  Gplimpton Member Username: Gplimpton Post Number: 261 Registered: 05-2007 |
Very interesting. http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/ WallStreet/story?id=6285739&pa ge=1 | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 6426 Registered: 10-2003 |
Yeah, kind of like the banker boys throwing themselves expensive retreats during their bailout, huh? | ||
Rfban Member Username: Rfban Post Number: 311 Registered: 02-2004 |
Still, they should have taken some other means to Washington. They were not traveling to Mexico for a business meeting, they were going to beg for money. Would you give a bum a dollar if he was driving a Cadillac? Probably not, in fact, it would be hard to notice he was a bum at all... Image is everything. | ||
Rjk Member Username: Rjk Post Number: 1305 Registered: 11-2003 |
Even if they went to DC flying first class the media would have pointed out that this was just for show as they usually use their corporate jet. Then the story becomes who are these guys trying to kid and it looks worse. Maybe they should have scaled back a few years ago when they saw the storm clouds coming. | ||
Rfban Member Username: Rfban Post Number: 312 Registered: 02-2004 |
I agree with you Rjk, but, it would have had less substance. They couldn't have said, "Wagoner's private jet trip to Washington cost his ailing company an estimated $20,000 roundtrip. In comparison, seats on Northwest Airlines flight 2364 from Detroit to Washington were going online for $288 coach and $837 first class." | ||
Sstashmoo Member Username: Sstashmoo Post Number: 2918 Registered: 02-2007 |
No Story. | ||
Mauser765 Member Username: Mauser765 Post Number: 3535 Registered: 01-2004 |
They should have driven a convoy of Escalades, Durangos and Excursions to DC. | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 9169 Registered: 10-2003 |
They should have driven Toyotas, then have had them break down so they'd be late. | ||
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 3935 Registered: 09-2007 |
quote: HAHA! Check & Mate.  | ||
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup Post Number: 5663 Registered: 06-2004 |
Are there ANY manufacturers as truly global as automakers? Isn't the demand for them to fly commercial instead of having corp jets counter-productive? I was kept abreast of a performer's experience flying commercial during a recent South American tour - due to inefficiencies and delays in commercial service there it was 26 hours for one stretch just in South America that should have taken less that 5 hours! | ||
Bigb23 Member Username: Bigb23 Post Number: 2894 Registered: 11-2007 |
But is Mullally still flying to Florida every weekend on the corporate jet to visit his estate down there ? Ford stock is now the same price as a Hershey bar. | ||
Goat Member Username: Goat Post Number: 10522 Registered: 10-2003 |
The biggest issue here is the unavailability of most companies to secure funds for the short term due to Wall Street and their clusterfuck not someone riding in a company jet. Blame the pimps on Wall Street for this ongoing mess. Also, the population needs to blame themselves for not living within their means. | ||
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 3941 Registered: 09-2007 |
quote: Also, the blame ultimately goes to American consumers for shopping at Wal-Mart and purchasing Toyota Camrys. | ||
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup Post Number: 5665 Registered: 06-2004 |
It's Mark Fields whose family is in Florida (if they still are), not Mulally. | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 2015 Registered: 04-2006 |
Geez ya think they would have just took one jet and stayed at the Red Roof Inn. They don't have the sense of a $6 an hour McDonald's worker between the four of them! How much do these guys make collectively?? | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 3882 Registered: 01-2005 |
Whoopi Goldberg on "The View" just ripped into them for their arrogance in using corporate jets. I have to agree. These execs (not just in the auto industry, but most bigwigs) are just not thinking "image" at all. Off with their heads. | ||
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup Post Number: 5668 Registered: 06-2004 |
Substantially less than their Wall Street counterparts. Even GE's Jack Welch said he wouldn't want an auto CEO job because it's thankless. No industry takes as much management skill and knowhow as the global auto industry, especially those companies hindered by being US based. | ||
Pinewood73 Member Username: Pinewood73 Post Number: 70 Registered: 07-2006 |
I have no problem using corporate jets for business purposes. | ||
Turkeycall Member Username: Turkeycall Post Number: 76 Registered: 09-2008 |
An interesting commentary. You might find this of interest: 'CNN Headline News did a short news listing regarding Ford and GM's contributions to the relief and recovery efforts in New York and Washington. The findings are as follows..... 1. Ford- $1 million to American Red Cross matching employee contributions of the same number plus 10 Excursions to NY Fire Dept. The company also offered ER response team services and office space to displaced government employees. 2. GM- $1 million to American Red Cross matching employee contributions of the same number and a fleet of vans, suv's, and trucks. 3. Daimler Chrysler- $10 million to support of the children and victims of the Sept. 11 attack. 4. Harley Davidson motor cycles- $1 million and 30 new motorcycles to the New York Police Dept. 5. Volkswagen-Employees and management created a Sept 11 Foundation, funded initial with $2 million, for the assistance of the children and victims of the WTC. 6. Hyundai- $300,000 to the American Red Cross. 7. Audi-Nothing. 8. BMW-Nothing. 9. Daewoo- Nothing. 10. Fiat-Nothing. 11. Honda- Nothing despite boasting of second best sales month ever in August 2001 12. I suzu- Nothing. 13. Mitsubishi-Nothing. 14. Nissan-Nothing. 15. Porsche-Nothing. Press release with condolences via the Porsche website. 16. Subaru- Nothing. 17. Suzuki- Nothing. 18. Toyota-Nothing despite claims of high sales in July and August 2001. Condolences posted on the website. Whenever the time may be for you to purchase or lease a new vehicle, keep this information in mind. You might want to g ive more consideration to a car manufactured by an American-owned and / or American based company. Apart from Hyundai and Volkswagen, the foreign car companies contributed nothing at all to the citizens of the United States. It's OK for these companies to take money out of this country, but it is apparently not acceptable to return some in a time of crisis. I believe we should not forget things like this. Say thank you in a way that gets their attention | ||
Wash_man Member Username: Wash_man Post Number: 1037 Registered: 05-2006 |
"Also, the blame ultimately goes to American consumers for shopping at Wal-Mart and purchasing Toyota Camrys." Most Camrys sold in the U.S. are built in the U.S. therefore employing thousands of tax paying citizens. On the other hand, many "domestics" like the popular Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Impala are built outside our borders. Employing our citizens trumps the name plate in my opinion. | ||
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 3943 Registered: 09-2007 |
Geez, no one said they were broke. There's a difference between broke & not having enough cash to run the company. You may have (hypothetically) 1 billion dollars, but it may not be enough to pay every single employee or maintain all of your plants. Of course, laying off too many employees or cutting down too much production will hurt everyone (seeing as they're such large, important companies). | ||
Cambrian Member Username: Cambrian Post Number: 2016 Registered: 08-2006 |
I welcome the scrutiny, I was nauseated for years by these execs leveling all the blame at thier employees because they said the workers cost too much money. If you are going to ask for public funds it's time to stop living the sporting lifestyle. | ||
Reuel Member Username: Reuel Post Number: 17 Registered: 11-2008 |
I'd fire a top exec who insisted on wasting hours flying commercial. The most precious commodity any exec has is time. Figure at least a couple hundred flights per year for a typical CEO, all over the world. The corporate jet is an efficiency tool like email or a cell phone. Yet cheap shot artists in the media get the ignorant populist populace all fired up over a wise business decision. This region and this country deserves whatever's coming. Collectively we're too stupid to handle the modern world. | ||
Retroit Member Username: Retroit Post Number: 477 Registered: 04-2008 |
Let's be fair! "AIG (American International Group) has gotten a lot of press related to its taxpayer bailout; however, there has yet to be a trickle-down effect to the Teterboro, N.J.-based flight department. A source inside the company said the new government-appointed CEO, Edward Liddy, outlined plans for a “return to normalcy within 24 months” at a town hall meeting on September 18 for the company’s employees. “We don’t know exactly what is going to happen as of yet; however, Liddy comes from Allstate and has a positive outlook about our future,” he said. “We have two years to buy the company back from the government; we have significant assets and the loan has bought us breathing space. There is optimism amid concern.” Part of that optimism lies in the fact that Liddy came from a company that made use of corporate aircraft. Having been on the job at AIG for only a few days, he had already begun setting up appointments to use the company aircraft. “It is quite clear that Liddy understands we’re a global company and it’s simply not realistic to run a company of this magnitude using the airlines,” he said. AIG has a Global 5000, Global Express, Falcon 2000 EASy and a Falcon 900EX to be replaced with a 2000EX EASy in 2010 with deposit money already paid." www.ainonline.com/news/single- news-page/article/ramp-talk-co nveys-bleaker-picture-than-off icial-line/ | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 7525 Registered: 08-2004 |
I agree Reuel, the old English term... "Penny wise, Pound foolish" is written all of this topic... | ||
Danindc Member Username: Danindc Post Number: 5257 Registered: 10-2003 |
quote: I'd fire a top exec who makes $14 million a year, yet can't run the fucking company without public money. Wagoner makes more in one day than most people make in a year. And for what? A monkey can piss away money, lay off workers, and shut down plants, and not give two shits because his bank account is still nice and fat. If the automakers get even one cent of public money, these greedy bastard clowns need to be forced into early retirement, without a parachute. | ||
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup Post Number: 5669 Registered: 06-2004 |
Dan, you would either remain a small company or quickly be out of business. You have no understanding of the industry. | ||
Danindc Member Username: Danindc Post Number: 5258 Registered: 10-2003 |
quote: I understand enough to know the automakers are losing their ass, and the CEOs aren't worth the paper their paychecks are printed on. | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 3633 Registered: 04-2006 |
I'm surprised that nobody has made mention of the Lexus that Alan Mullaly is driving in that video... | ||
3rdworldcity Member Username: 3rdworldcity Post Number: 1458 Registered: 01-2005 |
I'm on about 60-70 commercial flight segments a year. However, it was necessary for me and a couple of my associates to charter jets twice this year. $18,000 once and $15,000 once. I still have a sick feeling thinking about the cost. I believe the car companies could eliminate many millions of bucks a year in travel and transportation costs. I am appalled at how much travel is permitted and what they pay for it. I know a guy who was a very high level Chrysler exec, one of the top 5 guys in the company. He was on the Executive Committee, with unlimited access to one of the Gulfstreams, which access was probably necessary from time to time. When M-B took over they bought two Airbuses and flew each one one direction each day from Pontiac to Frankfurt. My friend was making 3 round trips a week to Germany, along with 30 other folks from time to time. He'd leave Pontiac after work and be in Frankfurt in the morning, whisked to a hotel to change and freshen up, work all day, and go back to Pontiac late in the evening. He was the first extra high level exec to cash in and quit after M-B took over. |
