-in-Chief who gave the auto industry the fuel it needs to survive!

 

Sincerely,

 

Chuck Stokes

 

Published Sunday, December 14, 2008 7:12 AM by chuckstokes

Comments

 

Anonymous928 said:

It's not just the auto industry at stake here. Everyone I know Downriver is already feeling the efftect of this situation, from the auto industry suppliers to local restaurants to local merchants to all service industries and the list goes on. It is going to devastate everyone if the current Administration does not act quickly to help the auto industry.

And as far as the Southern Senators that voted NO, it was a conflict of interest to even give them a vote on this issue!
December 14, 2008 10:20 PM
 

Alanograph said:

Senator Shelby is the face of the contingent of Senators leading to union busting and he may even be the voice, however he is not the Senator that derailed the vote in the Senate, that would be Corker of Tennessee.  Corker took the floor of the Senate on Thursday, December 11th and read an ammendment into the Federal Register that would have passed the vote on the floor, but he took it to his caucus and it was basterdized to such a form where Ron Gettlefinger said no.  Said ammendment had the approval of the White House and the UAW but "Corker the Coward" bowed to his party, Country be damned.

Is it possible for our partners (UAW and Big Three) to move production facilities back into our neighborhoods?  Perhaps the place to start would be to move the Corvette plant from Bowling Green to Flint.  I see no down side to GM.  The plant moved from St. Louis in 81 because demand out ran capacity.  A move to Michigan would signal many things, much as a "shot heard round the world".

We are in this together and if it comes to a "union town" or a right to work state, all of us who want a voice in our future prefer partnerships over the alternatives.

The legacy of G. W. Bush when written will include him standing on a pile of rubble at the WTC looking like a President, standing on the deck of an aircraft carrier sounding like an idiot, and his ducking a shoe thrown by a man that he liberated.

The bridge loan will not be remembered for how it is authorized and the posturing will not be forgotten for years, survival is at issue and this slacker President will sign off on the loan to protect his legacy.  NOTE:  G. W. Bush does not understand that the shoe incident is an insult, he thinks someone wanted his 15 minutes of fame.

We in Detroit have seen more than our share of what can happen when you put a "son of a congressman" in an elected office but we had a Governor in charge that took care of business.  Perhaps our Governor could work along with our big three and UAW partners to bring the corvette back to a union town.
December 16, 2008 9:18 AM
 

rogerquinn said:

We must maintain are manufactering base for national security. This is another atempt by the repubican right to bust the uaw. Don't they understand that we must not lose the middle class in this country. We must build this economy from the bottom up!
December 17, 2008 10:31 AM
 

bryda said:

I'LL NEVER VOTE AGAIN AS LONG AS I LIVE.
I'M A RETIRED AUTO WORKER AND I'M  VERY DISAPPOINTED AT OUR PRESIDENT  
HE PROMISED TO HELP THE AUTO INDUSTRY.  IT LOOKS  LIKE HE DOESN,T CARE ABOUT THE MIDDLE CLASS AND THE BACKBONE OF OUR COUNTRY.  IT HE HAS THE BALLS OR GUTS TO DO ANYTHING , HE'D BETTER DO SOMETHING OF HE'LL GO DOWN AS THE WORST PRESIDENT WE'VE HAD IN  AMERICA.  

MR E. BRYDA
RETIRED DIEMAKER 44.5 YRS AT GM.
December 17, 2008 7:47 PM
 

joeyt67 said:

Back in 1919 the unions actually protected the workers and made a better quality of life standard for the workers, now the UAW is just wart on the ass of society causing automanufacturers to adjust pricing to cover the exhorbinant payouts to the UAW.  Making the standard $400.00 automobile payment unobtainable by the average person.  It's time for the UAW and Big 3 to get real, not everyone in the USA makes $30.00 an hour.  Maybe they should be left alone to clean up there own mess and not beg the citizen's for their hard earned tax dollars.  Bail this...
December 26, 2008 12:13 PM
 

dam48455 said:

did they or not i have a gut feeling the ceo"s  haven't really taken this serious. i worked for gm for thirtysix years an they never learn anything. you only have to go back fifty or sixty years an they continue to repeat the same mistakes. until they go back an look at all there expences. page by page like obama promiss to do in the goverment. they can take out a lot of fat between the uaw labor an the ceo's . an if they do the cost of a new car would go down a lot. an maybe just once give it to there loyal customers. an who knows you as loyal custermers could once more be glad to say i got a true great deal on a car. just like my dad did.
December 26, 2008 5:07 PM
 

wuzzywarbler said:

Reducing the Federal Income Tax rate will provide a greater Stimulus EVERY
PAYDAY and save tax dollars by not having to pay back money borrowed for
the Stimulus. Reducing the tax rate for the auto companies will help get them through without borrowing and having to pay interest on the loan.
Stop listening to the banks they want us in debt up to our eyeballs, reduce taxes!

Borrowing from the Federal Reserve for a Stimulus payout or bailout or
auto company loans puts the citizens in greater debt to the Federal
Reserve. When the government borrows from the Fed "we the people" have to
pay back WITH INTEREST. Reducing the tax rate PRODUCES NO ADDITIONAL DEBT
and doesn't have to be paid back therefore saving having to pay interest
to the Federal Reserve.
January 7, 2009 11:26 AM
 

mauli said:

I beg to differ slightly with all my respect for the industry, and for all people connected, directly or indirectly with auto industry.

I have a perfect situation to explain to American people as how the Amercian cars are not beling sold as much as they should be.
Right now, I know few people, including myself who are looking for adding a new vehicle to their family and prefer to buy or lease Amercian car.
But American Auto makers sales promotion are so discouraging that there is practically NO incentive for anyone other than auto employee in this poor market.

I already have an American car and I wish to add one more to it and guess what ?

I do not qualify for any rebate BUT i would qualify If I was eliglible as a returning leasse.
How stupid ?
I wish to understand one thing ...
Who is more loyal ? the one who adds more American cars to the family or
the one who just trade from one car to another for incentives ?

Amercian President has hardly to do anything when our moral, our policies and our stupid marketing policies are so downgraded....

January 18, 2009 5:53 PM
 

sal51 said:

GM Cars are too expensive and they never want to give the poor person a chance to own a car. I was turned down by Chrysler and GM several times and then I went to Ford and they approved me; not once but three or four times. President Obama did not twist your arm for your vote. President Obama is in office because God put him there. He is not responsible for what this Auto Industry has done to themselves. Mr. Bush didn't even want to help the Auto Industry, but President Obama is trying to help and do whatever he can regardless of what Michiganders are saying about him. Mr. Bush wanted GM & Chrysler to go into Bankruptcy, but President Obama said that he would do whatever he can to avoid this. I am sick and tired of everyone putting down our President because he cannot get the Auto Industry out of the mess that they created.               Sally
March 30, 2009 5:26 PM
 

Randogg said:

Has everyone forgotten that the auto industry is what made America??? Did GM have to even be asked to do zero financing after 9-11??? They did it even though it took away from there profits stopped us from going into a major recession  now the big 3 needs our help and we just turn our back on them. What people forget is that the banks and creditors got us where we are today and those fine folks are the ones being bailed out today. The Big 3 are asking for LOANS NOT BAILOUTS this money will be repaid!!! So to see them have to go through the abuse that Congress, the president, and all the ignorant people who are praying for there demise is very disturbing to me!!! I can assure you that if the auto industry does not survive we will all suffer.
March 30, 2009 6:55 PM
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