Like I said they are leveraging in a down economy, it's classic:

"The company, he said, would also be open to incentives to keep the 1,630 manufacturing jobs in Wisconsin. " "Harley's corporate headquarters would remain here".

I'm not a union member but they are so NOT the biggest problem. Union membership peaked in the 50's at about 30%. Remember the 50's? A guy could work, wife stay home and they could have a home and car on one income? Membership in private sector is currently 7.2% lowest since 1901. Logic says you need to look elsewhere for problems. In HD's case like other big businesses look for the rake off at the top.

I would have considered buying another Harley, but, this puts a nail in the coffin of that desire. Oh yeah they will get the tax breaks they want but do you think the city is going to reduce it's operating budget, Hell no! They will just put the squeeze on already financially strapped home and property owners to make up the difference. Maybe they should examine the pay structure of the big dogs in the corporation. No ONE individual is worth 1 Million Dollars in an annual salary. The B.S. salaries that some of these CORPORATE PIRATES are getting is just criminal.
And where ever they move to they will be asking for the tax breaks there too. If they really do move they can forget about a lot repeat customers for sure. To do the unthinkable in a time when the economy is so fragile. Look at all the misery they will create if they move.

Remember earlier this year, I think there was a thread of a rumor here saying HD was moving to Korea. Maybe it's truer than they thought.

They are moving because they can no longer negotiate fair union labor rates. It's what you do when the union squeezes you too much. Think about the negative effects on Harley: The massive cost of moving the operation, the impact on their image, the hassle of moving key employees with the company, etc. I'm sure they aren't taking this lightly. It's a survival move, it's what you do in business for the benefit and longevity of the company. A sign of the times that unfortunately, America is becoming too expensive to manufacture anything here. It's become fashion to bash top execs for making too much money, but the biggest exec of all, our own government, is sinking us with taxation and regulation.

cant compete against a $12,999 dressed R*

$14590 for a new R* thats what I paid for my 99* several years ago with 3000 Klm on it ,I think they are about $22k now and a guess on a new HD would be $25 to $30k.The unions here get the blame for almost every problem as well so our last goverment introduced indivudal contracts which means companys can now blame the indivudal worker for all sorts of failings ,Im not trying to be political,but we have the same garbage here.Mitsubishi got millions in stay and make cars and a few months later packed up and went (rant-rant)

This is a case of a large company that happens to be an American icon threatening to abandon a weak marketplace in order to gain a better position with taxes and labor. Let them go to Korea I say! After what they did to cripple Spearfish, SD after pulling out of Lehman Trikes to build them on their own,(after Lehman showed them how to build trikes the right way), I urge anyone lobbying to get HD to setup shop in their community to talk to Lehman Trikes first.

This phenomenon is a sign of "Deflation."

The financial whizzers are "worried" about it these days.

But, it's only a warning of things to come where we ALL take cuts or walk.

It's called "The Engineered Decline of America."

I just heard on the radio that,during deflationary times, it's good to pay off all your debts (if possible) and keep some cash at the ready.

Ray

I tend to lean towards Rayjay's thinking. This has happened about 3 times now in my 54 year lifespan and it really sucks now when you are thinking about maybe relaxing. JOKE. I have become a Grandpa twice in the last 6 months and look at these babies and think what are they going to see in there lifetime coming? I do not envy them, but I would like to see. Who knows?