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Hi Robert – Per your mention of Sen. Corker, I just wanted to clarify that GM ASKED for a meeting with Sen. Corker and other Tennessee officials this week to discuss Spring Hill. They also asked our state to submit a proposal for the new sub-compact plant they plan to put in Michigan, Wisconsin or Tennessee.Thanks,Laura LeflerPress SecretaryU.S. Senator Bob Corker
17 Comments on “Senator Corker: GM Hit ME Up for Spring Hill’s Survival, New Plant...”
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So how does this all fit into the “King Obama is micromanaging” narrative? He’s now commanding “his” company to help out a Republican senator in a Republican state?
It’s all so confusing in the rabbit hole.
I’m not sure if this is a distinction without a difference.
Here’s the relevant text:
“Less than two weeks after President Barack Obama promised a hands-off approach to the bankrupt car maker’s day-to-day operations, politicians are busy interfering with the car maker’s day-to-day operations. Even Sen. Bob Corker (R., Tenn.), who upbraided the Big Three CEOs at hearings last November, is now working to save GM’s Spring Hill plant from permanent closure.”
Robert,
I don’t think that GM met with Corker. Sounds more like the Gov.
http://www.leftlanenews.com/gm-asks-tennessee-for-200m-to-reopen-spring-hill-plant.html
I don’t think we know all the facts, but Corker would be heckled from office if he let jobs leave his state without a fight. Sure, it’s wrong, but he IS a politician, despite me agreeing with much of what he has to say.
This is why business and politics shouldn’t mix.
As of Saturday (!) there were 2,500 employees at the plant. At $200M, that’s $80k per employee that GM is asking the state representatives to pony up.
pleiter :
June 12th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
As of Saturday (!) there were 2,500 employees at the plant. At $200M, that’s $80k per employee that GM is asking the state representatives to pony up.
Better deal than the feds got for their billions.
pleiter
That’s in addition to any existing tax breaks and incentives.
Government Motors works both ways. They have the ultimate lobbyists team, every member of congress with a significant enough GM presence that it could be used against that member at election time.
GM knows exactly who those members are and GM will lean on every one of them to extract as much as they can.
I think I finally understand GM’s goal.. It’s been the same goal for the last 30 years and the government won’t change the goal (because the government has the SAME goal)
The goal.. drum role please…. “To maintain the status quo by doing just enough for every group that interacts with GM to keep them from demanding change.”
So your a UAW guy? Your gonna love the dental plan!
You like the environment? Hybrids! Get you hybrids here!
Gearhead? Corvette baby!
Contractor? Oh yeah… GMC..
EPA? Aveo!
Congressman? We got lobbyists by the dozen to take you and the wife out for some steak!
Board of Directors? It’s not your fault.. Damn competitors, economy, gas prices, etc. etc.
GM Manager? Pension plan! Company car!
Supplier? Look just take a 5% cut in price this year. Your already shortlisted for the next XYZ and this will sure help your cause…
I could go all night!
Per your mention of Sen. Corker, I just wanted to clarify that GM ASKED for a meeting with Sen. Corker and other Tennessee officials this week to discuss Spring Hill.
Of course they asked for a meeting. GM is shopping around for the best deal, just like their customers do. The state that offers the best incentives and biggest discounts (tax-wise) will get (to keep) their business.
Even if GM asked for the meeting, Corker didn’t turn them down, did he? Who cares which side formally asked for the meeting anyway?
Oh we can do much better then ‘ol Corker…
Much funnier is Congress Woman Michelle Bachmann
Here she is on June 9th saying that people (Evil Democrats) are interfering in the management of GM and the closure of dealers.
http://www.c-spanarchives.org/congress/?q=node/77531&id=8994916
Its a great quote:
There is a dealership that I know of that applied to their Democrat Senator to appeal for help so that they could stay open. That Senator was able to arrange a meeting between the dealer and the officials at GM.
Very bad… Insider meddling, conflict of interest… Too bad that she is doing it too…
From her very own web site:
http://bachmann.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=130202
Quote:
Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann was on hand to lead the rally to save the dealership. She said she will take their fight to Washington on Wednesday when Chrysler leaders will be questioned by members of the senate about the future of local car dealers.
So on May 30th this is a great idea and on June 9th it is evil and must be stopped.
So much hypocrisy and so little time.
Michelle Bachmann is in a league of her own for crazy talk.
Calling for a thorough investigation of all congress people for communist leanings:
Mandatory service and re-education camps for the youth:
Michelle Bachmann is in a league of her own for crazy talk.
No argument there!
It takes a very special person to spell their own name wrong on their own web site…
as a resident of this state im going to enjoy watching him kiss some uaw ass. during the hearings he was mighty quick to slam the big 3 makers, drag out costly flights, and generally conduct hisself in a manner that management and and labor should always be adversarial.
you folks will soon learn what kind of first rate bully and ass this guy can be. i have been watching him push chattanooga and this county at large straight into bankruptcy for a while now with absolutely no accountability.
and FYI… this guy has spent the fourth highest amount of taxpayers money in the senate on personal jet flights.
“ya’ll, best watch his ass”
So how does this all fit into the “King Obama is micromanaging” narrative? He’s now commanding “his” company to help out a Republican senator in a Republican state?
It fits perfectly into the “if GM becomes Government Motors then all decisions will be made politically” narrative. Undoubtedly Tennessee was told that if they don’t play ball, then their jobs will be cut for political reasons. It’s already been decided that GM will make all its decisions on a political basis now; Tennessee can either play along or see its tax dollars go to other states.
Criticizing the hypocrisy makes as much sense as complaining that people who think that pork barrel spending should be reduce should, after losing the battle on the amount of spending, just let all their district’s taxes go to build bridges in other districts. Or that people who favor higher taxes or gas taxes should just voluntarily write checks to the US Treasury if their bill doesn’t pass.
In any case, another state using its own money to lure a company bothers me less than a state getting federal money from my state as well to lure or save a company. I’d still oppose it, especially if it were my state, but it’s still somewhat less of an issue.
Influence is always a two-way street with government. It’s hard in some cases to tell if companies are bribing politicians or if politicians are extorting from companies, and it’s not clear that it really makes a difference.
Auto jobs are highly desirable. Wherever a car company locates work, they are going to ask for concessions or aid. GM will ask for it, Honda got tax breaks and state assistance (although a much more modest amount, Honda is a good company to deal with).
This is why business and politics shouldn’t mix.
I agree, we need to enforce this on the business community. The world would be better off with less politics in the office place.