With all the negative press coverage and Republicans hammering the Obama administration for his green jobs initiatives, Solyndra’s Facebook page has become a repository for angry taxpayers’ frustrations.
Like a lot of other businesses around the world, bankrupt solar panel maker Solyndra maintains a Facebook page, and lately the company’s profile on the social network has taken a beating.
Referring to Solyndra’s CEO Brian Harrison and Chief Financial Officer W.G. Stover’s performance last Friday in front of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, one of the latest entries on the company’s profile from Monday reads: “You guys take our money, screw us in the process, and then plead the 5th. What a couple of pussies.”
Three people liked that comment.
The comments go on, against President Obama, who by now is well known for having praised Solyndra, and against Solyndra itself.
“Hiring criteria for Solyndra is that candidate must have years of experience in an industry heavily subsidized by taxpayer money and a total lack of integrity,” wrote another Facebook account holder named Jack Yuen on Sunday.
Another user noted: “Their Twitter page is gone, like your money.”
Another angry member of Facebook simply wrote over and over again: “WE WANT OUR MONEY!!!”
After struggling behind the scenes financially, Solyndra declared bankruptcy August 31st, in the process becoming a political football between congressional Republicans and the administration. Republicans have jumped on the bandwagon sending out political messaging to popularize the notion that Solyndra is a symbol of President Obama’s failed attempt at creating a sufficient number of so-called green-collar jobs.
For its part, Solyndra has stayed mum both on Capitol Hill, and on its Facebook page. A spokesman for the company, David Miller did not return TPM Idea Lab’s calls.
Democrats have fought back saying that Solyndra wasn’t forthright with administration officials, and that the company couldn’t compete against heavily-subsidized Chinese solar companies’ products, the falling price of silicon and a decline in demand for the panels from Europe.
On Tuesday, a Delaware bankruptcy judge declined to extend the sale timeline for the company’s assets. Solyndra is now looking at October 27 as a date when it will auction off its assets.
The DOE had underwritten a $535 million loan guarantee to Solyndra, with private investors having ponied up more than $1 billion.
