I drove a foreign car once and was far from satisfied with it. If you want a good economical car from GM, get to a dealer and buy a Cobalt. Or, buy a 4-cylinder 4-door truck. People are thinking wrong if they drive a foreign car and worry about gas.

The higher cost of gas will sort itself out while ignoring a GM car in your drive is your real problem. These people are concerned about the wrong thing. Gas is a problem but the much bigger problem is a non-GM car registration in your wallet.

Once industry starts to close plants (Lear, etc.) it is too late to worry about needing a GM car to help the City of Oshawa. I see people all the time banking money from their business, etc. A lot of these people are driving non-GM cars, smugly unaware that their bubble will burst.

I consider myself pretty sharp with a dollar, and non-GM drivers should sit down and try to understand that they will pay the price at any time should they continue to turn their back on GM. It only makes sense to support the industries that pay large tax amounts here in Oshawa.

I think it's a shame that currently, people here in Oshawa can't figure out the proper direction to take. Feeder plants are closing all the time. Will these ex-employees patronize restaurants? How can they, with no job? I have laid out the information in this letter. Will readers take my word and switch to GM cars? Somehow, I don't think they will.

They will learn too late that GM has been very good to Oshaw a over the years, and it's time to thank the auto giant by driving one of their cars to protect the future of all residents of Oshawa and to guarantee the jobs at GM now and into the future.

In closing, let me tell you of a businessman here in Oshawa who tests people trying to assist him with his business. He always asks them what they drive. Or he can see what they drive by looking out the window.

If no GM car is evident, he thanks them for their time and out they go. No sale. No money earned by the person calling on the business. I got the deal when he saw my Cobalt outside in his drive. This goes on a lot more than we realize.

Please, citizens of Oshawa, wake up before it's too late. Philip Dawson Oshawa