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Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Saint Paul/ The Ford plant may not close!

Please click onto the COMMENTS for the story.

posted by Bob at Wednesday, June 11, 2008

13 Comments:

Blogger Bob said...

Ford may review truck plant closure plans, Coleman says
By KEVIN DIAZ, Star Tribune
June 6, 2008

WASHINGTON - Sen. Norm Coleman left a meeting with Ford Motor Co. officials
Friday expressing optimism that the automaker will review its decision to close
the plant in St. Paul that makes the Ranger pickup.

"I'm not raising any false expectations; all I've done is raise the curtain,"
Coleman told reporters during a conference call from Detroit. "We'll see if
it's fruitful or not."

The Minnesota Republican said he was given no time frame for the review. Ford
plans to shutter the plant in September 2009, and Coleman acknowledged that
"nothing's been changed, as of right now."

But he said that Ford officials told him that the changing vehicle market
responding to $4-a-gallon gasoline is prompting sweeping reviews of operations,
including the future of the Ranger, a medium-size pickup that is made
exclusively at the plant in St. Paul's Highland Park neighborhood.

"It was clearly expressed to me that Ford is looking at all aspects of their
operations," including the company's plans to close the plant, Coleman said.
"That decision is being looked at. It is being reviewed."

Ford spokeswoman Angie Kozleski said Friday that the plan to close the plant
has not changed, but that all operations are under review. "We are aggressive
in lining up our capacity with demand, and are examining all areas of our
business," she said.
Coleman flew to Detroit on Thursday, a day after he wrote Ford Chief Executive
Alan Mulally, asking that the company review its decision about the truck
plant. Coleman noted that Ranger sales have increased this year, as car buyers
move away from bigger and heavier sport-utility vehicles and pickups.

Coleman met Friday with Joseph Hinrichs, Ford's vice president for global
manufacturing, and Curt Magleby, the company's director of government
relations. He said the meeting came at "an opportune time," in light of two
recent industry reports praising the Ranger and the plant where it is built.

On Wednesday, a J.D. Power survey ranked the Ranger second in its market
segment for quality. On Thursday, a Harbour report ranked the St. Paul plant
first in productivity.
"The [1,000] workers of the Ford plant should feel very proud of what they're
doing," Coleman said.

Coleman, who has been criticized for not including other Minnesota politicians
in his overtures to Ford, said he would talk Friday with Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a
fellow Republican. He also said that he plans to talk with some Democrats.

"There are internal things that Ford has to do," Coleman said. "The good news
is that all options are on the table."

9:16 AM  
Blogger Bob said...

I'm sure this will piss off those greedy developer types who had their eyes set on this site.

Talk among Ford employees is, Ford Motor Company may retool the plant for the new F100 hi brid truck.

9:17 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It is pretty much wishful thinking and election year posturing... but what the heck its worth a try.

The biggest benefit of the Ford plant was that it came with a power plant attached. Free electricity! I think that sale has been finalized. If so, its all over. There is no benefit to having to ship parts half way across the country and then having to ship the trucks half way across the country.

I was on the Planning Commission when we supported the last expantion of the plant back in the 1908's. Even then Ford viewed the biggest benefit of the plant as being the power plant.

JMONTOMEPPOF

Chuck Repke

10:14 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ford announced three weeks ago that it would halt producing SUVs and trucks for the rest of the year.

Last week Ford announced it will cut expenses for its white-collar work force by 15 percent over the next two months through job cuts, attrition and other actions.

Over 38,000 United Auto Workers union-represented workers have left Ford through buyout programs over the last couple of years.

All of this and now Senator Coleman speaks up? Did Norm advocate and support funds for research to expand our use of bio-fuels? No. He supported drilling where it would make little difference.

The cost of gas and the limited, if any, availability of vehicles that can utilize other types of fuel/energy is what's killing the American auto industry.

Where the hell was Senator Coleman over the last few years when Mayor Coleman and the DFL delegation went to Ford to look for solutions?

The Oil industry has produced the highest profits in the history of this country. Yet, when we elected Bush and Cheney, two oilmen, we were told that their expertise and connections would help keep gas prices down. Iraq was supposed to cost nothing and lower the cost of oil because of our direct intervention.

So, what has happened? Gas was $1.53 when Bush/Cheney got elected and now we're at $4.10 and rising.

One of one hundred examples of him being a miserable failure and Coleman has been right there with him all the way, voting to sustain over 1.5 billion dollars a year in subsidies and tax breaks for the most profitable industry in our history.

Now, he's concerned about the American Auto Industry?


Eric

11:17 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Eric forgot to tell us how the Government makes way more in taxes off the oil than the oil company makes in profits, but that's a good thing huh Eric?

12:49 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You know what I hate? Kiss-ass idiots that advocate against their own best interest.

Oil Companies pay somewhere between 35 and 40% in taxes on operations, but thanks to loopholes, offshore financing, loose regulations and govt. subsidies they get most if not all of it back, plus a little more. They've been all over the tax system for over a 100 years now. The government has left them on a golden pedestal for a century, time for them to get inline with other industries like coal, electricity and sulfite.

So they can complain like everyone else about paying taxes and have bird brains go out and defend them while they rake back in billions and avoid taxes on billions.

What I and others are advocating for is that its time to close the loopholes, subsidies and other luxuries afforded to some corporations in exchange for economic relief for individuals making less than $230,000/yr.
It would do a hell of a lot more than $600 rebate checks that go straight to the gas tank.


Eric

2:55 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I thought I heard that a corporation from canada had purshased the property for an undisclosed amount of money including the power plant ?

Anybody ?




Jeff Matiatos

7:00 PM  
Blogger Bob said...

What is the name of the company Jeff? I'll contact them and ask what the scoop is.

7:44 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ford sells its hydro plant to Quebec firm
Brookfield Power doubles its Mississippi River power investments in the Twin Cities by inking a deal for the Ford electric plant.

By Dee DePass, Star Tribune

Last update: May 29, 2007 - 8:24 PM

Ford Motor Co. has agreed to sell its 82-year-old hydroelectric plant in St. Paul to Brookfield Power, a Quebec hydroelectric firm that also is planning a power plant at St. Anthony Falls in Minneapolis.

-snip-

I found that on the WEB - like I said I thought the power plant was sold all ready. It appears to be the case. If that is true, the rest is wishful thinking.

JMONTOMEPPOF

Chuck Repke

12:28 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Yet, when we elected Bush and Cheney, two oilmen, we were told that their expertise and connections would help keep gas prices down. Iraq was supposed to cost nothing and lower the cost of oil because of our direct intervention."

Where did you come up with this? Who was "telling you" that Bush and Cheny would have any effect what so ever on the price of fuel?

1:36 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Swiftee asked:
"Where did you come up with this? Who was "telling you" that Bush and Cheny would have any effect what so ever on the price of fuel?"

Bush said it himself on June 28th 2000. "I would work with our friends in OPEC to convince them to open up the spigot, to increase the supply," Mr. Bush, the presumptive Republican candidate for president, told reporters here today. "Use the capital that my administration will earn, with the Kuwaitis or the Saudis, and convince them to open up the spigot."

Glad to be of service to you Swiftee. Oh, and if you forgot what their response was Click Here For Memory Recall

Now tell me we didn't invade the wrong oil producing country.

Eric

2:36 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Did Ford sell only the hydro plant, and or the plant itself ?

Didn't Ford employees already sign off on a severance deal ?

If I was a Ford exec, I would start producing pintos, mustangs,
escorts, and well, the yugo at the plant.




Jeff Matiatos

6:06 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ford sold the power plant, which was the reason why they had been building trucks here for the last twenty years - free power.

JMONTOMEPPOF

Chuck Repke

10:12 PM  

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