I went out looking at new Chevy trucks last week. I went to Silvesters in Peckville, Pa, a local GM dealer where Jayne and I have bought several cars.
General Motors that company we the American tax payer bailed out and saved. The one who closed dealerships around the country and put more people out of jobs while they were restructuring the company.
That alone had me particularly ticked off when it happened. Many of those dealerships were a staple in the local communities they serviced.
Many were family owned and prided themselves on repeat business from their loyal customer base.
They built their reputations sometimes over generations. Passed on from father to son.
GM in its effort to streamline closed these dealerships in favor of "pushing" more volume to the already large impersonal Big Box dealers. Hundreds of people lost their jobs. The communities lost a valuable partner in fund raising and sponsorship of local activities.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a big GM truck fan. But the sticker was really very enlightening. Besides sticker shock I learned where American trucks are made.
The transmission and engine are made in the US. That's good.
- However if you are looking at a diesel that engine in made by Isuzu. I don't think that's an American company.
Now the rest of the break down.
- 34% of the parts come from Mexico. 65% come from the US. Ok - we are producing more parts than Mexico - that's reassuring. (Have no idea who makes the other 1%).
Silvesters usually stocks a nice selection of trucks. They had a long line of about 20 new trucks.
I walked and I walked looking for one assembled in the United States. Every truck on the lot was assembled in Mexico except 2.
- Our workforce assembled 2 and their workforce assembled 18. I did not bother to check out the rest of the cars on the lot to see where they came from. The trucks told me what I needed to know.
I had one very unhappy experience with a GMC Yukon manufactured in Mexico. I vowed never again. If it is not made in the US or Canada, I don't want it. If I wanted to buy a foreign truck I'd go to Toyota. I want an American truck.
9 out of 10 vehicles I looked at were manufactured in Mexico.
- Why you ask? According to Bloomsberg Businessweek the Mexican auto worker makes $3.50 an hour plus benefits. A US autoworker makes $27.00 an hour plus benefits.
- The same report indicated a new 600 million dollar plant was built in 2008/2009 by GM in San Luis Potosí, employing 2,000 people.
I wonder if that 600 million dollar plant was built with our taxpayer bail out money? We know where 2,000 American Jobs went - South of the Border.
Part of the deal bailing out GM should have been keeping American jobs in America, instead of US funding our own unemployment.
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