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Old 05-13-2015, 05:12 AM   #1
steve_biegler
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Default Six years past.

Well its been six years since the 789 letters were drafted and mailed or should I say UPS'd. The world has moved on, not even a word in Autonews today about the slaughter, or the legal win last week by some of the dealers against Chrysler and the government.

I have come to realize that I will probably never "Let it go" as so many have told me to. To many good people were crushed either financially or emotionally or both, lives ruined right in front of our eyes. For that I will NEVER forgive Chrysler or our government.

Thanks to the Forum friends for helping me through, you all mean more than you know.

So tonight as I have done on this date for the last several years I will raise my glass at 9PM central time to toast all those who were effected both Chrysler and GM. Those that have closed, stayed open, moved on and those of us that can't. Most of all those that have passed away never being able to see some sort of resolution to this travesty.

So please join me in this little ritual, 9PM a glass of your favorite beverage.

To the GM fallen and the 789!
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Old 05-13-2015, 06:53 AM   #2
TNtech
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Originally Posted by steve_biegler View Post
Well its been six years since the 789 letters were drafted and mailed or should I say UPS'd. The world has moved on, not even a word in Autonews today about the slaughter, or the legal win last week by some of the dealers against Chrysler and the government.

I have come to realize that I will probably never "Let it go" as so many have told me to. To many good people were crushed either financially or emotionally or both, lives ruined right in front of our eyes. For that I will NEVER forgive Chrysler or our government.

Thanks to the Forum friends for helping me through, you all mean more than you know.

So tonight as I have done on this date for the last several years I will raise my glass at 9PM central time to toast all those who were effected both Chrysler and GM. Those that have closed, stayed open, moved on and those of us that can't. Most of all those that have passed away never being able to see some sort of resolution to this travesty.

So please join me in this little ritual, 9PM a glass of your favorite beverage.

To the GM fallen and the 789!
Yeah, I know the ruin you speak of. I was AT one of those dealers then. I came out decent I guess, but I saw 100 or more people lose their homes, cars, tool boxes, not to mention start drinking or doing drugs again, marriages break up. Those dirty bastards are going to pay for that $hit one of these days.

Chrysler put their finger on every one they wanted gone and used the "czar" to do their dirty work.
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Old 05-13-2015, 07:49 AM   #3
57years
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My heart is broken, and only a future permanent release will ever let it go. I saw how my political friends bailed on me, how my fellow dealers gave me up to the myriad of Obama automatons. A Salute to the Fallen, a prayer for the employee-victims, a toast to those who carry the hurt....
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Old 05-13-2015, 08:58 AM   #4
steve_biegler
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OK now I am officially pissed off again!! The response I received from Auto News Chrysler watchdog. I guess they just don't give a ****!!

There is nothing planned to mark the anniversary, Mr. Biegler. As for the remaining lawsuits, our editors are monitoring and assigning updates as they feel they are warranted.

Thank you for writing in, and for reading Automotive News.

Sincerely,

Larry Vellequette
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Old 05-13-2015, 12:54 PM   #5
DealerEx
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I was fortunate to have sold out in 2005, but I still get soooo wound up and mad when someone says something about the credit meltdown back in 2008 and how so many dealers around here went out of business because of it. When I start to explain that it wasn't the credit crunch that put them out of business, but our own government and the manufacturers, in clear violation of the Federal Bankruptcy Code, the Franchise Agreements, and 200 years of contract law, they are SHOCKED when they hear what REALLY happened. I explain to them about the bondholders getting screwed out of their first lien status by the government...the payoff given to the UAW...the backroom deals and corporate politics that determined what dealers got shut down and above all how the government facilitated the theft of private property from U.S. citizens and allowed the manufacturers to walk away from their contractual obligations to the dealers they terminated illegally. It still happens at least once a month, and they usually ask "why didn't we ever hear about this in the news...how could they get away with that?" I had several close friends that had their life's work stolen from them and I will never get over it...because I KNOW that if I had still been in business I would have been one of the 789, but the people I sold out to were closed in my place. If I had still been in business I would have lost everything I had spent my life working for and there would not have been a damned thing I could have done to prevent it, just like my friends couldn't. The whole thing was pretty much "swept under the rug" by the news media, the administration, the UAW, and the management of GM and Chrysler, and only a few of us will ever know what really took place in May of 2009...and that's a damn shame. I'll lift a glass to the memory of those left behind.

Last edited by DealerEx; 05-15-2015 at 04:36 PM.
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Old 05-13-2015, 07:09 PM   #6
possum
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My family, and myself, were part of the 789. The world has moved on, never even thinking about what happened right here in the USA. Our Dealership was opened by my Grand Dad in 1919, went through World Wars, depression, and 90 years of supporting the factory as their "partner". We have been lucky enough to stay open, but only a shadow of what we were. I've watched as my dad lost his lifes work, and saw what it did to him. Our family will survive, but will never forget or forgive.
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Old 05-14-2015, 11:50 AM   #7
XDCX
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TNtech View Post
Yeah, I know the ruin you speak of. I was AT one of those dealers then. I came out decent I guess, but I saw 100 or more people lose their homes, cars, tool boxes, not to mention start drinking or doing drugs again, marriages break up. Those dirty bastards are going to pay for that $hit one of these days.

Chrysler put their finger on every one they wanted gone and used the "czar" to do their dirty work.
I totally agree - there were so many lives that were needlessly destroyed as a result of the OLDCO terminations.

I remain 100% convinced that the government "czar" dictated that Chrysler and GM must eliminate dealers to obtain their federal bailout funds. Some have suggested the government mandated the dealer reductions under the mistaken belief that GM and Chrysler should have a vehicle "throughput" per dealer like the Japanese OEMs and others have suggested the government wanted to terminate dealers in the spirit of "shared sacrifice."

I hope the current lawsuit against the U.S. Treasury continues toward the point where we get to hear testimony from corporate and government officials concerning what happened behind closed doors. I'm betting the government would settle before they'd allow that can or worms to be opened...
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Old 05-14-2015, 11:58 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 57years View Post
My heart is broken, and only a future permanent release will ever let it go. I saw how my political friends bailed on me, how my fellow dealers gave me up to the myriad of Obama automatons. A Salute to the Fallen, a prayer for the employee-victims, a toast to those who carry the hurt....
Interesting comments.

I've heard from other OLDCO dealers who shared the same experience when it came to support from their fellow dealers or dealer associations.

I don't know why it happened but there's no question that it happened. Maybe it's like "survivor guilt" and the NEWCO dealers didn't want to communicate with the OLDCO dealers because they didn't know what to say or they didn't want to acknowledge how close they were to being in the same circumstance.

In the alternative, perhaps it was simply fear. The NEWCO dealers saw first had how the factory could wield their power without any justification or recourse. A NEWCO dealer who was still pals with the OLDCO dealers might be seen as disloyal to his/her OEM and that could have terminal consequences.
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Old 05-14-2015, 12:08 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by DealerEx View Post
When I start to explain that it wasn't the credit crunch that put them out of business, but our own government and the manufacturers, in clear violation of the Federal Bankruptcy Code, the Franchise Agreements, and 200 years of contract law, they are SHOCKED when they hear what REALLY happened. I explain to them about the bondholders getting screwed out of their first lien status by the government...the payoff given to the UAW...the backroom deals and corporate politics that determined what dealers got shut down and above all how the government facilitated the theft of private property from U.S. citizens and allowed the manufacturers to walk away from their contractual obligations to the dealers they terminated illegally.
I totally agree - 200 years of contract law were thrown out when the Federal Bankruptcy Court did a "quick rinse" and processed the GM and Chrysler Chapter 11 bankruptcies.

With Chrysler it was so clear that investors with a first lien position were getting screwed while the UAW with second lien positions ended up making out like bandits.

Even today when the media recaps what happened with GM and Chrysler it's complete revisionism. When calculating how much the tax payers lost on the GM/Chrysler bailouts the media/government almost always leave out the OLDCO losses and just focus on the NEWCO losses and no one ever mentions the $16 Billion tax break GM received that was inconsistent with the IRS tax code.
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Old 05-14-2015, 12:12 PM   #10
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Our family will survive, but will never forget or forgive.
That's consistent with my views too.

While I didn't incur any losses as a result of the OLDCO terminations I feel a lot of sympathy for those who did.

I understand the concept of "forgive and forget" but I don't think it applies when the counterparty shows no remorse for their actions and continues to dance on the graves of those they've destroyed.
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Old 05-14-2015, 12:16 PM   #11
XDCX
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Originally Posted by steve_biegler View Post
OK now I am officially pissed off again!! The response I received from Auto News Chrysler watchdog. I guess they just don't give a ****!!

There is nothing planned to mark the anniversary, Mr. Biegler. As for the remaining lawsuits, our editors are monitoring and assigning updates as they feel they are warranted.

Thank you for writing in, and for reading Automotive News.

Sincerely,

Larry Vellequette
I can't say I'm too surprised.

Automotive New gave up on the OLDCO dealers a long time ago.
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Old 05-14-2015, 12:18 PM   #12
XDCX
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Quote:
Originally Posted by steve_biegler View Post
Well its been six years since the 789 letters were drafted and mailed or should I say UPS'd. The world has moved on, not even a word in Autonews today about the slaughter, or the legal win last week by some of the dealers against Chrysler and the government.

I have come to realize that I will probably never "Let it go" as so many have told me to. To many good people were crushed either financially or emotionally or both, lives ruined right in front of our eyes. For that I will NEVER forgive Chrysler or our government.

Thanks to the Forum friends for helping me through, you all mean more than you know.

So tonight as I have done on this date for the last several years I will raise my glass at 9PM central time to toast all those who were effected both Chrysler and GM. Those that have closed, stayed open, moved on and those of us that can't. Most of all those that have passed away never being able to see some sort of resolution to this travesty.

So please join me in this little ritual, 9PM a glass of your favorite beverage.

To the GM fallen and the 789!
Steve,

Thanks for creating this thread - it's important that this date and what happened isn't forgotten.

I was away from the Internet for most of the day yesterday so I'll toast those mentioned in your post this evening.

So many lives destroyed and so little justice received....
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Old 05-14-2015, 01:06 PM   #13
steve_biegler
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Steve,

Thanks for creating this thread - it's important that this date and what happened isn't forgotten.

I was away from the Internet for most of the day yesterday so I'll toast those mentioned in your post this evening.

So many lives destroyed and so little justice received....
A great reason to have another drink....I will join you! And thanks for all you do.
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Old 05-14-2015, 04:42 PM   #14
flstsphil
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I was one of the 789. I thank Alan Spitzer, Jack Fitzgerald, and Tammy Darvish every day for a chance to get back in the game.
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Old 05-14-2015, 05:31 PM   #15
TURBO-DIESEL-FREAK
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H-O-L-Y C-R-A-P.... As an outsider looking in, I am only now getting an inkling of how badly screwed over Chrysler and GM Dealers were in 2009. Thank you, Steve, for giving me a peek at the hell Chrysler put you through.

I know they screwed me over as a customer; now I can see that they did the same to a LOT of their Dealers as well. They won't be getting my money ever again.

Was the situation as bad for GM as well?
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