Saturday, December 03, 2016

Sometimes the Trump threats work and sometimes they don't.

December 2, 2016
By Melissa Burden and Michael Wayland

President-elect Donald Trump “influenced” Ford Motor Co.’s (click here) decision to keep production of a Lincoln SUV in Kentucky instead of shipping it to Mexico, ranking officials confirmed Friday.

The confirmation came a day after the billionaire businessman was in Indianapolis for a press conference with air-conditioner manufacturer Carrier Corp., where Trump said as many as 1,100 jobs would stay in Indiana instead of moving to Mexico.

Trump in a late-night tweet two weeks ago indicated he had a hand in keeping Lincoln MKC production in Kentucky. That surprised many United Auto Workers officials and rank-and-file members who did not know the compact crossover had been slated for Mexico.

Ford confirmed the plans then, but did not respond to questions on when it made its decision or if Trump and his criticism of Ford moving small-car production to Mexico had any influence on it. The Louisville plant builds the Ford Escape and MKC, and Ford planned to ship the MKC to Mexico by the end of 2019....

Ford is moving the Ford Focus to Mexico for production because they are taking a beating on the maintenance of this car. 

November 1, 2016
By Ford Customer

...I'm an owner of a 2013 Ford Fiesta Titanium 5 door hatch. (click here) I purchased the vehicle early 2014 with 29,000 kms. Within a month it began to act as others have described, shutter, shake, grind, hitch, lurch forward, and the most concerning - loses its power/propulsion without any warning. It's clear Ford has a safety issue with it's Powershift transmission. I currently have 77,000 kms on this vehicle and am on a wait-list for my 5th replacement/service call on my transmission/clutch. There is a backlog to get the part followed with a waitlist for a service tech available to install it. Why? There is a backlog of repeated replacements - they cannot keep up with it. This leaves myself and others waiting for the repair, forced to drive around in the problematic and unsafe car, or park it and find alternative means of transportation. I purchased this car with the intent to rely upon it for daily transportation.
Extending the warranty from 60,000 kms to 210,000 kms indicates Ford is aware there is a problem but refuses to fix it, leaving it's customer's stuck with a death trap waiting to happen. I'm fed up and frustrated with the lack of accountability Ford is being held to, and I'm not alone. A company should not get away with selling such hazardous product to consumers, and not be held accountable when it's brought to light. We've hung Volkswagen out to dry on emissions affecting out environment, why aren't we demanding Ford own up to a major safety fault that could take lives?...

There is controversy from a campaign visit. Donald Trump is polarizing. I don't know how he can bring people together if this is the result.

December 2, 2016
Raleigh, NC (WECT)
UNC System President Margaret Spellings (click here) commented Friday on the ongoing controversy at UNC Wilmington after a professor wrote a public opinion piece on a student. 
Some people have started a petition to remove Dr. Mike Adams from the faculty at UNCW after he wrote a commentary called "A 'Queer Muslim' Jihad" (click here) on the website TownHall.com, which described how a student on campus was questioned by Secret Service after making social media comments on Donald Trump's visit to campus. 
Spellings responded to a reporter question after the Board of Governors' meeting Friday by saying that as UNC's president and as a parent, this was personally troubling for her. She said the issue is on a very difficult legal line, as they must honor the constitutional right to free speech, even if they disagree with the comments. Spellings reiterated the system's commitment to making the university welcoming and inclusive places for all students. 
Spellings said that Chancellor Zito Sartarelli has her kept her up to date on the situation. 
The university sent out a statement last month noting that it doesn't regulate opinions from students and faculty, but encouraged anyone who felt harassed or discriminated against, to report it. 
This response was delayed until Saturday. The Flint River Water Project is on going.