Tuesday, May 10, 2011

"Jobs ... Added or Saved" - Sound Familiar?

General Gov't Motors Co. confirmed press reports that it plans to invest about $2 billion in 17 U.S. manufacturing sites over the next few years.  According to GM CEO Barack Daniel Akerson:

We are doing this because we are confident about demand for our vehicles and the economy.  The new investment is on top of the $3.4 billion and more than 9,000 jobs that GM has added or saved since mid-2009.

Is it just me, or does the timing and language (sounds a lot like the "created or saved" phrase coming out of Washington) of this announcement sound a little too political?
 
General Motors plans to invest $2B ("that's a b") in manufacturing sites because it is "confident" about demand of its vehicles.  Although Daniel Ackerson did manage to admit that "[w]e don't want to get in over our heads in the supply and demand curve."
 
Confidence?  Maybe it's more about the Obama administration's lack of confidence in the U.S. economy and its reelection chances.  Remember, the election is less than 17 months away, unemployment is 9% (underemployment is what, near 20%?), and union support is crumbling (example after example.)