posted December 4, 2008
I have heard so many numbers, sound bites, praises from the local media, I am confused. I want a real number. What is the city of Chattanooga, Hamilton County, and the great state of Tennessee paying and or will pay to bring/keep VW in Chattanooga? What it the bottom line? Someone out there knows.
While we are so tied up in the Big 3 disaster, what is VW getting in help to bring/keep them here? What it is difference between this enticement and helping the Big 3, which is already here by the way?
Mitchell Thurmer
Signal Mountain
mthurmer4300@comcast.net
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People are buying Volkswagens. The plant will provide great jobs for thousands of people. There will also be many thousands more jobs provided by related suppliers. People are not buying Chevys, Fords or Chryslers. Giving them taxpayer money now will not change that. It will just prolong their demise.
The only savior for the Big 3 would be for the boards to totally ax the executives (the people who put them in this position) and hire all new management. That is not going to happen. The existing executives have proven they cannot successfully run the companies. Why give them more (taxpayer) money to waste?
Remember, the premise of capitalism is that the more efficient, well organized, and smarter companies will succeed and the lazy, bloated companies will go out of business. That means the consumer gets the best product at the best price and those who work hard and do the right thing make more money. And, be mindful that, although jobs are lost by those at these bloated and inefficient companies, jobs are gained at the new more progressive, efficient companies.
Jerry Yates
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The problem with Mr. Yates’s premise is that $600 million in VW incentives plus about $200 million more of local goodies is no different than the government bailout the big three want. A recent article in the TFP pointed out that the VW jobs would cost the taxpayers about $288,000 per job, while the Big 3 bailout is approximately $100,000 for each job. The domestic companies look like a bargain compared to VW. I don’t expect people to be experts in economics, but they should be able to add and subtract.
Your preaching about capitalism while going along with government (and we taxpayers) subsidizing a foreign company like VW is bizarre. If we are going to do this kind of stupidity, I would rather be stupid with a domestic company.
The financial bailout of $700 billion up front and 7.5 trillion in the future, offering huge unsustainable incentives to VW and now billions for unsuccessful car companies is just basically insane. The fact that you don’t see the similarity is selective philosophy.
Mr. Yates, along with politicians of both stripes, who vote and support this junk, whether is be local, state, or nationally, need a lesson in basic economics. Here it is. Cash in has to be equal to or more than cash out. Oh yea, unless you are the government and then you can just print more money.
Tim Price
jat-55@msn.com
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Mr. Yates,
For the month of November, Volkswagen sales totaled 14,295. Chevrolet alone sold 95,756 vehicles for the same period.
Who is not selling cars?
Rick Watts
Chattanooga
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