Thursday, May 07, 2009

The Obama Adminstration knew of the Kenosha Engine plant closing in February

Everyone I have spoken with about the Chrysler plant closing in Kenosha is angry. Perhaps not as angry as they were in 1989 when this last happened, but they are still furious.

Kenosha was sold out by the Obama Administration working in concert with Chrysler. According to many of those involved, including Chrysler, all now agree that the Obama administration was well aware that the Kenosha Chrysler plant was closing and jobs would be increased in Mexico.

In a statement, the company said it envisioned the closings in February in a viability plan submitted to the Obama administration's auto industry task force.

It is not just Republican Congressman Paul Ryan making this assertion, but so is Governor Doyle and Chrysler.

Congressman Paul Ryan states:

"They gave us assurances that (a Kenosha shutdown) was not the case - both the administration and the company," Ryan said.

If the plant closings were envisioned as part of the February viability plan, Ryan added, "Then they should have told us on Wednesday and Thursday that this wasn't happening. If they knew the truth, they should have told us the truth. It's just that simple."

The timeline so far seems to be this:

Chrysler submitted a plan on restructuring as required by President Obama back in February. At that time that plans were already in the works to close the Kenosha engine plant.

Wednesday, April 29th in the evening, Congressman Paul Ryan spoke with the Obama administration and Chrysler execs, he was reassured that the Kenosha Chyrsler plant was not going to close, less than 36 hours later, Congressman Ryan was informed that this was not really the case.

Thursday, April 30, Governor Jim Doyle was also assured that the Kenosha Engine Plant was fine. 24 hours later, he received the same call that Congressman Ryan received. Uh-oh, bad news.

It was not until the official bankruptcy paperwork was filed in court that the Congressman, the Governor, the UAW, the Kenosha workers and every elected official in Kenosha found out about this.

Republicans and Democrats, union and non-union workers, liberals and conservatives, our Democrat governor and our Republican congressman all agree that this notification was a despicable way to inform the city of Kenosha that the engine plant was closing.

I disagree with many things the Democrats do, but on this issue, everyone in Kenosha stands united. We needed those jobs and this will devastate Kenosha for a period of time.

Sure we will recover, but we will be smarter as we move forward.

We expected Chrysler to lie to us, they have done it before, but our new President and his staff should be ashamed of themselves. President Obama promised hope and change, this is not the person America elected.

After all the beatings that President Bush took from the unions over jobs going overseas, President Obama has proven himself to be exactly like President Bush by sending American jobs in Kenosha to Mexico.

President Obama will pander to whomever at whatever moment he chooses. With this stunt, clearly the American workers are not at the top of his list.

We have been told that the automakers would be better off if they just went into bankruptcy, they would be able come back bigger and stronger than ever before. Clearly Kenosha will not be part of the bigger and stronger auto industry. Like every other American our TARP tax dollars will be used to benefit the Mexican job market.

We got screwed.

I would like to find out exactly who knew what and when did they know it? Was Larry Summers involved in this? Who handled this for the Obama administration?

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