UPDATE, February 12, 2009: Caterpillar CEO Owens and Obama and Lies
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Barack Obama is really becoming a joke. His desperation to sell his so-called stimulus bill is reaching embarrassing heights.
The latest from Obama: Caterpillar will rehire if stimulus passes
President Barack Obama says Caterpillar's chief executive has told him the company will rehire some laid-off workers if the stimulus bill passes.
The heavy equipment maker announced more than 22,000 job cuts last month as it scales back production amid the economic slowdown.
...Obama said Caterpillar's CEO has told him that if the stimulus bill passes he would be able to rehire some of those employees.
Is that supposed to convince Americans that the stimulus bill is worthy of being passed?
What are the detail? Exactly what did Caterpillar's CEO, Jim Owens say?
How many is "some of those employees"? How many of the 22,100 employees that were laid off or "dismissed" would be rehired?
This is very, very fuzzy.
Today, Caterpillar is trying to get rid of even more employees.
From Bloomberg:
Caterpillar Inc. said it is offering a voluntary retirement package to about 2,000 U.S. production employees because of “significant declines” in demand for its bulldozers, excavators and other earth-moving equipment.
The plan announced today is in addition to more than 22,100 workers and contractors Caterpillar already said it is laying off or dismissing, and more job cuts may be required, the Peoria, Illnois-based company said in a statement.
Caterpillar, the world’s biggest maker of bulldozers and excavators, last month said it expects sales to fall about 22 percent this year to $40 billion as a global recession and credit crisis sap demand for construction. Chief Executive Officer Jim Owens has said the company may post a loss this quarter, its first in 16 years.
“Depending on business conditions, more voluntary and involuntary workforce reductions may be required as the year unfolds,” the company said in the statement.
I wonder if Owens was informed that he would be used by Obama to sell the stimulus plan.
Obama has set expectations. Can Owens deliver on Obama's promised rehirings?
I also wonder what Owens would think about Obama setting a salary cap for him.
This is from Reuters:
"Today, the chairman and CEO of Caterpillar said that if the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan passes, his company would be able to rehire some of those employees," said Obama. The president is scheduled to visit a Caterpillar plant in East Peoria, Illinois, on Thursday.
The Peoria Journal Star newspaper reported on Wednesday that Caterpillar Chairman Jim Owens would promise Obama on Thursday that his company would begin recalling laid-off employees if Congress passes an acceptable stimulus package.
Caterpillar declined to confirm the report, and the White House had no immediate comment on the source of Obama's information.
Yeah, right. Blah, blah, blah.
Personally, I don't think the economic benefit of Caterpillar rehiring some workers balances out getting stuck with the horrors of socialized medicine that Obama and the Dems have slipped into the stimulus bill, Stealth Care.
I'm not sold, Obama.
REMOVE HEALTH CARE PROVISIONS FROM STIMULUS BILL
1 comment:
Isn't it just possible that Owens used Obama for publicity? He invited Obama to Caterpillar to talk about the stimulus plan, with the come-on that he'd re-hire people if it passed in a form he liked, then, the very next day, Owens said he wouldn't rehire people even if the stimulus plan passed.
Do you really think Obama forced himself on Caterpillar when the President of the U.S. could have gone to any major manufacturing plant in the country to make the speech?
No. Owens invited Obama to get the publicity for Caterpillar, then turned around and backed out on his promise, just like a typical CEO.
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