Trump's way vs. Obama's way on car making
6 Don Surber by Don Surber
President Trump just finished meeting with the heads of Fiat-Chrysler, Ford, and GM in the Oval Office. Things went well, as all three have pledged to spend billions on new factories.
What a difference from eight years ago after President Obama was elected. Democrats made automobile drive to Washington to beg for a $50 billion bailout.
Remember?
I do.
From the New York Times on December 2, 2008:
Contrite Over Misstep, Auto Chiefs Take to Road As the fate of the United States auto industry hangs in the balance, a profound question has taken center stage: what about the planes? The chief executives of Detroit’s Big Three auto companies are hoping to avoid another drubbing like the one they received during a Congressional hearing on Nov. 19 for having flown on their private jets to Washington to plead for a bailout. At the time, Gary L. Ackerman, Democrat of New York, asked, “Couldn’t you all have downgraded to first class or jet-pooled, or something, to get here? It would have at least sent a message that you do get it.” So the chairman of General Motors, Rick Wagoner, will be driving to Washington this week, to present its bailout and survival plan to lawmakers, in one of the company’s hybrids, a Chevrolet Malibu. His counterparts at Ford and Chrysler are expected to do the Kerouac thing as well. “You have to be sensitive to the symbolism,” said Tom Wilkinson, a G.M. spokesman. “This is a hot-button issue.” The company says it is also getting rid of its seven jets and cutting back substantially on travel to help it get through the crisis. Chrysler and GM were welfare queens, so Democrats making them bark like trained seals was their problem.
But Democrats were buying votes with $50 billion in taxpayer money.
Have Democrats ever made a Hollywood celebrity drive instead of zooming in on a carbon dioxide-spewing jet?
President Trump, on the other hand, treated the auto executives with respect.
Guess what? Instead of shipping jobs overseas, the Big Three are building factories here.
That's the difference between capitalism and socialism. Capitalism treats people like human beings and individuals.
Socialism treats people like Soylent Green.
From Reuters a few minutes ago:
U.S. President Donald Trump pushed the chief executives of General Motors Co, Ford Motor Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV on Tuesday to increase production in the United States and boost American employment. Trump opened a meeting with GM CEO Mary Barra, Ford CEO Mark Fields and Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne at the White House, saying he wants to see new auto plants built in the United States. "We have a very big push on to have auto plants and other plants," he told reporters. The new Republican president, who took office last Friday, vowed to cut regulations and taxes to make it more attractive for businesses to operate in the United States. "I want new plants to be built here for cars sold here!" Trump said in a tweet ahead of the meeting with automakers, saying he would discuss U.S. jobs with the chief executives. U.S. automakers have been reluctant to open new U.S. auto plants in recent years, but they have expanded some operations at existing plants. Trump has criticized automakers for building cars in Mexico and elsewhere and has threatened to impose 35 percent tariffs on imported vehicles. The meeting is the latest sign of Trump's uncommon degree of intervention for a U.S. president into corporate affairs as he has repeatedly pressured automakers and other manufacturers to "buy American and hire American." GOOD. |
