Jindal addresses layoff
Print
Email
Save
Reprints
Twitter
Share
Del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Reddit
- Page 1 of 3
- SINGLE PAGE VIEW
SHREVEPORT — The tone of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s visit to north Louisiana changed abruptly Monday when General Motors Corp. laid off about 760 workers at its truck factory.
Jindal started his day by posing for photographs and shaking hands at a series of town hall meetings in the north Louisiana towns of Dubach, Farmerville and Mer Rouge.
He ended the day in Shreveport, where he hastily called a meeting with the GM truck plant manager and Mayor Cedric Glover after learning of the layoffs, beginning in late September.
The facility builds midsize pickup trucks and the H3 Hummer.
The shutdown of a production shift at the Shreveport plant, which employs about 2,000 people, came on the heels of GM announcing sales had dropped 16 percent for the first half of this year, largely because of record-high gasoline prices and a weak overall economy.
GM spokesman Tony Sapienza told The Associated Press that the closures in Shreveport and other GM plants would trim output of large vehicles by about 117,000 annually.
“There was really nothing Shreveport or the state could have done,” Jindal said.
The governor said he would travel to Detroit to meet with the president of GM North America about possible state incentives to return the facility to full employment and would consider calling a special session for the Legislature to approve those incentives. For instance, Stephen Moret, secretary of the state Department of Economic Development, said the state could support an investment that would convert the equipment and processes to allow the plant to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles.
Jindal originally traveled to north Louisiana for three back-to-back town hall meetings. More than 100 people greeted him at each of his stops — a community center decorated with poultry festival posters, a National Guard armory and a tractor store.
The problems of farmers and small businesses dominated the discussions in the three rural towns.
Dubach poultry grower Angie Tyler’s hand shot up like a rocket after Jindal wrapped up his opening remarks at the Scott Hamilton Warehouse outside Ruston.
Apologizing for her nervousness, Tyler stood and asked in a shaky voice for help.
“We’re having such a big crisis,” she said. “There are a lot of farmers who are going to lose everything.”
- NEXT PAGE »
- 1
- 2
- 3
-
Are the layoffs bad news? Absolutely. Is it any business of the office of governor? No. Nor is it the responsibility of the state to "partner" with GM in any efforts to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles.
-
If the state wants the jobs to come back, it is the business of the state. GM will be changing over a lot of plants in the future and Louisiana would love to be on the inside track of that. You see it as using your tax money to help out big business. But the Governor sees it as generating jobs and tax revenue. I think it is a great idea.
-
What lessons do we lose? 911- We forget about safety because the price of oil is high. This is temporary. The market is artificially inflated and it's not Bush. The Chinese are drilling off of Florida and subsidizing their oil. But they can't afford it anymore. The demand is going down, the price will too. Maybe we NEVER should have been having Hummers so popular anyway. work on the trucks. I don't think it will take too much to make them more fuel efficient so it can handle the ups and down of the market. Trucks are always useful.
-
When I bought my car, I looked at safety rating, mileage, (gas wasn't even high, but I listened to Bush) and of course style :)
-
"allow the plant to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles." We have played along since 1969 or so with high costs of oil and oil shortages and we haven't developed a plan to wean ourselves off of oil yet. Plus we do not have a plan to do so now. This is the sort of thing that happens with proper planning. Mr. mark edward marchiafava, if we follow your logic, our children will be learning Chinese, in fact "marchiafava" does have a chinese ring to it.
-
Just another victim of 8 years of the republican way. Ugh!
-
One problem with government subsidizing private businesses is that when profits improve, the CEOs and stock owners keep all of the profits. When companies that are helped with tax funds begin to make a profit they should be required to first pay back the government for the help they received instead of giving the CEOs and stock holders large increases in salaries and dividends. Most taxpayers do not get a free ride, so why should companies? The public has been sold on buying everything on credit including large autos and large houses. Well now the credit bubble is bursting, and nobody can afford to put gas in their cars or pay for their homes, or even heat and cool the 2500 sq. ft. homes they purchased. Government and individuals need to get back to "pay as you go" economics instead of "buy everything you can on credit and worry about it later" economics. Evidently, what we have been doing in the past is not working too well.
-
M.E.M., while you know that I agree with you on some rather important issues (namely the one recently resolved from Tanger), and I normally agree that private business, how it fluxes, how it functions, is of little to no concern of the government (I agree that the gov't is way to big and oversteps is boundries by alot, even in normal day-to-day activity, but that is another rant and argument for another day), with the amount of factory closings that we have been having in north La, if Jindal can manage to save or recoup any number of jobs, it will be a major help. We have been losing thousands of jobs from various factories, papermills, now the GM factory, and this does not count the thousands of jobs we did not recieve when we lost bids to have new factories and plants built because of the corruptiveness of our previous administrations. The north La economy is in for a hurting, the only thing that is likely to save S'Port at all is the gambling industry. So, for this exception, I welcome any help that Jindal is willing to give, even if it does not directly affect me as of right now.
-
Government spending at all levels is going to have to be reduced at some point in time. But along with that, taxes should be collected at the lowest level. Federal spending and taxes should be cut and Louisiana (an other states) should pay for their own roads, bridges, schools, and parks. That would also give the Federal goverment a lot less opportunity to implement requirements that the states are against and theb use the threat of withholding Federal funds if the states don't comply.
-
Lay-offs should be no problem now that Jindal has his HUGE new workforce program in place.... OH WAIT, it's not in place yet? And he What? He didn't fund any of the EXISTING programs? Surely not, surely not.... heh, heh. you bunch of dummies....
-
Jindal is your typical politician; tell you what you want to hear! I do sympathize with these people that got laid off but change is inevitable and it took $4.00 a gallon gas to wake up Americans and American companies. The question is should our tax dollars be an incentive for companies to make these changes? No they shouldn’t, it should be the responsibility of the company. All the years they were making profits now the taxpayers should subsidize change in a private company? Jindals response on “Why did it take you so long to veto the raise?” was more rhetoric. The question should have been stated “Why did you break your word to the people of Louisiana?” or “How can you talk about ethics when your word means nothing to you?” From what I understand conservative values are for “less government”, you couldn’t tell that from what we have seen with the Bush Administration. What you see going on in the U.S. today from farmers going broke, outsourcing American jobs, trade agreements, big business running Washington, Medicare not negotiating directly with pharmaceutical companies, housing market and I could go on and on. They are a reflection of the Bush administration for the last eight years, Jindal is a mirror image of Bush so if you like where we are today you will love Jindal!
-
dani, so are you blaming Bush for this and everything. I agree the price of oil is temporary but safety. Where did that come from and the Chinese? Now TRUCKS, oh yea. The way I see it. If you can't haul dirt in the back why own it. Lets see $35,000.00 for a car that does nothing and unless its a really small car gets no better gas mileage than a truck or $35,000.00 for a truck that I can haul with, drop the tailgate for a chair, bed, or just a gathering place and they have all the comforts as a car. I just went to Texas pulling a stock trailer with two horses and the bed loaded of my 2008 Dodge Ram 4 wheel drive with the 5.7 HEMI and got 12 miles to the gallon not bad not bad at all and no I didn't do 20 miles an hour. Try that with a car...... I know, car people, so lay it on me, come on..... seconhand is right mark
-
If all ya'll wanna haul ya'll hosses and stuff round in ya'll big trucks and SUVs, ya'll pay for it!!!
-
Rat......I know, and I do, and I don't complain about it at all. I have a great time spending time with my family and its worth every dime I spend in gas. The fun part is when I pull the boat so I have to fill up both . I just hate the fact that the pumps cut off at $75.00 because you have to swipe your card again.
-
When Obama becomes president, he will increase rich people's taxes so they will have to swipe their cards three and four times to go further into debt to pay for their lifestyles.
-
Amen! Democrat
-
But you gotta love it Democrat
-
But you gotta love it Democrat. .....Hey maybe they will just give rich people bigger limits so they don't have to swipe but once........ If anyone thinks that he will get the tax the rich more only passed they sure live in a different other world.
-
The problem with GM is in its top heavy management mentality. The salaried workers have very lenient work hours, enjoy take home new vehicles, are issued unlimited use gas cards, and have liberal vacations and slack time. Guess who pays for all this luxury? No one is buying the Hummer line and the truck lines are just not sellling to the pace that GM needs to off set the costs. Now the State is going to bail them out? What will Jindal offer in order to keep their fat machine running--will he continue to cut services from state funded operations that show progress just to make GM stays in Shreveport?
-
I fear that if Obama becomes president--we ain't seen nothing yet!!!! This guy is fearsome in so many ways.Please think before you vote--Who IS Obama anyway? Why is he so pretty and popular?? What will he do?? These job cuts are nothing compared to what I fear he will do. Let Jindal help those folks with their jobs.
-
As I get older, it becomes more apparent that the difference between Welfare and Economic Development is the size of the check. I am sure glad that Bush didn't raise my taxes---cuz that is about the only thing that hasn't increased in cost in the last 7 years. In some voters minds, that makes for a perfect presidency. All-in-all, we get the elected officials we deserve.---SHAME ON US.
-
One thing about the cost of living and paying taxes. It is a lot more pleasant if you have a job. I'd rather have to pay taxes and have a job, than have a Republican in office. The Republican plan is to keep poor people poor so they can take advantage of them!
-
Boudreau has it about right. If you make less than a quarter mil, and vote Repub, then you're a sucker - plain and true. Nixon spelled it out in his Southern Strategy, and you are just lapping it up - no questions asked.
-
Come on Boudreau, do you really believe its the Republicans fault that GM ran its own company in the ground.... Read Bullseye post......Why is it that people think that one party is better than the other. Both parties benefit from the American public being ignorant. After all do any of us have our , our spouse, kids retirement guarantee, our medical insurance paid for, own more than one house and if one does is one able to write them off as deductions. Get to take vacations anywhere we want when we want at the tax payers expense throw parties at the tax payers expense and lord could I go on with this. The bottom line is both parties are out for themselves working together to keep the American Public in the dark and apparently its working Boudreau. If we would hold them accountable for their actions they might just work together. Although, as long as they can kept the American public ignorant to their ways and kept us blaming one party for this and the other for that then they are free to do as they please. Bottom line. So as I said before go ahead hit me with your barrage of remarks but in your mind you know I am right.
-
Well, the truth I suspect lies somewhere between the remarks of Boudreau and Craig. There is certainly plenty of bipartisan blame to go around. Ultimately, however, parties have natural constituencies. The Republicans appeal to a wealthy business base - Nixon blatantly exploited southern conservative social fears of integration and liberalism to boos tthe southern conservative base - in effect creating a massive voting bloc that would habitually vote against (yes, against) its own interests. And still does! Its amazing that it has lasted this long, although the last couple of years, and the pendulum (which never stops) appears to be heading back the other way. Its all cyclical, you know.
-
I do believe the cause of the GM layoff is Republican oriented. 1st it's due to the cost of gas. 2nd Bush, Cheney and big oil are manipulating the oil markets just like Enron did. The price of gas is going down because there is an election in Novemeber, just like it has done for the last 2 elections. 3rd, if you don't believe they are controlling gas and the price is going down, due to people cutting back, then you are agreeing with Al Gore who said if you raise the price of Gas, it will drive down consumption and ultimately the price will fall. Who do you believe?
-
When the government helps the rich it’s called a tax break. When the government helps the poor it’s called welfare. Go figure
-
I only have 1 thing to say hydrogen car !!!! come on if we cut fuel use the price is going to go up ! Cut big oil out . Get GM in here making hydrogen fuel cell cars, GM's already spent a billion on it
-
Was not trying to inflame anyone. Not spamming, or trolling. When did this comments section get so serious? I guess I will have to go back to sudoko to relax. Geez!
-
The terms of service were not posted when I wrote the comments dated Tues July 19, 2008 8:28 a.m.
-
Dani, the Chinese are most definitely NOT drilling off the coast of Florida or Cuba. Quit repeating discredited lies from the like of Hannity, et. al. Here's the truth: "Drilling proponents - who are mostly Republicans - "are using China as a boogeyman," said Jorge Pinion, an energy expert at the University of Miami's Center for Hemispheric Policy. So what's the truth? China's oil company, Sinopec, has an agreement with Cuba, but its lease is for an onshore site and no actual drilling has taken place, Pinion said. The closest threat to U.S. waters is a joint venture between Norway and Spain, about 65 miles south of Key West."
-
If the Chinese have the cash, they have the right to buy the oil. The Chinese have about 20% of the world's population, the US about 5%. As the Chinese develop, the US will have to have 4 times the economic growth just to keep up. Wake up America, the free lunch is over. For all the xenophobes out there, you will be buried. As a pro-globalist I say "Long live capitalism." BTW, if you can afford a Hummer to drive around town, good for you. But our economy in general will suffer for your choices. Greater efficiency will make the difference, not a bigger drill, pump or tank.
Click "Report Abuse" to notify our moderators that a comment may contain objectionable content.
Your comment appears to contain objectionable content and must be reviewed by a site moderator. If your comment is deemed objectionable, it will not appear on the site.
 | ||||
| Most Popular | Most Emailed | Hot Topics | ||
