[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 108 (Friday, July 17, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H8344]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         A NEW AMERICAN TRAGEDY

  (Mr. BURTON of Indiana asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, there have been some real 
tragedies because of the way the economy, in general, has been handled 
and how the automobile industry, in particular, has been handled.
  I received a letter from a lady named Jane Denney from Wabash, 
Indiana, in my district. She talks about how her family has owned an 
automobile dealership for the last 75 years. Her husband was the head 
of all the mechanical work there. He was a service manager. And General 
Motors was sending all kinds of equipment there and all kinds of 
supplies, urging and almost mandating that they buy that. They also 
mandated that they consider buying a Pontiac dealership there, which 
they did buy.
  Then, after they bought the Pontiac dealership and bought all this 
equipment, General Motors contacted them and said they were going to do 
away with their dealership, and they did not indicate in any way that 
they would make restitution for the expenses that these people had to 
bear. They owe money for the dealership. They owe money for the 
supplies. They owe money for all of this, and the rug has just been 
jerked out from under them.
  That is an American tragedy, something that should not happen. And 
the way this government and this administration has handled this and 
the way the auto companies have handled this is a real tragedy.

       Dear Mr. Burton: Thank you for speaking out for the auto 
     dealerships today. My husband's family recently were told 
     they would be closing after 75 years. My husband is the 
     service manager and GM keeps sending him essential tools 
     which he must pay for and cannot send back for new cars they 
     will not send him. They have parts they had to stock but GM 
     won't buy back. In recent years they bought the local Pontiac 
     dealership because GM wanted they to. Now they owe for it and 
     won't be paid by GM for the franchise. I am a teacher and 
     also feel the ISTA was treated unfairly. I cannot believe 
     this is happening in the USA. I am glad I voted for you and 
     appreciate your speaking out for us. I feel so powerless 
     again all that is happening. God bless you.

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