while i see your point,i couldnt disagree more. It is obvious to me that GM is a HUGE corporation. It is obvious to me that things cannot change over night. It is obvious to me that in the situation we are in with GM on the ropes, and the rest of the country / economy in trouble financially, common sense would dictate to cut the fat at ANY and EVERY possible chance. This goes form having to fly on commercial liners for 400.00 round trip versus flying in our private jet for 10000.00 this also includes department funded luncheons, pay salarys, out sourcing of non critical things. If we can start small, peck away at it, and continue that trend, we can make a big dent in a HUGE problem. take it one thing at a time and one step at a time. Yes, GM may not have the time to do alot of this, but I look at it as a failure to exercise common sense.

Is taking a Commercial air flight a drag when compared to flying in our private jet. yes. Is it a drag that I'm only gonna be paid 4 million this year, because of the compnay not performing as it should as opposed to being paid my 9 million this year and not having a company to work for next year?

These are things that I would look at, and try.. Its obvious to me that in order for GM to succeed, and god knows i want them to, that everyone will have to make a sacrafice. some will be big, some wil lbe small.. letting people go would be my very LAST thing i'd do if i had to.. cut everything else if we can first, and go from there...

I dont know if gm's done this or not, but its just my thoughts on this issue..

 

This might be helpful to some folks who don't know who makes up the GM Board of Directors...

Percy N. Barnevik
Retired Chairman,
AstraZeneca PLC
Director since 1996

Erskine B. Bowles
President,
The University of North Carolina
Director since 2005

John H. Bryan
Retired Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer,
Sara Lee Corporation
Director since 1993

Armando M. Codina
President
and Chief Executive Officer,
Flagler Development Group
Director since 2002

Erroll B. Davis, Jr.
Chancellor,
University System of Georgia
Director since 2007

George M.C. Fisher
Retired Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer,
Eastman Kodak Company
Director since 1996

E. Neville Isdell
Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer,
The Coca-Cola Company
Director since 2008

Karen Katen
Chairman,
Pfizer Foundation,
Retired Vice Chairman,
Pfizer Inc and Retired President,
Pfizer Human Health,
Director since 1997

Kent Kresa
Chairman Emeritus,
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Director since 2003

Ellen J. Kullman
Executive Vice President,
DuPont,
E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
Director since 2004

Philip A. Laskawy
Retired Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer,
Ernst & Young
Director since 2003

Kathryn V. Marinello
Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer,
Ceridian Corporation
Director since 2007

Eckhard Pfeiffer
Retired President
and Chief Executive Officer,
Compaq Computer Corporation
Director since 1996

G. Richard Wagoner, Jr.
Chairman
& Chief Executive Officer,
General Motors Corporation
Director since 1998

 

wtf, why does Bob Barker have a bong

 

Because all the prices on that show are high.

 

Wow. Just - wow. The rest of the folks look to be from dying or dead giants of the past - a bunch of thumbsuckers that continue to support the employment of paste-eaters. I'd like to see each Board member hauled in front of Congress to explain what they've done in an attempt to help GM's transition into a sustainable 21st-century transportation company.

 

What a Board of IDiots. Sigh, fire them all. How could we get rid of the Board? Would they just have to decide themelseves its time to walk? That won't happen because they are all dumb as ****, so is there any other way?

 

I know the stockholders vote yes or no for a particular board member, but I don't recall seeing a "write-in" for someone else. Hmmm.....

 

A board that has 2 car guy's & 3 finance guy's, whose presence is understandable, but the rest of it is made of people in drugs, food, camera's, tv's, computer's, & sports? These people wouldn't know a tailpipe from an a-hole, what the hell are they doing mucking around in the car business?

 

Sorry folks... I posted an old Board Member listing, and I apologize. I have edited the list to the most up to date I have

Once again, Sorry for any confusion...

 

wow, what do educational, drug, food, folks have to do with auto manufacturing, and what is the criteria for being a board member, i ask because I really dont know..

in other news :

looks like the media is having a field day about the Aircraft as well :

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/11/19/aut...ets/index.html


some of the statements as to why is for "safety of the employee" if thats the case spend an adittional 400 bux for the body guards ticket, and get a body guard. sheesh.

 

Does not compute. They just want to borrow some money, and they've not been able to get it anywhere else.

 

Here's what I have for Toyota's Board. Likely some familiar names here for some of our car business saavy folks:


Chairman and Representative Director Fujio Cho
Vice Chairman and Representative Director Katsuhiro Nakagawa

Kazuo Okamoto

President and Representative Director Katsuaki Watanabe
Executive Vice President and Representative Director Kyoji Sasazu

Mitsuo Kino****a < K_I_N_O_S_H_I_T_A >

Takeshi Uchiyamada

Masatami Takimoto

Akio Toyoda

Senior Managing Director Yukitoshi Funo

Atsushi Niimi

Hiroshi Takada

Teiji Tachibana

Shinichi Sasaki

Akira Okabe


Yoichiro Ichimaru

Shoji Ikawa

Koichi Ina

Shinzo Kobuki

Akira Sasaki

Tadashi Arashima

Mamoru Furuhashi

Satoshi Ozawa

Iwao Nihashi

Yasuhiko Ichihashi

Tadashi Yamashina

Takahiko Ijichi

Tetsuo Agata

Honorary Chairman Shoichiro Toyoda
Senior Advisor Hiroshi Okuda

 

Have any of you flown out from Detroit Metro on a private jet vs. a commercial airliner?

A private flight you just walk onto, then take off, it takes about 1 hour to washington

A commercial flight takes about 5 hours when you factor in driving to the airport, check-in, boarding, flight instructions from attendants, the flight, landing, getting luggage, etc.

A private flight out of willow run takes you about 30 seconds to walk out from your car onto the plane and another 3 minutes to taxi and take off.

Mullaly makes 28 Million a year, or 6400/hr if he worked 12 hours a day/ 365 a year. by saving him 4 hours for meetings, he negated the cost of 8 hours of downtime sitting on a plane not trying to solve the crisis...8*6400 is 51,200, alot more than a 10k flight on a jet they already have paid off.

 

While i see your point, does anyone else here think that 28 million a year is a bit absurd for running a company?

It's kinda like paying a basketball player 15 million for 3 years of playing a sport that he loves. crazy. (yes i realize its capitalism)

So 8 hours, big deal, look at what the effect of it is though? negetive pr, the senate and house litterally calling them out about it, and hell if i can spend that much time in travelling why cant he?

sh|t, he puts his pants on the same way i do, one leg at a time. I dont see that the 8 hours being that much an issue with todays digital age of laptops, cell phones, blackberrys, trio's and what not. So what he has to go thru security, welcome to 90% of his employee's lives, and 90% of the worlds population when it comes to travel. He should be thankful he didnt have to drive. Furthermore, he may not have a job or the access to that private jet anyways if the company fails.

Yes, it may be "policy", yes he may get paid alot to do what he does, but yes, i've said it before and i'll say it again, appearance is everything, especially when you want something.

 

Yeah, this airplane thing is just a red herring.