Boortz sets the stage for this pilfering farce.
The Big Three auto makers are increasingly desperate and have no business plan, except to say pay up or else the economy gets it (like it ain't already in triage).
And the unions wake up with too little, too late only to realize they're the ones who helped sucked the teat dry.
Update: From Greg @ 12/05/08 12:42:56 PM in comments on Boortz.
"BIG 3
Subject: Interesting Parable
"A Japanese company ( Toyota ) and an American company (Ford)
decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri River . Both teams practiced long
and hard to reach their peak performance before the race. On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile.
The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to
investigate the reason for the crushing defeat. A management team made up of
senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate
action.
Their conclusion was the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1
person steering, while the American team had 8 people steering and 1 person
rowing.
Feeling a deeper study was in order, American management hired a
consulting company and paid them a large amount of money for a second
opinion. They advised, of course, that too many people were steering the
boat, while not enough people were rowing.
Not sure of how to utilize that information, but wanting to
prevent another loss to the Japanese, t he rowing team's management structure
was totally reorganized to 4 steering supervisors, 3 area steering
superintendents, and 1 assistant superintendent steering manager.
They also implemented a new performance system that would give
the 1 person rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called
the 'Rowing Team Quality First Program,' with meetings, dinners, and free
pens for the rower. There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes, and
other equipment, extra vacation days for practices and bonuses.
The next year the Japanese won by two miles.
Humiliated, the American management laid off the rower for poor
performance, halted development of a new canoe, sold the paddles, and
canceled all capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was
distributed to the Senior Executives as bonuses and the next year's racing team
was out-sourced to India .
The End."
That's not the whole problem, but it was good for a chuckle.
