Rick Badie / My Opinion

By Washington Diary

February 11, 2009 11:48 AM | Link to this

I’m really sorry, Mr. Badie, this is not your fault, but Mr. Doug Bachtel cannot express himself well at all. Please dumb down whatever it is he said, (which I’m sure is scholarly).

A domino theory. A trickle down reference. red herring demographic data. this guy is good.

By BW

February 11, 2009 12:31 PM | Link to this

While I agree with most of Doug Bachte theory, I’m confused by the ‘Buy American’ comment? If he’s traveled around Gwinnett and looked at the driveways he would see American made pick-up trucks in construction workers driveways (Latino’s). As far as Americans being loyal to anything American made is a joke.

It’s just not cars, look at the parking lots around a Wal-Mart or China Outlet as I like to call it. Bye Rich’s, Macy’s and most Mom & Pop stores. I wouldn’t shop at a Wal-Marts if it was the only store around for miles.

In my driveway there is a Grand Prix and a Dodge Dekota, both run and look fine.

Buy American.

By BW

February 11, 2009 1:52 PM | Link to this

Mark old buddy, you’ll understand when you’re old enough to drive.

By LT5000

February 11, 2009 1:54 PM | Link to this

I don’t know what dealership will fail next, but it seems the AJC is heading into the toilet.

ATLANTA - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution will reduce its circulation area to 27 counties around metro Atlanta and cut 156 jobs in its third cost-cutting move since early 2007. And, the City of Atlanta has announced more layoffs.

If it takes a few car dealerships to close so that Gwinnett is rid of the Illegal Immigrant population, I’ll take it.

LT5000

By BW

February 11, 2009 2:51 PM | Link to this

It’s so sweet to see my two buds together again, btw.. buds or buddy is my term for a-holes. But never the less you always amuse with your pre-school insults, I guess that is all you can do when you’re not smart enough to address the issue.

By Mark

February 11, 2009 3:14 PM | Link to this

BW There is no “issue”, jism breath. It’s a freakin car dealership out of business. BIG NEWS! Do you carry a laptop to QT when you go for your daily dose of chorizo? Get a job, loser….

By The Blogfather of Scroll

February 11, 2009 3:32 PM | Link to this

Mark: BW wrote one sentence. You wrote six trying to deal with it.

He spanked you pretty good. Don’t respond to this and embarrass yourself further. When you decide to swing at a comment, less is more.

Point, BW

By Mark

February 11, 2009 4:09 PM | Link to this

The Blogfather of Scroll Mind your own business, scrotum bag.

By Pedagogue's Demagoguery

February 11, 2009 4:32 PM | Link to this

<=3

By Mark

February 11, 2009 4:32 PM | Link to this

BW

What is a “Dodge Dekota”? Maybe you need a remedial course in spelling. If you’re going to blog, at least look educated.

By LT5000

February 11, 2009 6:01 PM | Link to this

Here, Mark, grab the dodge dekota’s stick shift right here: <=3

moron.

By LT5000

February 11, 2009 8:23 PM | Link to this

Impersonation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Another moronic Blubbering Badie blog bites the dust.

The real LT5000

By Michael H. Smith

February 11, 2009 9:54 PM | Link to this

Doug Batchel’s comment ‘Buy American’ could use a qualifier or at least it should carry a disclaimer when speaking of American automobiles, to the reality of ‘Buy the American Labels’. There hasn’t been an American made car around for years anyone could buy. In 1995 (there about) only one car came close to the ‘Buy American’ standard and that was a Cadillac, which only contained 2% U.S.A. made parts, the other 98% were imported from around the world. Today, as much American labor is likely used to assemble a Toyota, Honda, Kia or Hyundai in the U.S.A. as may be employed assembling Chevys, Fords or Chryslers the so-called American made cars these now government subsidized “multi-nationalists” produce that is parroted as American.

Call that Devastation with a capital “D” and that as in a Flood with a capital “F” when counting the loss to the American manufacturing sector: What goes around comes around to close a Saturn dealership for good.

Never mind the fact these Free Trade diehards and open border lobbyists scream protectionism, isolationism from the halls of the Chambers of Commerce to a ranch in Midland, Texas or now Dallas with nary a whimper made over China pegging it currency against our U.S. dollar, requiring that all cars made in China contain at least 40% of the parts to be made in China. Never mind Mexico publishes comic books that compels Mexicans to break U.S immigration law to take jobs that cannot be outsource or that 80% or better of the illegal drugs that come into this country enter from Mexico including the vast majority of the human smuggling that occurs. All this after that the sucking sound Ross Parrot foretold of has vacuumed away thousands of middle class incomes from the U.S. under NAFTA to Mexico, where now even the Maytag repairman likely resides. But don’t look for old blue the Hound-dog in the background: He too has been replaced by a Chihuahua.

You have to Hire American if you are to actually Buy American: Otherwise beware of the ‘diversity’ that one day will trickle down on you and yours, my “fella Amuricuns”(sic), when there are no more American customers able to buy what you are selling.

http://www.americanworker.org/

PS. It is predicted that one of seven jobs created under this newly passed stimulus bill will employee an unauthorized illegal alien worker.

By BW

February 11, 2009 11:18 PM | Link to this

MHS, I disagree about American made cars where the majority of parts are made in other countries and shipped here, just think about it. It sounds like Radar shipping home a jeep piece by piece. While the site you provided had some interesting articles, it is nothing more than a anti-immigration scare site. Here’s a good link, it even offers a Buy American link that lists products made in the USA.

http://www.uaw.org/index.cfm

My bud Mark, sorry Dekota, instead of Dakota, really messed up what little grey matter you have, maybe a course in common sense would do you a world of good.

By Michael H. Smith

February 12, 2009 12:13 AM | Link to this

I disagree with you BW and your assertions. Nothing new in that and nothing more needs saying, we simply disagree. All the arguments have been made before; and as for sites furnished I don’t consider those you supply to be worth a worm bucket of anti-American spit.

Unions are pro-illegal immigration that has been proven: Et al AFL-CIO.

If this link appears that would include the UAW.

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/12/unions-funded-labor-nominees-w.html

As long as a company employs U.S. Citizens and goes out of their way to do so, I’ll continue to buy their services and products.

By The Voice of Raisin

February 12, 2009 9:43 AM | Link to this

It’s not nearly as simple as people make it out to be.*

I don’t like seeing a business close or people losing jobs, but there are way too many car dealerships out there.

I haven’t heard one word here about the problems people had with a lot of Saturn products. Several models had and continued to have poor reliability (head gaskets going early, transmission problems, general reliability issues). All this in a car intended to compete with the “imports”?

You have to remember that the “import” car makers here employ a lot of Americans and are more cost effective; one reason being the they don’t have the heavy cost and inefficiency brought by the unions.

Also, what about the “American” cars built in other countries? All you have to do is look at the first digit on a vehicle’s VIN number. It it’s not a “1” it’s not built in the USA!

Try it some time…you might find it interesting to see a Chrysler, etc., was actually built outside the US!

Just some things to think about…I predict more domestic dealerships will close over next few months.

By Mark

February 12, 2009 10:05 AM | Link to this

LT5000

Your proctologist just called. They found your head.

By LB

February 12, 2009 10:13 AM | Link to this

Good products and good customer service are the key. Here is an example. Gwinnett Place Honda on Satellite Blvd. v/s Mall of Georgia Honda. The Satellite Blvd. location is very quota driven. Customers are treated like cash cows and treated like a number. Mall of Georgia Honda treats people like humans. Quality time is spent and a customer is treated like they are the only person in the world. I later learned that the Satellite location has a huge turn over of employees. They have a call center. I shopped there one time and they didn’t have the car I wanted and tried to rail road me into something I didn’t want, yet the Satellite Honda telemarketers called and bugged me for more than a month to come in and buy. For them, it’s all about them and their quota. For Mall of Georgia it is all about me and my needs for a car. If the Satellite location closes I would not miss it. After all, they don’t miss their customers, just the quota.

By BW

February 12, 2009 11:44 AM | Link to this

MHS, no connection between illegals and unions in the link you provided. This broad brush painting of unions supporting illegals is getting old, offer up some proof, please.

The Voice of Raisin, “import” car makers here employ a lot of Americans and are more cost effective”, did you ever consider the oldest plant they have here is only twenty years old? That on average the pay difference between union and non-union is around two or three dollars or that several plants they have here are union?

There is one union busting plant in Tenn. I believe, where if they had a rule about kin not working with nother kin they’d have one employee. They’er paying half of what other “import” car makers make as a test.

LB, so true, never heard of anyone buying a second car from Car-Max, I guess once is enough.

By Bubba

February 12, 2009 2:01 PM | Link to this

Oh, there is much more of a difference between union and non-union shops, BW. Salary is only a small part of it. I have worked on the factory floor in both a union and a non-union auto plant. A primary difference between the two - in my experience - is that non-union workers care about producing a quality product efficiently. Union workers care about the union. Producing quality products efficiently is way, way, way down the list.

Those are not my words. Those are the words, and the practices of those words, by line foremem from bot the non-union and union plants. In fact, a foreman at the Ford plant here in Hapeville said exactly these words: “I don’t care if it’s built better, faster, cheaper, stronger. It’s either the union way, or no way.”

That’s my proof. My dirty hands, my ruined clothes and my personal experience.

Unions have lost sight of why they’re there - to make a quality product at a fair wage. Management doesn’t get a bye either. Unions didn’t decide to focus on building mostly SUVs and pick-ups - management did. There’s an equally sizeable list of management’s poor leadership.

My point, BW, is that non-union plants - in my opinion - work with management, not against management like they do in union shops. And vice-versa. My biggest fear is that the “goose-that-laid-the-golden-egg” that is the U.S. autmototive industry, while not yet dead, is mortally wounded. Wounded because union and management were so busy flailing at each other with sharpened knives that they repeatedly stabbed the plant.

By BW

February 12, 2009 9:00 PM | Link to this

Bubba. my wife is not a lazy worker, nor the majority of her co-workers. In June my wife will have twenty-four years with the same company, not mamy today can say that now a-days.

Before they became union a few years ago, the company asked the employees to give up a few bucks per hour to help the company over some rough spots. As good non-union employee’s they did, the end of the year all the managers received Christmas bonuses, the emplyee’s received coal.

Now as a Union shop they’re expanding into a new building because of the increased volumn.

Sorry Bubba, the scare tactic doesn’t work.

By Lee

February 12, 2009 9:07 PM | Link to this

Does anyone remember back when you bought a car, you had to come up with a pretty hefty down payment?

Sadly, the car industry followed the lead of the mortgage industry and created a giant ponzi scheme that they could not maintain.

Car loans went from 3 to 4 to 5 to 6 years and beyond. Instead of requiring a down payment, they’ll finance 100% of the car, plus Gap Insurance, plus disability insurance, plus extended warranty, etc, etc.

Hmmm, hey, let’s get them on the lease a car and never get rid of a car payment treadmill.

Yes, it is tough if you’re losing your job and I feel for those folks, I really do. But, the car dealerships overbuilt and saturated a very fragile market.

Them’s the breaks.

By Michael H. Smith

February 12, 2009 9:34 PM | Link to this

Get use old BW, that old brush paints fine and broad strokes in portraying the truth. The link most certainly does connect unions and their support of illegal aliens. Hilda Solis is, among other things, a very outspoken advocate for the open borders/amnesty agenda for illegal aliens. One of her major contributors is the UAW, along with a number of other AFL-CIO union members. Hopefully she will not become Labor Secretary. Obama’s tall talk of no lobbyists in his administration falls short with his pick of Solis.

Taken from:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/18465.html

Solis was a co-sponsor in 2007 of the so-called “Employee Free Choice Act,” the card check legislation that would effectively eliminate the secret ballot and destroy the ability of employees to make an anonymous decision (without fear of retribution) on whether they want to join a union. She was also a co-sponsor of the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act, legislation that would force states to allow public safety officers to form unions. At the same time, however, Solis was a board member of a pro-union organization, American Rights at Work, that has been lobbying Congress on both of these bills. According to a letter filed by Solis with the House Clerk on January 29, 2009, she was not just a director of the ARW, along with fellow travelers like David Bonior, Julian Bond, and John Sweeney, she was actually the treasurer. In other words, she is the official legally charged with the fiduciary duty of approving and signing off on all spending by the organization. And to make matters worse, she did not reveal to her colleagues in the House of Representatives that membership on her financial disclosure forms, which may constitute a separate ethical violation.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics and a review of the lobbying disclosure forms filed with Congress, ARW spent $110,000 in 2007 and $120,000 in 2008 on lobbying expenses. And what were the “[s]pecific lobbying issues” listed on the forms? They included the “Employee Free Choice Act (H.R. 800/S. 1041)” and the “Public Safety /Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2007 (H.R. 980).” As treasurer of ARW, Solis would have approved the spending by ARW on lobbying other members of Congress on both of these bills she was sponsoring for passage.

The Ethics Manual of the House of Representatives quite properly restricts the lobbying of members, stating on page 352 that they should not “take an active role in lobbying Congress on behalf of a private organization since that would conflict with a Member’s general obligation to the public.” That rule may be murky in some instances, but the role Solis played in ARW’s lobbying efforts was not passive. In answering written follow-up questions from the Senate about ARW, Solis tries to cloud the real issue by arguing that members of Congress are allowed to serve without compensation on the boards of nonprofit organizations and that the lobbying prohibition only applies if she was “personally” supervising the lobbying.

However, the House rule turns on whether Solis was an active participant in the lobbying effort. With regard to that question, Solis admitted that she is not merely a board member of ARW. Treasurers and general counsels have special fiduciary duties that differentiate them from mere directors. The treasurer of a nonprofit organization is responsible for actively supervising and approving the financial obligations and spending of the organization. In fact, the amended by-laws of ARW filed with its 2006 form 990 tax return specify that the treasurer must “ensure that there is [a] full and accurate account of the receipts and disbursements of the corporation” and must render to the President and the Board of Directors “an accounting of all transactions.” This means that Solis was specifically charged with reporting all of the funds spent by ARW to lobby Congress. That is not the passive role of other Board members.

Can anything be more Un-American, Anti-American, than the very idea of eliminating the secret ballot?

As I’ve pointed out a very well old documented fact the AFL-CIO stopped DHS from issuing no-match letters being sent-out to the employers of suspect illegal aliens workers.

Every “Union Website” I’ve visited supports unauthorized illegal aliens workers somewhere in their union propaganda.

Your points were well made and very true Bubba. Not only do unions preform an adversarial role against companies, it is painfully clear that they are the enemies of the very dues paying members they were meant to support. Worse is these unions outright unapologetic efforts to eliminate “the secret ballot”, a very core fundamental bedrock principle of America and the right of every American to cast their ballots without any intimidation or fear of reprisals.

By BW

February 12, 2009 11:59 PM | Link to this

MHS, “suspect” is the proof, that won’t fly.

The “Employee Free Choice Act”, well for one it does two things, stops intimidation by the company, which happened where my wife works and let’s you kown who the scabs are.

How can you blame the worlds woes on unions when you look at the bonuses of the management that destroyed the american work force.

Tell me my friends, who did we bail out first, the bankers (rich) or the worker (struggling)?

By Chris Broe

February 13, 2009 10:39 AM | Link to this

Buy! There is a confluence of triple bottoms in a moderate term low. If we’re betting on 2010, then 2009 is getting on (in dead cat bounce years) . There’s a lot of money out there. So, I’m calling this the bottom and we see Dow 10K in the spring rally.

Doesn’t that sound stupid? You should hear Jim Cramer. He’s waltzes people right in there and then waltzes them right back out again. Real Blazing Saddles. He should not be allowed, as a virtual institution of trading, to discuss stocks that way. He should go on QVC. It’s part of this new economic era of no trust. Jim, you’re fired.

Now there happens to be a beautiful match to the triple bottom theory occurring right now, and if you look at the horoscopes on this one: Never fight the fed. Never try to catch a cat that died fighting the feds. If there are dead cats, then there are witches. I like the odds here.

The lore behind the language chosen to describe chart harbingers reveal man’s fractal nature, that is, he’s like a particle that has direction and spin, and that which man envisions, like a stock chart, necessarily conforms to the same relative motion inherent in the pariticles forming the structure of the universe. We don’t understand the structure of the universe or of ourselves, but the math matches, sometimes, and if we can trust the math, then we can trust the market, and the banks, and Vegas.

Bob Dole really did discuss Erectile Disfunction and then leer at Brittany Spears with his dog. That happened. Now that’s trust in our institutions. The markets soared. This is a new era. The zeitgeist has changed. Listen to it. Yes, the zeitgeist is the little voice in your head. It’s in and from all of us, cant you see? Every one on the planet sending out our electromagnetic signals, and what you are hearing is the Aurora Borealis of Collective Consciousness in an atmosphere of humanity. We naturally make a human field of consciousness the way our planet’s liquid core makes a magnetic field, in fact it is probably on earth’s magnetic field that our thoughts travel. We exist in the sun’s atmosphere, not the earth’s. The earth’s atmospheres is totally dependent on the suns, and a necessary result of the sun.

Zeitgeist explained: You can discern the zeitgeist. It’s our prayers and our hopes for ourselves and mankind. And we’re all telling each other where the trust is, and how to rely on it. Here’s proof of the zeitgeist: Pick your nose. Hear that? That’s me and about ten million other people telling you how disgusting that is. Listen. Now scratch your balls. Hear that? That was all 6 billion of us. Listen: Look at the flag. Hear that? That’s the sound of the guns. March to it. Be an American. Love your country enough to trust your neighbor as you earn his trust.

We have to America our way out of this, America.

“Don’t catch a falling knife” the most ridiculous idea i ever heard. . “Don’t catch a falling star” makes more sense.

I hereby change the zeitgeist this way: Lets all say, “Dont catch a falling star” instead of “Dont catch a falling knife”. All agreed say “neh”. NEH!!!!

The Knights Who Say Neh have spoken. Buy!

By Bubba

February 13, 2009 12:58 PM | Link to this

“Scare tactic?” Good grief, BW, you have way misunderstood my posting.

First off: I don’t know your wife, I don’t know where she works, so I can’t speak to her company, or to her union. At no point did I call her, or anybody for thatter, a “lazy worker.” I didn’t even use those words in my post. I take great offense to your demeaning and scurrilous assertion, namely putting words in my mouth. Who’s scaring whom?

Second, I was speaking of the automotive industry. I was speaking of that because I have direct knowledge and experience in that industry. I did not make any blanket statements about unions in general. I spoke of union and non-union shops in the automotive industry. I, unlike you, choose my words carefully. Who’s scaring whom?

Finally, I said what I said because the American automotive industry is dying, and it’s dying because it’s more important for labor to beat management - and vice versa - than it is to actually contribute their efforts to what was once a proud industry. People say, “As GM goes, so goes the country.” Looking at all the headlines today, I’d say that’s still accurate. If the industry dies, the union way won’t matter any more. For that matter, neither will management.

So. If you want to have a discussion, I welcome it. If you want to cast aspersions on my name, attribute words to me that I never said, accuse me of insulting your wife - a lady I’ve never met - well. Who’s scaring whom?

By Bubba

February 13, 2009 12:59 PM | Link to this

“Scare tactic?” Good grief, BW, you have way misunderstood my posting.

First off: I don’t know your wife, I don’t know where she works, so I can’t speak to her company, or to her union. At no point did I call her, or anybody for thatter, a “lazy worker.” I didn’t even use those words in my post. I take great offense to your demeaning and scurrilous assertion, namely putting words in my mouth. Who’s scaring whom?

Second, I was speaking of the automotive industry. I was speaking of that because I have direct knowledge and experience in that industry. I did not make any blanket statements about unions in general. I spoke of union and non-union shops in the automotive industry. I, unlike you, choose my words carefully. Who’s scaring whom?

Finally, I said what I said because the American automotive industry is dying, and it’s dying because it’s more important for labor to beat management - and vice versa - than it is to actually contribute their efforts to what was once a proud industry. People say, “As GM goes, so goes the country.” Looking at all the headlines today, I’d say that’s still accurate. If the industry dies, the union way won’t matter any more. For that matter, neither will management.

So. If you want to have a discussion, I welcome it. If you want to cast aspersions on my name, attribute words to me that I never said, accuse me of insulting your wife - a lady I’ve never met - well. Who’s scaring whom?

By BW

February 13, 2009 2:06 PM | Link to this

Well Bubba I guess it’s all in the way you interpret it. Not once did you mention the UAW, the United Auto Workers, just unions. The term, “Producing quality products efficiently is way, way, way down the list.”, I cannot accept that, but I guess that is why they call it a opinion column.

If you have been following the auto industry you should have known the union has given up a lot to save their jobs, going so far as taking over the pension program.

Your arguement to a little hard to believe, even the UAW wouldn’t fight to close their plants and lose their jobs.

The use of the word “efficiently” was another sore spot, if you’re not doing your job efficiently, you must lazy, incompetent or a fool.

No offense Bubba, just my opinion.

By Chris Broe

February 13, 2009 3:30 PM | Link to this

I sold cars in the seventies, eighties, nineties, and last year. If these scales could talk.

By lville girl

February 13, 2009 4:48 PM | Link to this

I wouldn’t buy anuthing from any dealer in the Gwinnett Place Area, especially Hennessy. What a bunch of crooks….

By Bubba

February 13, 2009 6:58 PM | Link to this

No offense taken, BW.

You make some valid points. I think you’ve misconstrued my points, but I see where you’re coming from. I think we’re better off discussing our differences on the back porch with a six-pack between us.

By Michael H. Smith

February 13, 2009 8:10 PM | Link to this

Yeah BW, suspect is the correct term with reasonable cause to investigate the commissions very probable crimes having been committed, when SS numbers do not match, where the innocent have nothing to fear, because they have no prosecutable offenses to hide.

What doesn’t fly is your BS, BW. You think what you typed and because you type it that it is some kind of irrefutable facts?

Hooey!

I’ve heard this crap before, it didn’t wash then, it doesn’t wash now.

The “Employee Free Choice Act”, well for one it does two things, stops intimidation by the company, which happened where my wife works and let’s you kown who the scabs are.

The unions are the ones exercising the intimidation. If not the union wouldn’t be out to eliminate the secret ballot, which is as Un-American, Anti-American as it gets.

Oh yeah, the scabs: Thanks for providing proof positive there BW. The unions think job thieving illegal aliens are upstanding individuals that deserve amnesty and citizenship, while any U.S. citizen who doesn’t join their corruption, extortion and DNC-PAC efforts and follow like a heard of lemmings, is an undeserving scab?

No thank to John Sweeny and his backstabbing scum of the earth illegal alien loving, American worker hating AFL-CIO trash!

As for the bailouts: Neither the bankers nor John Gettlefingers multi-national U.S. Government subsidized offshore outsourcing so-called American automakers and his UAW should have received a penny of taxpayer money or assistance, much of the payment which falls on the back-pocket of BW’s so-called “scabs” – Non union American workers.

By Michael H. Smith

February 13, 2009 8:31 PM | Link to this

My proof from the UAW’s own Website that shows their’s and the AFL-CIO’s support for job and wage robbing illegal alien unauthorized workers. Nothing can be more anti-American worker than supporting this amnesty agenda, which is detrimental to every American worker union or non-union.

~

During 2007 the Senate considered controversial immigration legislation that attempted to deal with many of the problems in our current immigration system. This bipartisan legislation reflected many compromises between a group of Democratic and Republican senators, along with the Bush administration. It contained a very long, complex pathway for immigrant workers to adjust their status and eventually become permanent residents and citizens. At the same time, it allowed for vast expansions of abusive guest worker programs that would have kept hundreds of thousands of workers in permanent second-class status, subject to exploitation by employers.

Conservative, anti-immigrant groups triggered a strong grassroots protest against the provisions of this legislation that they considered to be “amnesty” for undocumented workers. Conversely, the AFL-CIO, UAW and other unions joined other progressive groups to support the rights of immigrant workers, while also criticizing the expansions of abusive guest worker programs.

In the end, many GOP senators deserted the Bush administration and refused to support the immigration legislation. As a result, it was blocked by a filibuster and ultimately withdrawn from the Senate floor. Many observers believe this means the immigration legislation is dead for the 110th Congress.

http://www.uaw.org/cap/08/issues/issue09.php

By BW

February 15, 2009 11:28 AM | Link to this

They supported bush, McCain and Kennedy, didn’t see you mention them? I supported the same idea, only weak kneed gopers caved. It would have added billions to Social Security alone.

Wow, 900 a month being shipped back, bet that’s a smaller number than those arriving.