the McPhee Blog

While trying to use CBS’ terrible website I came across an odd link at the bottom.  Of all the networks CBS has to have the worst video player, worst percentage of their shows online, and is the most inconvenient to use.  Comedy Central has a great player, keeps their shows online (they even put previous seasons online), and AdBlock works like a dream with their player.  The other networks fall somewhere inbetween.

But, that’s not the point of this post.  I thought it was strange that of the nine links at the bottom of the page, one was for Paris Hilton.  I get that she’s a popular gal, but in the top 10 of all the links CBS could put on their site?  She’s down there with the NFL and MLB.  I think Paris must be a business genius.  She’s found a way to sell herself perhaps better than anyone around today.  She has TV shows, product lines, she even gets paid just to show up at parties. It’s still a little weird that she has a link down there.

photo: cbs.com

The CEO’s of the big three automakers (Ford, Chrysler, GM) flew to congress Tuesday in private jets to ask for 25 billion dollars of federal bailout money. Now whether you are in favor of bailouts or are strict free market capitalist, this just doesn’t make any sense. These three men are far from unintelligent. Wagner, GM CEO, received a bachelor’s from Duke University and an MBA from Harvard. Ford’s Alan Mulally holds a masters in Aerospace engineering as well as a masters in management from MIT. Robert Nardelli of Chrysler also holds a MBA.

So the question is with all their education and experience, how could they not see that it would be a PR nightmare to fly a private jet (GM’s aircraft cost $36 Million) to petition congress to give them Billions of taxpayer dollars. It’s like driving your Porsche to a soup kitchen. You can’t really expect anyone to help you.

I think this is a good example of why businesses are in this mess in the first place. People at the top of these corporations don’t seem to understand at all the idea of cutting out excess. A first class flight ($837 round trip) is a good substitute in bad economic times for flying your own plane at a cost of $20,000 for one round trip. One Representative even gave them an out, asking which of them would be willing to give up their jet. All three men declined. These and other leading CEOs have shown that they don’t deserve to be the ones managing this bailout money. They obviously can’t change the habits that ran their companies into the ground in the first place.

Kudos to Congress for not only noticing, but actually pointing out the conflicting values. Granted Congress has to be a little worried with how this bailout money is being spent after AIG spent nearly half a million dollars on a retreat less than two weeks after getting $85 billion of taxpayer money. After all these Congressmen do want us to reelect them. Hopefully they’ll use the massive amounts of taxpayer money allocated to fix the financial crisis more wisely than these CEO lobbyist would.

> Wall Street Journal Story