McConnell: While Detroit goes under, Kentucky’s Toyota plant is doing great.
McConnell: While Detroit goes under, Kentucky’s Toyota plant is doing great.
In an interview with the Louisville Courier-Journal, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) noted that despite the economic turmoil in Detroit, Toyota plants in Kentucky are sitting pretty:
“We also have other auto manufacturers who are doing quite well,” McConnell said, naming Toyota’s Georgetown, Ky., operation. “It happens not to be American companies and that is sad. But it’s not like we don’t have success in the auto industry. We do.”
Toyota, in fact, has seen its stock drop more than 50 percent since the beginning of the year:
McConnell, along with Sens. Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Bob Corker (R-TN), may have their own “parochial interests” at heart when staunchly opposing the auto-bailout. “If Detroit folds, then that’s way more market share for Japanese-owned, non-union factories in their home states,” Matt Yglesias notes.
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ERROR!!!!
corker is NOT a dem! in fact, he ran one of the sleaziest, race baiting ads to win his seat. fix it now!
December 5th, 2008 at 3:32 pmAmerican companies:
Welcome to our world.
Signed: III World.
December 5th, 2008 at 3:33 pmWait… are you trying to say that GOP efforts to prevent an auto bailout might be self-serving? Might have something to do with protecting their political careers?
I find that so out of character!
/snark off
PEACE
December 5th, 2008 at 3:35 pmCorker is no Democrat. He ran a dirty racist campaign again Harold Ford, Jr. Remember? He is a real corker though. (I “intensely dislike” those people. I really do. Rotten Neo-Confederate bastards. They‘ll be back if we‘re not careful. If we‘re too nice.)
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December 5th, 2008 at 3:35 pmAre there any unions in Kentucky? I mean, besides those between brothers and sisters, first cousins, etc.?
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December 5th, 2008 at 3:36 pmDemocracy in action; This trio (Corker’s still fighting the Civil War) is most representative of their ignorant constituencies.
December 5th, 2008 at 3:43 pm- – The sad fact is that the U.S. auto industry has essentially failed. Even if car sales come roaring back from their current anemic pace next year, there’s no guarantee the Big Three will return to health, that they’ll be able to stay current on debt payments and raise capital from tough-minded investors.
The executives and union leaders speak as if the bailout money is simply needed to tide them over until the sun comes back out. Schmoozing confidence is a big part of their jobs. But increasingly, it seems that the federal funding they’re requesting is necessary to help manage failure, not to stave it off.
The industry needs to die to be reborn.
December 5th, 2008 at 3:45 pmbought and paid for. Isn’t it rather obvious that this fellow accepts bribes? I wonder why that is acceptable?
December 5th, 2008 at 3:46 pmWell gee thanks for your invaluable input there Mr. Senator McConnell, now please dry up and blow away.
December 5th, 2008 at 3:47 pmAny expectation by a politician that an American company is competing on a level playing field in the “Global Economy” while being saddled with health care costs for its active and retired employees – is either dreaming, or completely retarded.
Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, etc. don’t have this problem.
Another good reason for a single-payer national health care system.
December 5th, 2008 at 3:50 pmI’ll never forget what some former democratic politician (name forgotten) said about senator McConnell. That when ever McConnell saw money his eyes would glaze over.
December 5th, 2008 at 3:52 pmSales of “foreign brand” cars are also down. The entire industry is hurting. And it will continue to hurt unless the banks start lending out that money that Congress unwisely let Hank Paulson give them. Instead of lending it out, they have tightened their credit terms and are denying loans to people. That’s the real reason a bailout won’t help the auto industry. If the banks don’t lend the money to borrowers, there still won’t be anybody to buy their cars.
Conservatives hate unions because unions use collective bargaining to make employers promise not to treat them inhumanely. Conservatives fully support treating people badly, and they don’t like the idea that a business owner can’t treat his employees like slaves. That’s why they hate unions. (They really do prefer dictatorships.)
December 5th, 2008 at 3:53 pmMcConnell: While Detroit goes under, Kentucky’s Toyota plant is doing great.
Now think about what that moron just said and tell me isn’t what he just said about the same as saying “While the US troops struggle in Afghanistan, the Taliban are strong as ever.”
December 5th, 2008 at 3:56 pmI see, so these countries are free to expand their market share on our turf while refusing to sell our cars on their turf.
Sorry, dickweeds, try again. The unions are making monumental concessions, but that alone will not save Detroit.
December 5th, 2008 at 3:58 pmWayne A. Schneider Says:
Conservatives hate unions because unions use collective bargaining to make employers promise not to treat them inhumanely. Conservatives fully support treating people badly, and they don’t like the idea that a business owner can’t treat his employees like slaves.
Yes, excellent point, Wayne. And it occurs to me that the majority of the remaining “red states” which were in existence at the time of the Civil War were part of the Confederacy, not the Union.
PEACE
December 5th, 2008 at 3:59 pmNow, this is a personal opinion: I don’t have any interest in having more cars roaming the streets worlwide. Why would any?
Why is there is this obsession and fear about people not consuming things they don’t need?
Answer: because owners of corporations stop making profits. And if they can’t sail the new brand yatch in Marbella every 3 months, they fire 5,000 workers.
And we are ok, with this. We call it modern economy. Nice.
December 5th, 2008 at 4:01 pmI guess McConnell is backhandedly implying that the US auto industry is dying because of unions, employer paid healthcare and good wages.
See it’s simple. If we all would just accept what the republikkkans are preaching we should just forget about “America first” drop illusions of decent wages, unAmerican unions, healthcare, workers rights and just become a third world nation where we work for peanuts and become slaves to the poor, corporations.
December 5th, 2008 at 4:02 pmYou hicks are free to bring it on in the 111th Congress, we’ll smoke you out.
December 5th, 2008 at 4:05 pmThe auto industry has small cars,
December 5th, 2008 at 4:10 pmThe auto industry has big cars,
The auto industry has small trucks,
The auto industry has big trucks,
They have vans and hybrids and financing.
What they don’t have are customers who can afford a car payment because their taxes for things like bail-outs are too high.
Curious statement from McConnell considering that Louisville also has a decent sized Ford plant that most assuredly is at risk. Guess he doesn’t care about the Democratic end of the state now that he has another six years to collect bribes.
December 5th, 2008 at 4:10 pmWayne A. Schneider Says:
Conservatives hate unions because unions use collective bargaining to make employers promise not to treat them inhumanely. Conservatives fully support treating people badly, and they don’t like the idea that a business owner can’t treat his employees like slaves.
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You got it Wayne!!
Anything that helps the common worker or citizen for that matter and you know conservatives will be against it and call it socialism or communist. But they never complain about the blaoted salaries of CEO’s of failing companies and seem to be okay when union workers sacrifice pay for the survival of the company while the CEO’s continue to get bloated salaries, stock options, and golden parachutes when they leave.
December 5th, 2008 at 4:12 pmShelby and Corker — Anti-American much?
December 5th, 2008 at 4:13 pmHow many years have the auto companies fought viciously against fuel efficiency, passenger safety (seatbelts, for example), crash survival, safety features, the list is endless.
Preston Tucker’s ghost was laughing his @ss off at the contrite, arrogant auto “executives,” as they extended their tin cups to save the industry from their incompetence…
December 5th, 2008 at 4:14 pmMcConnell: While Detroit goes under, Kentucky’s Toyota plant is doing great.
That may be so, but it sure the hell won’t put parts in my vette when I need them.
December 5th, 2008 at 4:15 pmFYI: Not only Japanese and Korean cars–Toyota, Hyundai, Nissan–are made “here.” Mercedes has a huge facility in Alabama, and BMW is opening (or has already opened) one in North Carolina (iirc)…
Just out of curiosity, does anyone know whether or not the “Saturn” marque is attached to european GM cars like Opels?
December 5th, 2008 at 4:25 pmOopsie. The dumbass shouldn’t have said that. Now watch there be massive layoffs at Toyota plants. When will these people learn that reality has a liberal bias.
December 5th, 2008 at 4:29 pmrandi’s talking about this today…
POST PARTISAN DEPRESSION
http://therandirhodesshow.com/index.php?/archives/139-Friday,-December-05,-2008.html
homework links too…
December 5th, 2008 at 4:36 pmYou don’t see Toyota or Honda having to be bailed out. the Big 3 have no one to blame but themselves and their union employees for the mess they are in. Produce a decent vehicle at a decent price and you could thrive like the “imports” which are made right here in America.
December 5th, 2008 at 4:38 pmWhile it is tempting to tie the difference in profitability to union membership, don’t forget that when looking at 2 data points it is very easy to form false conclusions of association (even with a large number of data points, it is easy to jump to the wrong decision).
Could it be that the profitability of Toyota is that they made cars that didn’t guzzle $4/gal gas ? That they were quicker on the eco-bandwagon ?
While GM and the pseudo-Prez Bush supported the American right to burn as much gas as you wanted and even encouraged guzzling by the SUV tax credit ?
December 5th, 2008 at 4:52 pmMcConnell doesn’t care about Detroit or Kentucky when he goes shopping for a Porsche, uber-Mercedes or a fancy British-made automobile.
The scumbag is rich and a neoclown elitist. He judges the car he drives by how short his d!ck is and how many younger women will see past that and see him for his money and (laughable) power.
December 5th, 2008 at 4:53 pmGosh Devil, I don’t remember the UAW telling the U.S. automakers to put all their efforts into gas guzzling SUVs while ignoring their family cars and small car offerings. I don’t remember the UAW telling the execs to fight fuel economy standards so they could build a fleet nobody would buy when gas prices started rising earlier this decade. I sure don’t remember the unions telling the Big Three to make sure their entry level vehicles would be so uninspiring that younger drivers would develop loyalties to foreign brands. But hey, blaming unions makes you feel good so don’t let the facts get in your way.
December 5th, 2008 at 4:56 pmHere’s my Idea to save Detroit: Rely on STYLE
They should produce a mostly electric/plug in hybrid car drive train, …
and put it in The Body of a vintage (50’s) corvette, t-bird or a (60’s) GTO or coupe de ville , or Duke’s of hazzard charger..
and sell it at a reasonable price with an affordable loan package …
I’d buy one.
December 5th, 2008 at 4:57 pmFun fact: do you know what they make at Toyota’s Georgetown, KY plant? HYBRIDS!!!
Kinda makes you wonder why McConnell voted YES to terminate CAFE standards, NO on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies, NO on tax incentives for energy production and conservation, NO on factoring global warming into federal project planning, NO on banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Mitch McConnell, just another Big Oil tool and Republican hypocrite.
December 5th, 2008 at 5:02 pmFrankly, I think the Big 3 should be nationalized at this point. They fought against those very measures that would have made them more competitive, and now need the help of the American people to even be able to survive for the next three months (I understand GM says they are done if not “rescued” by the end of THIS month!). In the meantime, many Americans couldn’t or wouldn’t buy a new car right now any way, since they have no idea if they will still have a job. The banks aren’t loaning money, partly because so many Americans’ credit ratings are bad now. Vicious circle. Oh yeah, and half a million American’s lost their jobs last month (my son among them). And I think GM said, in exchange for government money, they’d lay off another 20,000 or so. Very helpful, indeed.
On top of everything, you’ve got clowns like McConnell, Corker and Shelby who could care less about the U.S> manufacturing base in this country, and more than happy to have foreign companies building all of our cars now…in the South. Frankly, I wish the South would secede again, and this time, we’d let them!
December 5th, 2008 at 5:03 pmWhat is an “American” or “Japanese” company anymore?
In the case of Toyota, the product is assembled in Kentucky. Workers there are paid in dollars. The company pays taxes to the US government and the state of Kentucky for income made in the US. The workers pay taxes to the US government and pay for goods and services within the state of Kentucky. It’s a publicly traded company so anyone in the US can buy stock in the company and be paid dividends or make a profit when the stock is sold.
So is this a Japanese company? An American company?
December 5th, 2008 at 5:23 pmAlejandro nails it! I am a person who thinks manners matter but damn am I laughing inside when I hear some of the idiots I run into preach about “buying American”. What exactly is it they mean? Then those same F-150 with the faded “These Colors Don’t Run” bumpersticker and that annoying Calvin pissing on the chevy logo are all parked outside Walmart so they can get those good prices as opposed to the mom and pop store barely getting by on Main Street. Who are these freaks and can they think their own bullshit through?
December 5th, 2008 at 5:41 pm“We also have other auto manufacturers who are doing quite well,” McConnell said, naming Toyota’s Georgetown, Ky., operation.
Toyota Motor Corp. saw sales fall 33.9 percent.
WHOOPS !
December 5th, 2008 at 6:31 pmMcConnell and Corker are scum, but that’s beside the point. All of these automakers are hurting, so when Toyota and Honda come to Washington with their hand out, the Democrats better stomp on them.
December 5th, 2008 at 7:11 pmHonda’s starting salary is around $12/hour while GM’s is around $26/hour. You CAN’T live off of $12/hour in America, but the Republicans would love you to try.
IBTunion4obama,
The average wage at Toyota plants in Greensboro, KY are $26.50 per hour. In addition, employees got bonuses aversging $7000 per year based on quality and productivity. The average wage for UAW workers was $27.00 per hour and bonuses are not even considered.
December 5th, 2008 at 11:10 pmWages at Honda plants in the US are on par with Toyota, but bonuses are about $5000 on average.
aversging s/b averaging in my last post
December 5th, 2008 at 11:13 pmLook – I appreciate that letting Detroit fail is going to be really bad for everyone. But I don’t understand why it is all of a sudden the job of the supposed “left” to carry water for an industry that has persistently and routinely failed in the marketplace. Need I remind you that Shelby also opposed the overall financial bailout and has been a staunch critic of its execution. It rises to the level of being quite obnoxious to suggest that the reason he’s doing so is to protect the auto manufacturers in his own state.
It is really beyond me why we should throw 25-50 billion dollars @ the industry. It’s not going to save them. Only bankruptcy will. And the longer we wait, the worse it is going to be when it finally happens.
December 6th, 2008 at 12:39 amThe republipigs are the enemy.
Witness how they govern!!
December 6th, 2008 at 2:16 amToyota planned for lagging sales. They plan for stuff.
December 8th, 2008 at 10:06 amThe auto industry has small cars, araç sorgulama
March 18th, 2009 at 5:20 am