Well folks - I gotta tell yah that I am more disillusioned than ever by this tax stimulus and bail out in the US and Harley-Davidson's role in it all.
Remember a while back I wrote about their the news stories that told about the threats and strong arm tactics? Remember how they told the people of the City of Milwaukee, the State of Wisconsin that you know what folks - you employees are either gonna take this MASSIVE pay & Benefits cut or we are leaving the state...(and yes...there were other states and cities that got ultimatums too)
This is the same company that hosted the Bikes over Baghdad for the US troops and gives away bikes to the troops... which to be honest - is looking more and more to me to be another of their famous marketing ploys backed with little honesty or sincerity...or maybe I am just getting really cynical in my old age. (Just for the record - I do ride an H-D - and I do drive a Chrysler - to support the north American economy)
Now we find out through a variety of sources - Canada dot Com, Hell for Leather etc - I linked to the Motorcycle News dot Com article....
The US Federal Government loaned Harley-Davidson 2.3 BILLION Dollars
In this day and age when little business people like me can't get a loan to grow our businesses and people are loosing their homes because of the greed and avarice in the banking sector - when Multi National Corporations like Harley are telling employees - suck it up - YOU HAVE NO CHOICE...something is really wrong with this picture folks...
When you see the little guy paying the price at every turn...it is kind of hard to be in love with capitalism. Our social safety nets and laws are not protecting the right people if you ask me (And that goes for both sides of the border).
Why should the little guy - the tax payer - bail H-D out for it's stupid/ill advised and or DUMB ASSED, GREED DRIVEN Mistakes in lending money (so they could buy a motorcycle) to people they had no right to be lending to in the first place? Sub Prime Debt I think it is called?
Like I said, maybe it's just senility kicking in but something about this whole financial crisis/stimulus thing REALLY, REALLY stinks.
Being a Canadian I know that our stimulus package deal is not helping the way people thought it would - it only seems to be helping the rich get richer and if you watched the news yesterday the PM is trying to defend what he did in spending all that money.
And from where I am sitting- it appears to be even worse elsewhere. Money & Politics...Greed and Avarice - the fat keep getting fatter and we, the tax paying fools of the world keep letting the "Smart" people do this to us. Yes - me thinks it is time for change.
And that would be my two cents worth for the day.
As always - I would welcome your feed back on this topic...
The discussions take place in our Forums on www.beltdrivebetty.com on my personal FB page and on our Belt Drive Betty & The Busted Knuckle Chronicles Fan Page and right here in my blog!
Please drive safely...
Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider
www.beltdrivebetty.com
www.bustedknucklechronicles.com
Remember a while back I wrote about their the news stories that told about the threats and strong arm tactics? Remember how they told the people of the City of Milwaukee, the State of Wisconsin that you know what folks - you employees are either gonna take this MASSIVE pay & Benefits cut or we are leaving the state...(and yes...there were other states and cities that got ultimatums too)
This is the same company that hosted the Bikes over Baghdad for the US troops and gives away bikes to the troops... which to be honest - is looking more and more to me to be another of their famous marketing ploys backed with little honesty or sincerity...or maybe I am just getting really cynical in my old age. (Just for the record - I do ride an H-D - and I do drive a Chrysler - to support the north American economy)
Now we find out through a variety of sources - Canada dot Com, Hell for Leather etc - I linked to the Motorcycle News dot Com article....
The US Federal Government loaned Harley-Davidson 2.3 BILLION Dollars
In this day and age when little business people like me can't get a loan to grow our businesses and people are loosing their homes because of the greed and avarice in the banking sector - when Multi National Corporations like Harley are telling employees - suck it up - YOU HAVE NO CHOICE...something is really wrong with this picture folks...
When you see the little guy paying the price at every turn...it is kind of hard to be in love with capitalism. Our social safety nets and laws are not protecting the right people if you ask me (And that goes for both sides of the border).
Why should the little guy - the tax payer - bail H-D out for it's stupid/ill advised and or DUMB ASSED, GREED DRIVEN Mistakes in lending money (so they could buy a motorcycle) to people they had no right to be lending to in the first place? Sub Prime Debt I think it is called?
Like I said, maybe it's just senility kicking in but something about this whole financial crisis/stimulus thing REALLY, REALLY stinks.
Being a Canadian I know that our stimulus package deal is not helping the way people thought it would - it only seems to be helping the rich get richer and if you watched the news yesterday the PM is trying to defend what he did in spending all that money.
And from where I am sitting- it appears to be even worse elsewhere. Money & Politics...Greed and Avarice - the fat keep getting fatter and we, the tax paying fools of the world keep letting the "Smart" people do this to us. Yes - me thinks it is time for change.
And that would be my two cents worth for the day.
As always - I would welcome your feed back on this topic...
The discussions take place in our Forums on www.beltdrivebetty.com on my personal FB page and on our Belt Drive Betty & The Busted Knuckle Chronicles Fan Page and right here in my blog!
Please drive safely...
Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider
www.beltdrivebetty.com
www.bustedknucklechronicles.com
I definitely understand being pissed at the Grabberment for leading the sheeple down the garden path. I can't qualify for a business loan either, yet I see Federal Motors being given loans(read: "gifts") in the billions.
ReplyDeleteH-D, GM didn't build either country. It is small entrepreneurs that are the building blocks of North America!!!
But then again, it's the New World Order that's in charge these days. The people that feed BIG Business are the same ones that banned thoughts with religious "overtones, got rid of the word "God" (forgetting that both Canada AND the USA were started by Christian, God-fearing people)and banned the Lords Prayer.
Unless the sheeple stand up to the NWO, and realize that the people in power are wolves in sheep's clothing, North America is going to hell in a handbasket.
The way I see it, is that most of the population would rather be spoonfed pap, than stand up and be counted. Shout "NIMBY", and do nothing about whatever the Grabberment is foisting upon us. Personally, I would rather stand on my soapbox, to try and reach at least one person, AND be called a lunatic, than to sit back and wait for someone else to take on the job.
And therein lies the problem....... People wait for someone else to do the dirty work and nothing gets done. Everybody is too busy waiting,
waiting...................waiting.....................
Sad to say, I think this is just Americanism rearing it's self-centered, egotistical head.
ReplyDeleteHD screwed up with the lending issues and some financial blunders, and they're in trouble. The US Govt can't stand the thought that an "American Icon" might go down (due to their own stupidity) so they're propping up HD to make sure that Americans can still ride "American products".
Whether it's HD or GM or Chrysler, or any other "American" brand or marque, they'll prop it up until it's bloody impossible, all based on egotism and narcissism. The US Govt themselves aren't in such a position to be loaning money, either!
Just like small business, big business should be required to sink or swim all on their own. If they go under.. then it's just Darwin at work. Or.. maybe HD should just sell part or most of it's company to Wal Mart. Apparently having even LESS morals is still profitable.