CNN iReport CNN iReport

Ticked Off Commentary: Thank You America Ad. Is Your Money Going Down The Drain

December 30, 2008 | Macomb, Michigan | Vetting explained

macombexec Posted by:
macombexec

  • Viewed 52 times
  • Shared 3 times
 
iReport —
I read how some of the bailout money for a private auto company is being used to 'Thank America'. Please Mr./Ms. private company I DIDNT HAVE A SAY IN THE MATTER. I do know this, Your PRODUCT IS NOT SELLING. YOU ARE SAVING JOBS WHILE CARS PILE UP IN INVENTORY. So Mr. Billionaire private owner, when will I see a return on my money? If your a private company you should get money. Its called capitalism. You know business 101 Risk and Reward. Its not Risk and Ripoff the taxpayer. Hey do those people in the Thank You ad even work even work for your company. Why are they all smiling. Is it from a stay of execution for a pink slip or do you have Crack on the Menu in your now government subsidized cafeteria? Comments welcome -
Link: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/12/29/pub-chrysler-faces-criticism-page-thank-ads/ Chrysler is facing a backlash from taxpayers and conservative groups after the ailing auto company took out a series of full-page newspaper ads last week to thank Americans for "investing" in the company through the government's $17.4 billion auto industry bailout plan. Critics say the company, which is expected to receive about $4 billion of that bailout money in the near term, should not be spending its already limited resources on pricey advertisements. "It's quite ridiculous to be spending that kind of money," said Princella Smith, national spokeswoman for American Solutions, an organization headed by former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich. "Those ads are just a precise example of the fact that they do not get it ... and it's just in our faces." The ads ran last week in several major daily newspapers, including USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since USA Today and The Wall Street Journal are two of the highest-circulation newspapers in the country, full-page ad rates are steep. A full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal runs between $206,000 and $264,000, and a full-page ad in USA Today runs between $112,000 and $217,000. Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, said in a written statement to FOXNews.com that Chrysler should give back the money. "Years ago there was a robber who was really polite. He said please and thank you while he was robbing people. At the end of the day, people had their money stolen. Saying thank you doesn't make it OK. They should give the money back," Norquist said. Chrysler's ad, which is also posted on the company's Web site, pledges to produce cars and trucks that are attractive to consumers and improve their fuel economy. "On behalf of the 1 million people who depend on Chrysler for their livelihoods, thank you for investing in Chrysler, and America," says the statement, signed by CEO Bob Nardelli. A representative for Chrysler could not be reached for comment. The ad buys have also triggered a wave of criticism on blogs and editorial pages. One recent letter to the editor in the Chicago Tribune said the automaker "proved their incompetence" by taking out the ads. "How about spending the money on producing cars that work, are fuel efficient, and that people want to buy?" the letter said. Chrysler is facing a backlash from taxpayers and conservative groups after the ailing auto company took out a series of full-page newspaper ads last week to thank Americans for "investing" in the company through the government's $17.4 billion auto industry bailout plan. Critics say the company, which is expected to receive about $4 billion of that bailout money in the near term, should not be spending its already limited resources on pricey advertisements. "It's quite ridiculous to be spending that kind of money," said Princella Smith, national spokeswoman for American Solutions, an organization headed by former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich. "Those ads are just a precise example of the fact that they do not get it ... and it's just in our faces." The ads ran last week in several major daily newspapers, including USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since USA Today and The Wall Street Journal are two of the highest-circulation newspapers in the country, full-page ad rates are steep. A full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal runs between $206,000 and $264,000, and a full-page ad in USA Today runs between $112,000 and $217,000. Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, said in a written statement to FOXNews.com that Chrysler should give back the money. "Years ago there was a robber who was really polite. He said please and thank you while he was robbing people. At the end of the day, people had their money stolen. Saying thank you doesn't make it OK. They should give the money back," Norquist said. Chrysler's ad, which is also posted on the company's Web site, pledges to produce cars and trucks that are attractive to consumers and improve their fuel economy. "On behalf of the 1 million people who depend on Chrysler for their livelihoods, thank you for investing in Chrysler, and America," says the statement, signed by CEO Bob Nardelli. A representative for Chrysler could not be reached for comment. The ad buys have also triggered a wave of criticism on blogs and editorial pages. One recent letter to the editor in the Chicago Tribune said the automaker "proved their incompetence" by taking out the ads. "How about spending the money on producing cars that work, are fuel efficient, and that people want to buy?" the letter said.

Comments

Log in to comment

iReport welcomes a lively discussion, so comments on iReports are not pre-screened before they post. See the iReport community guidelines for details about content that is not welcome on iReport.

What is iReport?

  • Share

    Tell a story, offer an opinion, say what's important to you.

  • Discuss

    Join the conversation on the day's big issues.

  • Be heard

    The best iReports get vetted and used on CNN platforms.

iReport is a user-generated section of CNN.com. The stories here come from users. CNN has vetted only the stories marked with the "CNN" badge. MORE...