Take a moment and read this heartbreaking letter from Dodge dealer George C. Joseph in Melbourne, Florida. Here is an excerpt:

On Thursday, May 14, 2009 I was notified that my Dodge franchise, that we purchased, will be taken away from my family on June 9, 2009 without compensation and given to another dealer at no cost to them… Our facility was recently totally renovated at Chrysler’s insistence, incurring a multi-million dollar debt in the form of a mortgage at Sun Trust Bank. HOW IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CAN THIS HAPPEN? THIS IS A PRIVATE BUSINESS NOT A GOVERNMENT ENTITY…

Mark Steyn’s darkly amusing answer in The Corner to this fellow:

Get real, man. If you’re a Yemeni jihadist whose lawyer is now Assistant Deputy Associate Deputy Assistant Attorney-General, you’re entitled to the full protection of the U.S. Constitution. The rest of us have to take our chances. Be thankful your refurbished showroom isn’t being confiscated to re-house Gitmo detainees.

Are you getting it? Is it sinking in? The government is taking this dealer’s franchise away from him. The dealer himself will be stuck with his new car inventory, financed for about $3 million. The only thing he can do is try to sell them all before June 9, because on June 10 he can’t sell them as new. Chrysler has not only not offered to buy the vehicles back, but will extend him no factory incentives of any kind beyond the deadline.

Mr. Joseph will have to terminate the employment of 50 people as a direct result of his franchise being confiscated. Will the Obama regime reduce their absurd “saved job” count by this number?

Anyone care to guess whether he’ll be getting a federal bailout for that renovation loan?

How do you go from being a responsible and respected local leader owning and running a 35-years-and-counting family business to destitute in less than a month?

Change you can believe in, comrades!

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