STEVE WILSON IS NOT A FRIEND!

[Trimdingman]

I think it was a great news report and I applaud Steve Wilson for telling it like it is....

shows how greedy and disgustingly selfish rich people are. Even bankrupt companies are doing this , he exposed many executives not just Ford.

They should fly personal trips on their own dime, this also makes you wonder what else happens behind the scenes that shareholders and workers have no idea about.

Mark Fields is no rock star and should try working harder maybe Saturdays included to try and turn the company around with "rock Star" cars and higher sales instead of closing plants and bankrupting thousands of families in the "FORD Family" what an ass he is....

 

I am sure that if Mark Fields had to pay for his own air fare, it would not be a major difficulty, but it would be a slap in the face. Do you want to slap the face of the man who could mean the difference between whether Ford succeeds, or fails?

[stap1520]

I am sure that if Mark Fields had to pay for his own air fare, it would not be a major difficulty, but it would be a slap in the face. Do you want to slap the face of the man who could mean the difference between whether Ford succeeds, or fails?

NO its not a slap in the face why can't he move to Detroit like most people would do if they worked in Detroit?

Don't put Marky Mark on a pedastal he is replaceable and isnt the ceo of Ford.

there are many smart business minds out there who could do a better job than mark Fields and be more creative than just closing plants and blaming the real workers for the companies problems, maybe Fords big problem is at the top executive level where cutting out early to fly to Fla to suntan is more important than actually working hard on a weekend to turn the business around.

[Trimdingman]

NO its not a slap in the face why can't he move to Detroit like most people would do if they worked in Detroit?

Don't put Marky Mark on a pedastal he is replaceable and isnt the ceo of Ford.

there are many smart business minds out there who could do a better job than mark Fields and be more creative than just closing plants and blaming the real workers for the companies problems, maybe Fords big problem is at the top executive level where cutting out early to fly to Fla to suntan is more important than actually working hard on a weekend to turn the business around.

 

The company will survive. They are just moving everything to a higher level. This is necessitated by

the advantage that the federal government has allowed to the imports. They are virtually not allowed to buy our products, yet we accept their products with open arms. As far as I am concerned, anyone who buys an import deserves to be deported.

 

The CEO needs to fly.

[Texas30]

NO its not a slap in the face why can't he move to Detroit like most people would do if they worked in Detroit?

Don't put Marky Mark on a pedastal he is replaceable and isnt the ceo of Ford.

there are many smart business minds out there who could do a better job than mark Fields and be more creative than just closing plants and blaming the real workers for the companies problems, maybe Fords big problem is at the top executive level where cutting out early to fly to Fla to suntan is more important than actually working hard on a weekend to turn the business around.

 

 

Amen brother

[Emigh]

Amen brother

I agree!

[Len_A]

NO its not a slap in the face why can't he move to Detroit like most people would do if they worked in Detroit?

Don't put Marky Mark on a pedastal he is replaceable and isnt the ceo of Ford.

there are many smart business minds out there who could do a better job than mark Fields and be more creative than just closing plants and blaming the real workers for the companies problems, maybe Fords big problem is at the top executive level where cutting out early to fly to Fla to suntan is more important than actually working hard on a weekend to turn the business around.

If there are so many smart business minds out there, just waiting to be plucked, why the hell haven't they, the Detroit automakers, done so already? Do I think Fields ought to be living in Detroit? Yes. I would have never given him the option to do otherwise. I think, and this is just theory on my part, that part of the reason his family stayed in Florida, is that he spent so much time in Japan with Mazda, and then in Europe when he replaced Wolfgang Reitzle. Still, I'm a bit surprised that he flies on a corporate jet, back and forth to Florida, because in the article The Detroit News ran on him last December, 2005, the News made a point that at Mazda, he flew commercial (and turned down a chauffeur to drive himself to work - it's common among Japanese business executives to be driven to work, not drive themselves):

 

 

 

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...365/1148/AUTO01

 

 

 

You want to place the blame on anyone for this employment agreement Fields has with Ford Motor Company, it seems to me the blame falls squarely on the collective shoulders of Bill Ford, Jr. and the Board of Directors. Still, as Steve Fisher's story pointed out, personal use of the corporate jet is common place. Yes, Fisher's piece said it was often at the request of the various company's Boards of Directors, for "security reasons", but you'd better believe that the "security reasons" don't have zip to do with the post 9-11 world of airline and airport security. It's more like the security of not flying commercial and running the risk of having a disgruntled shareholder or employee in an executive's face at the airport, or on board a commercial jet. Again, a big black mark against Steve Fisher and WXYZ for neglecting to mention that little tidbit. But hey, why deal with the little details when, for November sweeps, you can have a nice piece of sensationalism to boost the TV stations ratings for their news broadcasts, and to do so for purely commercial reasons - to jack up the ad rates in the first quarter of next year.

 

 

 

That's right, sports fans, that's what this whole bullshit piece of Steve Fisher's is all about. Remember what month this is, you rocket scientists? It's NOVEMBER - a "sweeps month" for the purpose of TV ratings. Next "sweeps month", I think, is February. What's next? Is Steve Fisher and company going to do a big expose' on the better brand of toilet paper in the executive washrooms?

 

 

 

The high level of executive compensation, especially in North America, followed by Europe, has been the subject of many a gripe session with various shareholder's rights groups, business publications, and university and college business schools. A lot of bitching and griping, a lot of talk about trying to tie executive compensation to performance factors, whether those factors be stock price, company profits, market share, whatever, and what has it all done? Not a God damn thing. Executive compensation packages are still climbing thought the roof, and there doesn't appear to be an end in sight, and won't be until the law of supply and demand gets repealed. Unless something drastic happens, especially in North America, to drastically increase the number of competent business leaders, the admittedly ridiculously high level of executive compensation is going to continue to go up. Short of a major shareholder revolution (and the past "shareholder revolution" resulted in absolutely nothing), nothing is going to keep these bastards from playing free agent and getting more money and perks than their collective companies results justify.

 

 

 

Supply and Demand, baby. Not enough supply, the price goes up. Cause a glut in the supply, the price goes down. Plain and simple.

 

 

 

Shame on Steve Wilson and WXYZ Channel 7 for riling you guys up about something that isn't going to change just because of a TV news story. You guys are just getting used to boost their ratings, nothing more, nothing less.

Edited November 17, 2006 by Len_A

[Ovaltine]

I am sure that if Mark Fields had to pay for his own air fare, it would not be a major difficulty, but it would be a slap in the face. Do you want to slap the face of the man who could mean the difference between whether Ford succeeds, or fails?

 

Mark Fields .... the difference between whether Ford succeeds, or fails?

 

From what I've read, his primary accomplishment to-date is the "resurrection" of the vaunted Mazda brand. Granted.... the Mazda product has improved exponentially over the last several years, HOWEVER.....

 

How can the "savior" of a company that consistently trails.... ahem.....KIA in sales, be the "difference" you speak about above?

 

2006 YTD KIA sales: 242,095 ( http://www.kia.com/110106.php )

2006 YTD Mazda sales: 228,082 ( http://www.businessweek.com/autos/content/...ews+index_autos )

 

Me thinks if he "runs" to a competitor over losing his jet privileges, I say let him go.

 

This would show that his loyalty to a company can be bought relatively cheaply, and thus he's not the man for the job.

 

Somehow I think that if he feels that he has a *real* chance to pull this off, he'll be staying, jet or not. If/when Ford gets back to true success and prosperity, the people at the helm at that time will go into the history books. And Mark appears to have a large enough ego that he DOESN'T want to miss out on THAT!

 

-Ovaltine

Edited November 17, 2006 by Ovaltine

[foxrun]

Now that its out there it looks bad and there just is no way around that. Will it blow over? maybe.

Is it wrong that Fields is doing this? Well the devil is in the details and I don't see details in this story. If one wants to see what one wants to see they will and this story helps that knee jerk reaction.

 

If anything this sets Wilson down the road of Geraldo Rivera school of investigative journalism. I remember when I was I kid I really wanted to know what was in Capones vault. But as I recall about that jewel of journalism it was all about the anticipation and the truth was the let down.

[Len_A]

Now that its out there it looks bad and there just is no way around that. Will it blow over? maybe.

Is it wrong that Fields is doing this? Well the devil is in the details and I don't see details in this story. If one wants to see what one wants to see they will and this story helps that knee jerk reaction.

 

If anything this sets Wilson down the road of Geraldo Rivera school of investigative journalism. I remember when I was I kid I really wanted to know what was in Capones vault. But as I recall about that jewel of journalism it was all about the anticipation and the truth was the let down.

Like I said, this is all about TV ratings. November is a "sweeps" month, and your guys got used to promote ratings. This news story bullshit will do nothing to affect the level of executive compensation. Steve Wilson and company got their sounds bites, they got their web chat B.S., etc. Where is the guy now to respond to the rest of these posts, starting with what I posted? What's wrong, Steve, can't make a tasty sound bite out of it? Edited November 17, 2006 by Len_A

[Ovaltine]

Shame on Steve Fisher and WXYZ Channel 7 for riling you guys up about something that isn't going to change just because of a TV news story. You guys are just getting used to boost their ratings, nothing more, nothing less.

 

 

Well.... Steve just *might* think about replying to you, IF you get his name right. Up until your last post you were calling him Steve Fisher. B)

 

-Ovaltine

Edited November 17, 2006 by Ovaltine

[Maximus]

Holy Smokes, nothing like the flavour of the week to get everybody riled up and at each other's throats. I can't say I appreciate the fact that CEO's get perks like this while the average working person takes another shot in the gut with wage reductions, job losses, reduced benefits, etc. In fact I think it really sucks, and I would like nothing more than for these supposed hotshots to have to sit in a shitty coach seat like I do when I occasionally fly.

 

BUT, the reality of the world is that your top level executives have these private jets for a reason, and if Ford also lets them use it to get from work to home, vacation, whatever as part of their compensation then so be it. Would you rather bitch about the cost of 30-70K/week for him to be flown from home to work, or bitch each day about the countless business meetings, media addresses, etc that he would miss due to waiting in a airport or catching the bus?

 

Just my 2 cents.

[Len_A]

Well.... Steve just *might* think about replying to you, IF you get his name right. Up until your last post you were calling him Steve Fisher. B)

 

-Ovaltine

Whatever. Then I stand corrected. Doesn't matter to me - I don't watch WXYZ or whatshisname, anyway. I prefer WDIV for local news. Plus I'm not the one he got riled up - that's you guys. Anyway you want to slice it, you guys have been royally used.

 

Holy Smokes, nothing like the flavour of the week to get everybody riled up and at each other's throats. I can't say I appreciate the fact that CEO's get perks like this while the average working person takes another shot in the gut with wage reductions, job losses, reduced benefits, etc. In fact I think it really sucks, and I would like nothing more than for these supposed hotshots to have to sit in a shitty coach seat like I do when I occasionally fly.

 

BUT, the reality of the world is that your top level executives have these private jets for a reason, and if Ford also lets them use it to get from work to home, vacation, whatever as part of their compensation then so be it. Would you rather bitch about the cost of 30-70K/week for him to be flown from home to work, or bitch each day about the countless business meetings, media addresses, etc that he would miss due to waiting in a airport or catching the bus?

 

Just my 2 cents.

Maybe everyone ought to be bitching about the piss poor product planning decisions his predecessors made, that contributed in great part to the mess we find ourselves in. How ever they compensate these execs, it's the product planning and engineering decisions that will be the biggest factor in reviving sales, and at this point, Fields hasn't been on the job long enough to judge any results of Ford of North America's current product planning. I don't think we will be able to judge those results for at least three to five years, at the earliest. Then, and only then, can we say whether Fields compensation was justly earned or not. Who knows if he'll even be around at that time. Edited November 17, 2006 by Len_A

[Tony James]

Mule,

 

How is it helpful?.....Please explain..

 

I dont know about you, but ONCE AGAIN I feel violated by a THIRD party who didnt have the BALLS to identify himself who he really was when he was "UNDERCOVER"....pretending to be a brother or a sister....

He is a phoney, a liar,...a a sneeky fuck...Dont you get my drift man? I am sick and fucking tired of ALL who have a secret agenda..........He capitalized on the issue at hand to get his fuckin story....If he cared about the Members he would have identified himself , and told us he was here to help.

 

A channel 7 under cover reporter you have been talking to here on this sight...........Feel violated?

 

No, I don't feel violated. Personally, I don't give a damn what agenda someone has. Uncovering something like this is exactly what the employees need to see.

You are slamming Steve for his reporting of the contradictions being made by Mark Fields and Bill Ford, who have gone far out of their way CONSISTANTLY telling everyone in person and media that EVERYONE must make sacrifices?

These guys aren't even comfortable in their own skin about this conduct. Neither one of them can even talk about it on camera. They know they are lying to everyone below them when they talk about equal sacrifice.

Their definition of equal sacrifice is to fire and lay of 10,000 salary personel far below them. Then point to the UAW and say, we made our sacrifice, now open up your contact and make yours.

Fishinguy, come on, man. These people need to be exposed for the phony elitists they have alwways been.

What Steve Wilson did was landed a sucker punch for the "little" guy

 

 

 

Mark Fields .... the difference between whether Ford succeeds, or fails?

 

From what I've read, his primary accomplishment to-date is the "resurrection" of the vaunted Mazda brand. Granted.... the Mazda product has improved exponentially over the last several years, HOWEVER.....

 

How can the "savior" of a company that consistenty trails.... ahem.....KIA in sales, be the "difference" you speak about above?

 

2006 YTD KIA sales: 242,095 ( http://www.kia.com/110106.php )

2006 YTD Mazda sales: 228,082 ( http://www.businessweek.com/autos/content/...ews+index_autos )

 

Me thinks if he "runs" to a competitor over losing his jet privileges, I say let him go.

 

This would show that his loyalty to a company can be bought relatively cheaply, and thus he's not the man for the job.

 

Somehow I think that if he feels that he has a *real* chance to pull this off, he'll be staying, jet or not. If/when Ford gets back to true success and prosperity, the people at the helm at that time will go into the history books. And Mark appears to have a large enough ego that he DOESN'T want to miss out on THAT!

 

-Ovaltine

 

Well said. BRAVO!! BRAVO!!

[OTPisdead]

If anything this sets Wilson down the road of Geraldo Rivera school of investigative journalism.

Yep, when I here U.S.A. and investigative journalist, GERALDO and all his nonsense comes flashing back. Now my head hurts. :boring:

[fishinguy]

Well said. BRAVO!! BRAVO!!

 

Tony.......just sick and tired of all all the seccrecy.weather it be the Company, Union, or the Media....Pissed atem all

[Tony James]

Yep, when I here U.S.A. and investigative journalist, GERALDO and all his nonsense comes flashing back. Now my head hurts. :boring:

 

There is no comparison to Steve and Geraldo. Geraldo has a long history of being an opportunist. I think Wilson was fair on both sides.

What Steve did was backed the top Ford people into a corner they could not defend. They know they have been lying to us all along and illustrated it by their unwillingness to defend themselves on camera.

Way to go Steve. Now Round two.

[fishinguy]

If there are so many smart business minds out there, just waiting to be plucked, why the hell haven't they, the Detroit automakers, done so already? Do I think Fields ought to be living in Detroit? Yes. I would have never given him the option to do otherwise. I think, and this is just theory on my part, that part of the reason his family stayed in Florida, is that he spent so much time in Japan with Mazda, and then in Europe when he replaced Wolfgang Reitzle. Still, I'm a bit surprised that he flies on a corporate jet, back and forth to Florida, because in the article The Detroit News ran on him last December, 2005, the News made a point that at Mazda, he flew commercial (and turned down a chauffeur to drive himself to work - it's common among Japanese business executives to be driven to work, not drive themselves):

 

 

 

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...365/1148/AUTO01

 

 

 

You want to place the blame on anyone for this employment agreement Fields has with Ford Motor Company, it seems to me the blame falls squarely on the collective shoulders of Bill Ford, Jr. and the Board of Directors. Still, as Steve Fisher's story pointed out, personal use of the corporate jet is common place. Yes, Fisher's piece said it was often at the request of the various company's Boards of Directors, for "security reasons", but you'd better believe that the "security reasons" don't have zip to do with the post 9-11 world of airline and airport security. It's more like the security of not flying commercial and running the risk of having a disgruntled shareholder or employee in an executive's face at the airport, or on board a commercial jet. Again, a big black mark against Steve Fisher and WXYZ for neglecting to mention that little tidbit. But hey, why deal with the little details when, for November sweeps, you can have a nice piece of sensationalism to boost the TV stations ratings for their news broadcasts, and to do so for purely commercial reasons - to jack up the ad rates in the first quarter of next year.

 

 

 

That's right, sports fans, that's what this whole bullshit piece of Steve Fisher's is all about. Remember what month this is, you rocket scientists? It's NOVEMBER - a "sweeps month" for the purpose of TV ratings. Next "sweeps month", I think, is February. What's next? Is Steve Fisher and company going to do a big expose' on the better brand of toilet paper in the executive washrooms?

 

 

 

The high level of executive compensation, especially in North America, followed by Europe, has been the subject of many a gripe session with various shareholder's rights groups, business publications, and university and college business schools. A lot of bitching and griping, a lot of talk about trying to tie executive compensation to performance factors, whether those factors be stock price, company profits, market share, whatever, and what has it all done? Not a God damn thing. Executive compensation packages are still climbing thought the roof, and there doesn't appear to be an end in sight, and won't be until the law of supply and demand gets repealed. Unless something drastic happens, especially in North America, to drastically increase the number of competent business leaders, the admittedly ridiculously high level of executive compensation is going to continue to go up. Short of a major shareholder revolution (and the past "shareholder revolution" resulted in absolutely nothing), nothing is going to keep these bastards from playing free agent and getting more money and perks than their collective companies results justify.

 

 

 

Supply and Demand, baby. Not enough supply, the price goes up. Cause a glut in the supply, the price goes down. Plain and simple.

 

 

 

Shame on Steve Wilson and WXYZ Channel 7 for riling you guys up about something that isn't going to change just because of a TV news story. You guys are just getting used to boost their ratings, nothing more, nothing less.

[/quote

 

 

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!........This is the exact point I was trying to make, thank you for the details. others jumped in and cut my throat for trying to express his agenda.........I guess I needed some help explaining it better , as you did my friend...

 

Thankx for the help..............Wilson is a PHONEY!

Edited November 18, 2006 by fishinguy

[Pit stop]

Hopefully most will remember these events come contract time when Mark wants you give back more of your benefits/salary.

 

By the way, Trim has never been right

I AGREE AND NEITHER HAS FISHINGUY

[MTPGUY]

I believe it's an insult to all UAW members to have some our leadership (Mark Fields) flying home at such an expense to the company (in his contract or not) because we were told it would not be business as usual and things needed to change from top to bottom. Well its changing but what I and others see is mostly from the bottom at the expense of UAW jobs. Layoffs, closings and buyouts are stressing many members to the limit on what to do with their lives and how to take care of their families. I'm sure Mr.Fields is back in Boca Raton this weekend stressed out about his job and future at Ford, wether his family will make it through this??? He could care less about us he is a pompous, self absorbed ego maniac who loves the spotlight and is only out for his wellbeing. His mannerisms in front of a camera exude that.

 

I personally agree that Mr. Fields and others should tighten their belts also due to the crisis at Ford. If we pull out of this with the lights still on then those who pulled us from the wreckage should be due theirs including every UAW worker. But business as usual needs to change right now and that includes the top. Because we sacrifice our time as well as our physical wellbeing everyday to build the vehicles that create the revenue for Ford and the shareholders. Isn't that what this is really all about...greed pure greed.

 

The lease cars, fuel, insurance, maintenance, stock options, bonuses and perks should all be part of what has to be sacrificed during these hard times, not just us the UAW members. Exposing the truth is not a bad thing especially when there is something to hide.

 

Just my opinion

[PlentyOfPain]

Where is the guy now to respond to the rest of these posts, starting with what I posted? What's wrong, Steve, can't make a tasty sound bite out of it?

 

I'm right here, Len. What's your questiono, specifically?

 

Steve Wilson

WXYZ Detroit

 

I'm sure Mr.Fields is back in Boca Raton this weekend stressed out about his job and future at Ford, wether his family will make it through this???

 

Several of you have asked: what DID he do on the weekend AFTER the reports were broadcast.

 

MTPGuy...he left town a little earlier yesterday afternoon and flew home in one of Ford's Falcon 2000's.

 

Steve Wilson

[J-150]

Hey Steve, you dirty fucking rat,

 

remember when I had this to say about you:

 

 

 

you are writing a spin story.

 

You call it the truth, but the reality is, you have already declared guilt and now are trying to prove it after the fact.

 

 

Now go back to reporting on alien abductions and Elvis sitings.

 

 

 

 

Glad to see I wasn't wrong you dirty fucking rat.

[Steve Wilson WXYZ Detroit]

Hey Steve, you dirty fucking rat,

 

remember when I had this to say about you:

Glad to see I wasn't wrong you dirty fucking rat.

 

Yeah, I remember. And I thought you couldn't possibly lower the quality of the discourse of people trying to have a civil discussion here. Not surprisingly, you've proved me wrong. Are in in fifth or sixth grade?

[dark270]

Yeah, I remember. And I thought you couldn't possibly lower the quality of the discourse of people trying to have a civil discussion here. Not surprisingly, you've proved me wrong. Are in in fifth or sixth grade?

 

 

steve, i would ask you another question, how many,(or who else) other ford execs are doing this ? is there more then two ?

if so...that would be even more money! i'm curious to know who, and how many others are doing this!

 

???

[Steve Wilson WXYZ Detroit]

steve, i would ask you another question, how many,(or who else) other ford execs are doing this ? is there more then two ?

if so...that would be even more money! i'm curious to know who, and how many others are doing this!

 

???

Ford has refused to say. It is required to disclose this information in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission--but only when free flights for purely personal reasons reach a certain threshold. even then, others could fly below the radar if the company uses a formula to value at a cost less than they actually are.

 

Ford has also refused to disclose exactly HOW the flights are valued...but under whatever secret forumula it is using, only Ford's and Fields' flights have been disclosed.

[Roadrunner]

Steve,

 

I will get back to you with my concerns addressed in a previous post sometime soon (just haven't had the time). Keep posted.

 

--RR