GM to Dealer: Get Buickman to Lay Off or Else
Earlier today, I spoke with Jim Dollinger (a.k.a. Buickman). The TTAC commentator was deeply rattled. Jimbo reported that GM had put the squeeze on the dealer for which he sells. “They’re clever,” he said. “But they made it clear to the dealer that their franchise was in danger if I didn’t shut down GeneralWatch.com.” I told Dollinger to let it go. In fact, I called him back and recommended that he let GM go. Give up his quixotic quest to save GM and find some more lucrative, less splenetic line of work, or at least another carmaker to represent. Nope. Ten minutes ago, I received one of his e-mail alerts. “Today General Motors threatened my dealer. Now I have to decide between keeping my job and running GeneralWatch.com.” I e-mailed him back, “Are you sure you want to go public with this?” Suffice it to say, Dollinger’s terse reply signified his assent. So there you have it: same old GM. In other words, knowing both Buickman and GM, I believe him. Your tax money hard at work.
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Bridge2far : July 26th, 2009 at 9:35 pm Seems signifcant enough For GM to have contacted BM's employer. As such I don't believe you, how's that :) I love GM, walk away from billions of debt, ruin lives, live by welfare, threaten the US feds, with the old scary job loss stanza, Lutz back there to grab another couple of million, but hey, dont you write something about them, goodness no, they have feelings :) "Seems all too critical and self-promoting" ..actually that sounds like Lutz :) "Tarred and feathered" = threatening/wishing harm, some of you guys need to get a grip, or loosen it maybe :)
As much as we say it, GM is not a Government corporation and thus is not subject to civil service regulations concerning free speach. GM is a private corporation that the US Government owns stock in. The same freedom that Buickman uses for his website is the same freedom GM has in firing him for badmouthing his employer. I agree with what Buickman says and is doing, but he is not immune to the consequences and can't hide behind the first amendment.
The same freedom that Buickman uses for his website is the same freedom GM has in firing him for badmouthing his employer. - Kurt GM does not employ BM, they cant fire him as such. BM is employed by the dealership he works for, thus GM applies the screws to the dealer. They force/encourage the dealer to fire BM. Perhaps they even threaten to "tarr and feather" the dealer if he does not :) Is BM a GM shareholder? Now that would be interesting to know.
Regardless, it is bad advise to tell someone to hide behind the 1st Amendment thinking that GM is actually a government entity and GM has every right to apply the screws to their franchises to keep franchised employees in line.