Barber's High Horse/Fire Auto Execs, Keep Great Workers

About 20 years ago, I remember waiting in Ford's world headquarters for

a business meeting dealing with a video project I'd hoped they'd sponsor.

Dearborn, Michigan circa 1987. Or 1988.

Just at the stroke of noon from the lofty and ivory towers, I'll never forget

seeing a literal sea of black suits descending the stairs headed toward their

three martini lunches.

And, when I report to you ---black suits, I mean just that; each and

every one looked as if he (no shes in the bunch) had been punched

out of a stamp press. Black suits, close haircuts, 6'0" tall and automaton-esque.

It was really an eye-opener; just a veritable tide of black suits, all clones,

coming down the steps at the exact moment, and they all looked as if

they were creatures from a Rod Serling 'Twlight Zone'.

These were the great minds of a great corporation, and each one looked

as if he had one thing in mind---to look as totally similar as the automaton

next to him, behind him and in front of him.

I wonder how many of them are now vying for jobs as managers of

a Quizno's, day-trading with the dregs of their 401k---or, more likely, are

picking lint out of their navels as Mr. Moms while their wives work as

substitute teachers.

Blame the labor unions, blame the economy, blame the tarot cards.

That's up to you.

My take will always be---the U.S. auto industry's woes are the fault

of greedy, black suited, pompous sons of bitches who never thought

the gravy train would derail.

The great minds simply did the bidding of the black suits. They had

no choice.

Now, the great minds are being put to pasture as quickly as severance

'packages' can get them there.

Is a $25 billion or one-trillion dollar bailout going to make a difference??

Only if every black suited-clone stays at Quiznos and, somehow, some way,

great minds are allowed to prevail.

P.S. Not a whit of thanks goes either to the UAW, which for years was populated

by racketeers, murderers, thugs and pond scum.  I have long felt many of them

were weaned in the black jack, sap and acid-in-the-face school of negotiation.

To this day. Pathetic.

Ron Barber, President

In the Line of Duty

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Comments (5)

Melon: ... I think CEO's or the "higher ups" always need some of the blame, that is their job and that is why they make the money they do. But in this case I believe the majority of the blame can go on one group...The UAW, the union has demanded ridiculous rates for their members, threatening strikes if anyone even hesitated to match their request. Yet in these times of turmoil and an unknown future the UAW refuses to give back some of those ridiculous contracts for the betterment of the entire corporation. The workers are good, but giving the Big 3 a bailout is just delaying the day of reckoning....Just my high horse 1 November 18, 2008 504: ... I have to agree with Melon. The UAW and some of the other unions have caused some of the problems that these corporations face. Not that the execs are white sheet clean. Unions have a place but now is not the time or the place. 2 November 18, 2008 flewster: ... Blame the unions if you will and some does belong there but the MAJOR portion of the blame goes to managers and not the workers.......it is the managers and above who deal themselves hundred of thousdands of dollar saleries and then millions for the execs......I know that if it was up to them the poor slob working the assembly line woould still be making minimum wage while they raped and piligaged at teh top......if not for the unions then the common worker would not be able to put food on the table.......Thank God for unions and be damned with the execs.......it is the union worker and their family that will lose in this and not the execs or manageres.......they will walk away with BIG FAT SEVERENCE PACKAGES!!!!!!!! 3 November 20, 2008 hntr1096: ... 9 out of 10 times those whom are in charge are the ones who screw up. Yet usually folks like to blame the workers. The execs, rode thier high horse for years, bought private jets, yachts, and large vacation properties and did not diversify their line of vehicles. For the past decade the auto industry pushed the gas guzzling SUV's on us, and did not do shit to market a fuel efficent car. Gas has been over $2 a gallon since 2003, yet over the last five years they continued to produce gas guzzling SUV's. Yes, the UAW has it made, and their members make fat cash for spot welding 8 hrs a day. But why should the labor take a cut when managment refuses not to. If the UAW took a 20% cut, do you really think the execs would have passed that on to the consumer, or took 20% less themsselves? NO they would have just spent 20% more. I believe in the right to earn profits and a free market, but the labor force should not always be blamed for business failures, and should not always be asked to take the hit. Maybee the execs could sell the personal jets and take commercial flights to the congressinal hearings like everyone else. But I suppose if the UAW would have taken a hit the execs could have two jets. 4 November 20, 2008 retired: ... The UAW workers average $70.00 an hr.in pay and benefits. The workers at Toyota average $48.00 an hr. 5 November 22, 2008

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