More on the Auto Companies

The controversy goes on…

I heard a radio host this morning talking about the auto company execs going to Washington looking for money and the fact that they flew there on their corporate jets. He was on the “Big Three bashing” kick like most everyone it seems, blaming the overpaid company big shots for the problems of the world.

He referred to them going to Washington to “beg” for help as if they were showing up panhandling or looking for handouts. In fact, they are simply asking for LOANS. He also played over and over again Rep. Brad Sherman, D-California, asking the CEOs to “raise their hand if they flew here commercial” and then “let the record show, no hands went up.”

The real idiocy came later though when he said, “Second, I'm going to ask you to raise your hand if you are planning to sell your jet in place now and fly back commercial. Let the record show, no hands went up." Right… Only someone as self important and pompous as a politician could ask an idiotic question like that. Did he really think someone would say, “Ok, we’ll just abandon the aircraft at the airport and hang a For Sale sign on it. We don't have to ask the board of directors or anything..."

Guess what friends and neighbors. CEOs of ALL large corporations fly on corporate jets. That’s the way it is like it or not. Why aren’t they upset over the very same thing at the companies that they are already giving money to? Did they try to humiliate the CEOs from AIG and ask them about their company jets that they still operate? Did they call them in and look down their noses at them after they spent a pile of money on lavish parties and corporate retreats for their execs? No.

This is how these politicians work though. Have you ever noticed how they question anybody there? It’s a little like an inquisition. They all sit up above everyone else so they can look down on whoever is before their eminences. It’s a power position and they all play the part of God sitting in judgment of those called before them. It seems like they try to be as sarcastic and condescending as they can while they grill the person. That way, they can inflate their feeling of self worth and feel they are better than everyone else. They disgust me more than the fat cat CEOs.

What really gets me is that a politician is that condescending to a CEO and all the while he would and does take advantage of any and all perks he can get. The same guy asking them about flying on the corporate jet is the guy who flies anywhere he wants at taxpayer’s expense, right? You’re a great one to talk Mr. Congressman…

Believe me; I’m not sticking up for corporate excess. It disgusts me. I just think they are being extremely hypocritical to single out the auto execs for ALL corporate excess. If they want to try and address that issue then do it some other time. Right now, deal with the problem at hand instead of blowing hot air to get your name in the news.

It seems like the sentiment now is that everyone wants to punish the corporate execs but they also want to punish the unions that are responsible for getting the high pay for the auto workers. In fact, the union officials ARE just as bad as the corporate execs and the power mad politicians. They are all of the same ilk.

Everyone wants to punish the guys in charge but you know who will suffer in all this? The workers. The guy on the line trying to make a living. No matter who they intend to punish, the ones that will feel the pain are the little guys. The big shot execs will bail with their golden parachutes. The union officials will find other groups to bring into their fold so they can keep on collecting union dues. The politicians will go on being pompous blowhards, collecting their fat paychecks and perks and millions of workers will lose their jobs and the economy will tank even further which means all the rest of us working stiffs will suffer too.

So why is it that the government jumped to help companies like AIG and the banks but are balking at helping the auto companies? Could it be because AIG and the bankers and all the companies they are handing money to unconditionally are white collar companies? Are they looking out for their own? I mean what happens if the car companies go under? They’re just a bunch of blue collar workers right? Who cares what happens to them?

Don’t get the idea that I’m totally on the side of the auto worker here either. I think they are overpaid compared to other factory jobs and that fact contributes to the Big Three not being as competitive as they could be.

The fact is, I’m arguing on the side of what I think is right for the country and our economy right now.

If it was any other time other than this economic recession, do you think the auto companies would be asking for help? Would they need to? If they were in their present predicament simply for the fact that they were mismanaged and uncompetitive and they were failing in a normal economy, I would be the first screaming to let them stew in their own juice, but the FACT is, it’s simply not the case. Even with their excesses and bloated corporate salaries and bonuses, their companies were doing fine before the economy went south.

So now that the industry is asking for a loan from the government to help them through the bad economy, that the very same government is largely responsible for I might add, the sentiment seems to be that they need to be sent packing.

I don’t agree. No matter what they do or don’t do to address “corporate excess”, they need to find a way to do it without costing jobs. Make no mistake about it; the only thing that is going to bring this economy back is to keep people working. Period. End of story.
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