Obamanomics Backlash: Letter From Car Dealer
letter to the editor
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
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Holy shit. That sounds just like communism.
Obviously he didn’t get the memo, it’s the US of Kenya now.
Historic, first and last.
BACK DOOR SOCIALISM!!!!
Soetoros strongarm tactics from Chicago at work…
What will he do WHEN the People start pushing back?
“What will he do WHEN the People start pushing back?”
My question is what’s it going to take for the people/sheeple to start pushing back.Hell,as soon as a story breaks,it’s covered up by the msm.They spend more time covering up than reporting.No wonder no one gets involved..they can’t remember what it was that pissed ‘em off.
Here’s a dark and mabey not so irrational thought either..
obomao takes control of the auto industry today. That industry is found under the letter “A”.When all the A’s are shut down or controlled,then we move to “B”…
And the band played on..
jihadi bastard.
Sue! Sue! Sue! And demand remedy that Chrysler purchase the inventory and parts back and cover the remodeling costs.
YERMOM concurs. Get a really good lawyer. and since Obama is the new CEO of Dodge make sure that his name is right at the top of the defendants list.
that is horrible!!! This is the change that the MSM wanted, that the sheeple wanted, and that the usurper sold to everyone,or tried to atleast! yes, it is Socialism at its finest at work and America is officially in it now.
-aTb
Interesting how this letter to the editor does not appear anywhere I could find on the local Melbourne, FL paper’s website (floridatoday.com). There was an interesting quote on one related article, however…
“The National Automobile Dealers Association estimates that 187,000 jobs could be lost from the closing of GM and Chrysler dealerships.”
That aside, I can understand his anger and frustration - but a franchise is not a guarantee and it never has been. If you own a franchise, you own nothing more than the ability to sell a product at the parent company’s whim. If you are not a top seller or producer then they always reserve the right to jerk the franchise.
The bankruptcy of Chrysler and eventually of GM will cause massive reorganization of the company assets and this will happen all over the country as the bottom 30% of the authorized franchises are terminated.
Obama did no one a favor by delaying this inevitable conclusion to the businesses involved because he gave them false hope about the reality of a govt. bailout and support. He now is making bad decisions that will close their doors forever. If they had gone bankrupt last year as they should have, they would be well on the way to restructuring and recovery. Now, they are probably doomed to complete failure at the hands of the socialist dictator and his union minions. They will run these companies and many others right into the ground and then move on to the next targets.
DoubleTap,
Did you happen to watch Glenn Beck’s show Friday night? He had a guy on from Jersey that told the same story as above.
The government is ruining people’s lives with their actions.
I’m not saying that this is not completely Obama’s fault. It just bothers me that the whole franchise agreement process is being turned into a screw the little guy game. These dealers were doing fine in the smaller markets, but with the Obama kiss of death only the large volume dealers in the big cities will survive.
I’m not saying that this is not completely Obama’s fault. It just bothers me that the whole franchise agreement process is being turned into a screw the little guy game. These dealers were doing fine in the smaller markets, but with the Obama kiss of death only the large volume dealers in the big cities will survive.
And no I don’t watch Glenn Beck. He is on in the middle of the afternoon in my market and I have to work. I don’t have a TiVo or any other fancy toy that allows me to record it.
That’s the whole problem, there is no logic to the closure of dealers. These dealers, many of whom had the highest sales and best reputation, were closed while other less reputable and lower volume dealers were allowed to stay open.
Had they actually used a tangible formula for closures there would be no basis for compliant, but hey people voted for “Change” and change we got.
This government is hell bent on destroying us, and this letter is proof.
Where are the people in congress or the justice department that have the power to stop this?
We have a corrupt government that is a threat to this nation, and a threat to our way of life. It’s time for the people to replace everyone in said government by any means possible.
Somebody tell that KULAK to shut up, if he knows what’s good for him. Maybe Uncle Joe will let them emigrate to America now that they are no better off than the rest of us peasants.
I RECOMMEND HE KEEP A REPAIR SHOP OPEN. AND ADVERTISE THAT IT HAS REOPENED AFTER BEING CLOSED BY THE GOVERNMENT. I CAN GUARANTEE THAT PEOPLE WILL FLOCK TO HIM , WE ARE GOING TO HAVE VERY LONG MEMORIES OF ALL OF THIS.
I ALSO RECOMMEND HE CALL FORD, THEY ARE GOING TO NEED A LOT OF NEW DEALERS.
LASTLY, I WONDER HOW MANY NEW DEALERSHIPS WILL OPE WITH CHRYSLER AND GM THAT WILL BE MINORITY OWNED, THE NEXT PART OF THE OBAMA SCAMMA.
…. and after that blame the ‘racists’ for their failure to thrive,
…. and after that compelling people to only buy cars from their local dealer so they have a captive market,
…. and after that another bailout, etc.
Socialism works until you run out of other people’s money.
The only problem with this is that people like YERMOM will not buy any product that is part of a government controlled company.
it doesnt matter if a black, a muslim, or a queer owns the store.
“I WONDER HOW MANY NEW DEALERSHIPS WILL OPE WITH CHRYSLER AND GM THAT WILL BE MINORITY OWNED”
All but one.
He has to be able to prove he is bipartisan.
Try offering your car salesmanship to KIA, Hyundai, Toyota.
Even China had stolen (offering) a plug in Hybrid design, nevermind - forget China. I am an engineer constantly arguing with my enginering counter part in China over engineering quality they push over quality to meet demand.
My Brother’s dealership was spared. We think it might be Obama rewarding those who supported the Democrats or are punishing Republican congressional districts.
I used to live in Melbourne, nice place.
This is how politics manipulates the masses into Socialism. It’s disgusting. I just bought a gun and have been going to the range every sunday, I suggest you all might want to invest as the crime rate rises…
God bless America, and my fellow Americans, stay strong, walk tall - regardless.
Honestly, I feel really sorry for this guy and his employees. Further, can you imagine buying a Dodge, Chrysler or Gm product now, and worse, getting a long term warranty on it from any gvt. controlled entity made by their gvt. supported unions?
Sir, in a sad way you are fortunate- in a couple of years you wouldn’t have a single prospective customer looking at the product you were trying to push.
All my vehicles in the past ten years have been Chrysler or Dodge. Never again. I’m buying Ford.
I wonder if this guy voted for Obama? If so, I’d laugh at him. If not, then I hope he does sue for millions.
Perhaps a class action lawsuit with all the dealers who are impacted?
The questions that nobody is asking is which dealerships are getting to stay open?
It’s already come out the the performers are getting there doors shut.
So what is the criteria for a dealer to stay open?
Union vs. non-union shops…..
inner city locations? political contributions?
Other forms of profiling on who gets to keep there livlyhood and who doesn’t…..
Somebody has to take a run at this, the press sure won’t.
Any bets on the pattern that will show up?
Storm, Rush talked about this this morning. Cavuto did an interview with a dealer who got closed, and he was one of the top selling dealers on the east coast. He knows others that got to stay open doing less volume than himself…..He was saying the formula for determining who won and who lost is unintelligable. He said it was like Stalinist Russia.
Rush “went out on a limb, and speculated on the politics of the “winners”. I’m sure the rep’s in congress know precisely the political leanings of their constituents. Being such a gov’t regulated industry, I’m sure the dealers are very active politically. (Our local State rep, for example, was v-president of a huge car franchise before he ran for state congress.)
Political winners and losers. Just like Stalinist Russia.
Which party were the winners and losers active in?
Black , White, What?
I was a P.I. before I went back over seas, I’m always looking for pattern and trying to follow the money.
Even when nothing happens with the info it would sure be nice to know the path they took in their thought process’s
I believe that the Obama govt is taking down successful businesses because that is the problem with America. People successful. Obama does not want people or business that is self reliant.
America has a full blow communist dictator in DC.
I”m reading Atlas Shrugged. This sounds like the “Equalization of Opportunity Bill” from the book. Anyone who hasn’t read this book, I would strongly recommend it, I believe we’re living it.
Just bought the ‘5,000 year leap’ book. Another good read.
I’m only a chapter in and already I want to buy several for the local High School library and put a brown wrapper around the cover so it will be more ’subversive’ looking. Nothing a high School kid likes more than something he’s not supposed to read!
This is a shame, and I feel for the guy, but I wonder what his response would have been to anyone who told him last year that this country was headed for a socialist takeover? Unfortunately many Americans think your crazy when you try to warn them of what’s coming our way. Only when they are affected will they believe. When Hitler came to power many Jews did not want to believe what others were saying, they found out the hard way. When will the sheeple wake from their trance, when it’s to late?
Two dealerships in Albuquerque, both high volume, were closed. One Jeep and one Dodge. Both were owned by prominent Republicans.
Figure it out.
Damn.
This is gonna get ugly….
What is it gonna take for us to make it uglier for BO…I own a business and they talk about employing people but then tax the shit out of you when you do!
How exactly does pulling a franchise, reducing the # of its sales force which as far as I can tell represents zero overhead, help a manufacturer?
THIS IS COMMUNISM. This is what the great President is doing to this country. Wake up, people. This is just the beginning. We should all be very scared.
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Insanity at best. I genuinely feel for family owned and operated businesses throughout the country. Given my family has been entrenched in the business for decades; I’m especially partial to both the automotive manufacturing and sales industry. The crisis is emotional for me, I’m sad and angry altogether. The history — great times, pride, loyalty. Though it seems all that’s left is memories of past success, I’m hopeful the industry we love; the very essence of my family, will emerge better than ever.
Optimism is the only choice.
What’s particularly disturbing is the blatant lack of understanding on behalf of many who’ve commented. The reality is, the industry was driven into a no win situation by the fault of many at the top. To assert that franchises (or any business for that matter) are failing as a result of an Obama socialist coup is ridiculous at best. Auto industry executives were not only warned years ago, but knew this disaster was imminent. Corporate greed and unethical practices coupled with our dependence on foreign oil is absolutely to blame. That, notwithstanding some 8 previous years of national economic mismanagement; is what ultimately exacerbated the disaster to occur sooner than expected.
That said, don’t be too quick to forget that the previous administration initiated and implemented the first “bailout”. Mismanagement of such bailout appropriated funds is criminal and incomprehensible — each found to have done such should serve a lengthy prison sentence. The fact that provisions failed to be in place to prevent such activity is not a partisan issue, but lies at the fault of both Administrations.
Keeping the industry from totalitary melt-down was, and is the only option. For without the industry dealers would cease to exist in their entirety. Now, whether the industry makes the necessary changes so that my family and countless others can prosper again is yet to be known. I’m hopeful that terminated franchisees will be given opportunities in the near future.
While the majority here despise the government’s involvement in such matters, I’d suggest neither of you have an answer to saving the industry — just quite a bit of conflicting jibba jabba. That is, the root of Mr. Joseph losing his franchise is because of government intervention, and yet the solutions offered are for the government to intervene on his behalf. If fingers are to be pointed, do so at the real culprits — auto industry corporatists.
We’re doomed until executives commit to managing in an ethical manner. Factor in “K Street” and politics as usual; it seems such problems will always continue to exist.
There is nothing wrong with capitalism and profitability, the issue lies with greed, arrogance, and mismanagement of such capital.
Despite the horrible consequences, it’s honest businesses like that of the Joseph family that make us all proud. George, I hope you never give up. My family feels your pain. We’re fighting too.
Wishing you and yours the very best.