Madison graduation 2012
Warren County CC graduation
New Miami graduation 2012
Home > Blogs > Ohio politics > Archives > 2008 > November > 13
Thursday, November 13, 2008
GM asks employees to lobby lawmakers
This from Cox Washington bureau colleague Chris Megerian:
General Motors is marshaling its dwindling number of employees to lobby their congressional representatives for government support to keep the company running.
“Your elected officials must hear from all of us now on why this support is critical to our continuing the progress we began prior to the global financial crisis,” General Motors North America President Troy Clarke wrote in an email dated Nov. 12.
Congress is expected to return for a lame duck session next week, and top Democratic lawmakers have already expressed their support for more aid. Additional support could include more additional government loans or access to funding through the Treasury’s $700 billion financial industry bailout.
The e-mail includes a script for phone conversations and a series of talking points on the importance of the auto industry. In the documents, the company portrays itself as attempting to transform its business in the midst of a financial crisis outside its control.
“We cannot sustain our industry because of the worst financial crisis to hit our country in over half a century,” reads the phone script. “We run the risk of losing all of the gains we’ve made over the years to make our company more competitive and to build new technologies and cars that will benefit consumers and improve our nation’s energy security.”
Clarke also emphasized the importance of the auto industry to the economy as a whole.
“Because of our economic contribution, the cost of allowing this industry to fail would be catastrophic,” he wrote.
General Motors’ latest financial report underscored the urgency of its plea for help. At its current rate, the company could burn through its $16.2 billion in cash reserves in less than a year.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment |
Voinovich: Give U.S. automakers some of the financial bailout package
Sen. George V. Voinovich, R-Ohio, co-chairman of the Senate Auto Caucus, Thursday, Nov. 13, said he believes some of the $700 billion financial bailout package should be set aside to help U.S. automakers.
“The senator believes helping the automakers remain viable is truly putting Main Street over Wall Street,” said Chris Paulitz, a Voinovich spokesman, who said Voinovich is working with Sens. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., on a letter urging colleagues to support such support.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, has also signaled his support for helping U.S. automakers.
[an error occurred while processing this directive]Permalink | Comments (71) | Post your comment |
Voters “can’t get no satisfaction”
American voters are ready to join Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones.
Like the timeless rockers, the voters “can’t get no satisfaction.”
A Quinnipiac University poll released today, Nov. 13, found that 82 percent of voters were “somewhat dissatisfied” or “very dissatisfied” with the way things are going in the nation today.
Just 16 percent were “very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied.”
The dissatisfaction looks like it will translate into stingy holiday shopping. The poll found that 62 percent of voters said that because of the economy they will cut back on buying holiday gifts.
“Happy days aren’t here again, at least not yet. Americans plan to zip up their wallets in an economy they rate as terrible,” Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said in a press release.
Nobody said the economy was “excellent” while just 4 percent ranked it as “good.” Another 37 percent said it was “not so good” and 58 percent said it was “poor.” The 95 percent negative rating was an all-time low for the poll.
The poll found that 30 percent of voters worried most about being able to afford retirement, including 38 percent of voters 35-54 years old.
Other areas of spending in which voters are likely to cut back:
*48 percent, reduce charitable giving.
*62 percent, cut back on vacations.
*39 percent, cut back on home heating and cooling.
*62 percent, reduce spending on entertainment and leisure.
*64 percent, dine out less.
The poll was taken from Thursday, Nov. 6, to Monday, Nov. 10, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.1 percentage points.
For full poll results, click here.
