Tell me if you think this is fair........

May 19, 2009 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

In which case I say: hell yeah it's fair

car salespeople and republicans, to color our view of right and wrong. I struggled with that at first, but readily acknowledge that this guy is getting hosed. A lot of his employees will be out on the street, too. The dealership that is taking over his business won't be able to hire all of them.

he is getting hosed, with many others, and he will blame the government, right or wrong.

And your political bias will not feed his family, or those 50 employees and families.

contacted a lawyer and any other agency that might be interested. I'm thinking we need to know a little more about this.

good or bad. Can only be reviewed in that context.

Doesn't APPEAR fair.

First, a local Chrysler/Jeep dealer lost his franchise and word is that Chrysler will buy back his inventory, so something is amiss.

Second, the whole point of a free market economy is that businesses can, and do, fail-- the rewards of success are balanced by the possibility of failure. "Fairness" has nothing to do with it.

(And, just what "help" is this guy beseeching?)

Gotcha, sport. That's how the MOTHERFUCKER WORKS.

If the basic stupidity of the letter didn't tip you off, a DUer on another thread about this letter called up the dealership.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5688088&mesg_id=5690584

Plus if you google "George C. Joseph" you find this identical letter on numerous conservative web sites. I think it is fake and is being planted all over the web. Expect to get a copy in your email soon....

It's a story told completely from one point of view, and leaves a lot of unanswered questions besides. It's true that Chrysler has decided to cut the number of dealers significantly and as such are not renewing the franchises of a number of dealerships. Isuzu however does not appear to be doing so right now so his Isuzu franchise lives on. Further, Chrysler is in serious danger of going under completely, which would jeopardize EVERY dealerships employees and owners. They need to close some franchises, simple as that.

Chrysler is closing franchises based on a number of criteria. For example more than half the dealerships not being renewed sell fewer than 100 Chryslers per year. Others do not sell Jeeps or Dodges, which goes against Chrysler's desire to have all of it's brands sold from under one roof instead of competing with each other.

They are not handing his franchise to anyone, they are eliminating it. Other franchises not being closed will sell Chryslers to customers that might otherwise have come to him, but no one is being "given" his franchise. Also, while Chrysler is not offering to buy back inventory they ARE assisting franchises being closed to sell their inventory at cost to other dealers, a fact he conveniently leaves out. His parts inventory is rather irrelevant, since they will remain an authorized service center.

As to his remarks "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...", he is being frankly ridiculous. Does he think Chrysler OWES him his franchise? Even though he sells few of their cars and doesn't carry their other lines? In an environment where Chrysler is teetering at the edge of bankruptcy? How can a man in his position not understand what a "franchise" means? Here's a hint for ya buddy, a franchise isn't the "private business" you think it is.

I completely blanked out at his "not a government entity" bit, but having read a bit more about this on the web I get it now. This letter is being pushed to make Obama look bad. They are trying to paint this big government run amok, those evil Socialists. Trouble is the facts are that Obama has jack all to do with this, it was Chrysler's call.

Don't fall for it.