Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

Following a visit from local Chrysler auto dealer Jim Tarbox, Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse have written a joint letter to President Obama's Automotive Task Force seeking to ensure that Chrysler apply consistent and fair criteria in determining which dealerships it chooses to cut.

"While we do not know the scope of your involvement in Chrysler's preparation of the criteria, we request that you work to ensure that the criteria, in whatever form, be consistently and fairly followed by Chrysler," states the letter dated Friday and addressed to Steve Rattner, Counselor to the Secretary, Department of the Treasury, and Brian Deese, Economic Advisor to the White House, states.

"These are admittedly difficult decisions; however, it would be troubling if a company utilizing taxpayer financing was failing to make these types of determinations based on a consistent application of appropriate data," the letter states.

Tarbox made a copy of the letter available to the Journal.

Chrysler recently announced that it would be closing 789 dealerships nationwide as part of its restructuring plan to emerge from bankruptcy and merge with Italian auto giant Fiat. The list included Tarbox Jeep in North Kingstown and Tarbox Chrysler Dodge in Attleboro.

Tarbox Jeep, a third-generation family owned business, was the only dealership in Rhode Island that Chrysler said it wanted to close, despite the fact that it sold 664 vehicles last year, which is considerably more than the target of 117 set by Chrysler, Tarbox said last week.

Tarbox claims the choice of his Jeep dealership is political and he led a delegation to Washington on Thursday to seek help from the state's congressional delegation to stop the closure of his stores.

And in a separate development, Governor Carcieri sent a letter to President Obama urging the Administration to reconsider the Chrysler reorganization plan, citing the economic impact on the state and Tarbox Jeep.

"It went very well," said Tarbox Friday of Thurday's meetings in Washington, adding that he would also be sending a letter to Fiat boss, Sergio Marchionne.

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