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HOW
IS THIS NOT SOCIALISM?
May
19, 2009
My name is George C. Joseph. I am the sole owner
of Sunshine Dodge-Isuzu, a family owned and
operated business in Melbourne, Florida. My
family bought and paid for this automobile
franchise 35 years ago in 1974. I am the second
generation to manage this business.
We currently employ 50+ people and before the
economic slowdown we employed over 70 local
people. We are active in the community and the
local chamber of commerce. We deal with several
dozen local vendors on a day to day basis and
many more during a month. All depend on our
business for part of their livelihood. We are
financially strong with great respect in the
market place and community. We have strong local
presence and stability.
I work every day the store is open, nine to ten
hours a day. I know most of our customers and
all our employees. Sunshine Dodge is my life.
On Thursday, May 14, 2009 I was notified that my
Dodge franchise, that we purchased, will be
taken away from my family on June 9, 2009
without compensation and given to another dealer
at no cost to them. My new vehicle inventory
consists of 125 vehicles with a financed balance
of 3 million dollars. This inventory becomes
impossible to sell with no factory incentives
beyond June 9, 2009. Without the Dodge franchise
we can no longer sell a new Dodge as “new,”
nor will we be able to do any warranty service
work. Additionally, my Dodge parts inventory,
(approximately $300,000.) is virtually worthless
without the ability to perform warranty service.
There is no offer from Chrysler to buy back the
vehicles or parts inventory.
Our facility was recently totally renovated at
Chrysler’s insistence, incurring a
multi-million dollar debt in the form of a
mortgage at Sun Trust Bank.
HOW IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CAN THIS
HAPPEN?
THIS IS A PRIVATE BUSINESS NOT A GOVERNMENT
ENTITY
This is beyond imagination! My business is being
stolen from me through NO FAULT OF OUR OWN. We
did NOTHING wrong.
This atrocity will most likely force my family
into bankruptcy. This will also cause our 50+
employees to be unemployed. How will they
provide for their families? This is a total
economic disaster.
HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN IN A FREE MARKET ECONOMY IN
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA?
How
can this situation (one of hundreds nationwide)
not frighten virtually every thinking American?
You
may check this story out by Googling Sunshine
Dodge-Isuzu.
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