STEVE WILSON IS NOT A FRIEND!

[dark270]

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.

 

 

wow, thanks for answering the question, i watched all your reports, i wonder why all the secrecy(on ford's part)

?

[Len_A]

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

Steve - you'll also have my further comments and questions as well. I have some prior obligations to take care of this afternoon.

[addeled]

Thank you, Mr. Wilson, for exposing the hypocrisy of the FORD leadership or should I say the lack there of. I am a firm believer in leading by example and this should be an eye opener for all employees and stock holders. If you follow the present leadership you can look for more wasteful expenditures. This kinda "stuff" runs down hill too. You can't talk out of the side of your mouth and expect those who are following you not to act as you do.

 

 

As a soon to be ex-employee what happens to FMC is no concern of mine. Those who remain should seriously consider who they hook their wagon to. The present leadership lives in a bubble to far removed from the average consumer. I have said it before and repeat it again here. They are to timid to lead, to slow to follow and to stupid to get out of the way. Until FMC gets rid of the bean counters and replaces them with some "car guys", I am suspect of their every move.

 

 

The money spent, on weekly trips to wherever, would be far better spent on hiring the best design and engineering people available. In charge of this group would be someone with some vision and an eye for what is appealing. The products FMC has been putting out are so mundane and watered down, in an attempt, to try to appeal to everyone. When you try to please everyone you become so diluted that that you end up pleasing no one.

 

 

While Mr. Fields galivants around the country, I am still waiting for a sub-pay check due to me October 14th. This is less than $500 take home. Now, I am not about to lose anything because of this, but it is becoming a matter of principle.

 

 

Sorry for the off topic rant. I'm done now.

 

Thanks Mr. Wilson for something that needed to be brought to the publics attention.

[Tony James]

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

 

Steve Wilson

WXYZ Detroit

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

 

Here we go again with the deception. First, Mark Fields gets busted driving a Volvo. Yes, it is a division of Ford, but fields understands the politics of the union's stance about driving a vehicle with a Ford name- plate.

Then he is seen leaving back to Detriot early and in none other than a Falcon. I would venture to say he figured he would be bird dogged by Wilson and Company during that weekend. And used the Falcon as a PR prop. Good job Wilson. Now, Round Three.

[Len_A]

Here we go again with the deception. First, Mark Fields gets busted driving a Volvo. Yes, it is a division of Ford, but fields understands the politics of the union's stance about driving a vehicle with a Ford name- plate.

Then he is seen leaving back to Detriot early and in none other than a Falcon. I would venture to say he figured he would be bird dogged by Wilson and Company during that weekend. And used the Falcon as a PR prop. Good job Wilson. Now, Round Three.

How is a private jet a publicity stunt? Steve is refering to a Dassault Falcon 2000 Link Here

[foxrun]

Hey Wilson, What is it exactly that you exposed? From what I understand these flights are part of his contract.

 

Why don't you expose the fact that I just got a $1000 rebate from Ford for buying an Escape on top of the $2000 I got earlier this year, its part of my contract with Ford. I know my Nissan lovin neighbor would be outraged, would you like his email?

[Steve Wilson WXYZ Detroit]

Here we go again with the deception. First, Mark Fields gets busted driving a Volvo. Yes, it is a division of Ford, but fields understands the politics of the union's stance about driving a vehicle with a Ford name- plate.

Then he is seen leaving back to Detriot early and in none other than a Falcon. I would venture to say he figured he would be bird dogged by Wilson and Company during that weekend. And used the Falcon as a PR prop. Good job Wilson. Now, Round Three.

 

In fairness to Mark, this weekend is not the first time we've seen him in a smaller Falcon. I don't think we can conclude anything but that, regardless of which aircraft he picks for the fleet, he still intends to execisr his contractual right to head south for the weekends.

 

What will be more telling...will he continue with those statement's like "belt tightening across the board, absoluetly" and "definitely, we're ALL sharing the sacrifice" statements you've been hearing from him in the past.

[Topgun]

In fairness to Mark, this weekend is not the first time we've seen him in a smaller Falcon. I don't think we can conclude anything but that, regardless of which aircraft he picks for the fleet, he still intends to execisr his contractual right to head south for the weekends.

 

What will be more telling...will he continue with those statement's like "belt tightening across the board, absoluetly" and "definitely, we're ALL sharing the sacrifice" statements you've been hearing from him in the past.

I think you did one hell of a good job Steve, I still remember Fields saying how we must sacrifice from the bottom to the top to get Ford back on track. If you were with CBS 60 minutes you would have been a hero for showing the viewers how phony Mulally , Ford and Fields really are then working for WXYZ. GOOD JOB STEVE!

[Steve Wilson WXYZ Detroit]

Hey Wilson, What is it exactly that you exposed? From what I understand these flights are part of his contract.

 

Why don't you expose the fact that I just got a $1000 rebate from Ford for buying an Escape on top of the $2000 I got earlier this year, its part of my contract with Ford. I know my Nissan lovin neighbor would be outraged, would you like his email?

 

Gawd, have I done such a poor job making this clear, or are there just some blinded by loyalty, or something else, that just totally blocks their view of reality?

 

What I exposed: Executives of a corporation in serious trouble--some say on the verge of bankruotcy--asking workers for givebacks and extreme sacrifice on the promise that EVERYBODY is going to share the sacrifice, top to bottom. Instead, they accept the givebacks and quietly fail to keep their promise that it will no longer be "business as usual."

 

Is it enough to save Ford? Of course not! Given the billions the company is losing, it may well be a drop in the bucket. But it is also powerful symbolism and perhaps a guage of the credidibility of management who believes it isn't terribly important whether or not they actually do what they say. How they respond when asked--especially if THEY believe they are doing nothing at all improper--might be another indication of something, or not.

 

Look, for one last time, I'm not on any crusade here other than to simply report what you'd never hear from the Ford p-r team. How you value or use that information, if at all, is entirely up to you. If what they've been found doing (while saying the opposite) means nothing to you because they're somehow "entitled," then fine...and I fully respect your view in this regard. My job is to find the truth and tell it as accurately and fair as I can.

 

On the other hand, if you're asked for more givebacks based on more promises--and Ford has said more givebacks will be requested in the near future--knowing the level of credibility of those doing the asking might be something that could help guide you the next time you or your union asks you to sacrifice just a little more.

Edited November 19, 2006 by Steve Wilson WXYZ Detroit

[xr7g428]

I have read many times here that the responsibility for Fords current situation is Bad Management. The UAW, the hourly, no one except Ford management is at fault. Is that clear?

 

So, if Bad Management can cause the problem, Good Management can fix it.

 

So, exactly how much is Mark Fields worth to Ford if he can save everybody's job?

 

I really don't care how much they pay the guy IF he can get the job done. I think that if there was anybody better, not cheaper, better, they would hire the guy in a heart beat.

 

Maybe it's a lot harder to turn around any car car company than it is to run one that is doing okay... If Fields turns Ford around, how much do you think he will be worth to the next company?

 

The only purpose that the publicity will serve will be to detract Ford from dealing with the real problems. Here look at my thumb... don't pay attention to my other fist... While everybody is arguing about cost, nobody is going to think about ways to add value.

[sparks will fly]

So, exactly how much is Mark Fields worth to Ford if he can save everybody's job?

 

Maybe it's a lot harder to turn around any car car company than it is to run one that is doing okay... If Fields turns Ford around, how much do you think he will be worth to the next company?

 

Well who said MF was going to save any existing jobs? To save Ford he doesn't have to save any hourly jobs to do that, if he was why would they offer the buyouts to all of the hourly employee's?

 

This turn around will only make him worth something to the next company IF they are looking to restucture the way they do business ie: break a union, move out of the United States, you get the point.

 

IF I am only partily right those reasons alone are enough that I don't care for him now, he is just PHONY to me.

Edited November 19, 2006 by sparks will fly

[foxrun]

Gawd, have I done such a poor job making this clear, or are there just some blinded by loyalty, or something else, that just totally blocks their view of reality?

 

What I exposed: Executives of a corporation in serious trouble--some say on the verge of bankruotcy--asking workers for givebacks and extreme sacrifice on the promise that EVERYBODY is going to share the sacrifice, top to bottom. Instead, they accept the givebacks and quietly fail to keep their promise that it will no longer be "business as usual."

 

Is it enough to save Ford? Of course not! Given the billions the company is losing, it may well be a drop in the bucket. But it is also powerful symbolism and perhaps a guage of the credidibility of management who believes it isn't terribly important whether or not they actually do what they say. How they respond when asked--especially if THEY believe they are doing nothing at all improper--might be another indication of something, or not.

 

Look, for one last time, I'm not on any crusade here other than to simply report what you'd never hear from the Ford p-r team. How you value or use that information, if at all, is entirely up to you. If what they've been found doing (while saying the opposite) means nothing to you because they're somehow "entitled," then fine...and I fully respect your view in this regard. My job is to find the truth and tell it as accurately and fair as I can.

 

On the other hand, if you're asked for more givebacks based on more promises--and Ford has said more givebacks will be requested in the near future--knowing the level of credibility of those doing the asking might be something that could help guide you the next time you or your union asks you to sacrifice just a little more.

 

 

Wilson,

 

Do you know the difference between ethics and morality?

 

Well the man is ethically correct but in your and my OPINION he MIGHT be immoral.

 

And why MIGHT he be immoral? Because we don't know the details, because YOU did not provide them, and that is just .

[Tony James]

Then he should have got the big bucks and perks IF he got the job done.

 

I agree with you, Pioneer. Too bad for everyone it doesn't happen that way. Look at Jack Nassar.

He systematically dystroys the company as CEO behind the Firestone incident. He

gets fired and is rewarded millions on his way out the door

[davio]

Then he should have got the big bucks and perks IF he got the job done.

 

 

They should only get rewarded IF they get the job done. Now there is no incentive to do anything but bussiness as usual.

[foxrun]

They should only get rewarded IF they get the job done. Now there is no incentive to do anything but bussiness as usual.

 

Oh if you think flying on a company jet is a reward for CEO's you have no idea how bad it can get.

[methos]

In the end, maybe the broadcasts will do some good, as in your being watched - so do the right thing. On the other hand, hopefully, the entire affair does not turn out to be to big a distraction. We need those individuals focused on the customer, not their asses.

 

As far as I am concerned, the reporter is just doing his job - sensationalism. Lets face it, while it may be customary in this country for CEO's to spend outrageous sums frivolously, it is even more outrageous when they're making deep cuts. Mark left himself open for criticism. However, at this point, I just don't care how much they spend, as long as they are doing their job - streamlining the process; focusing on quality; continuous improvement; and finally, giving the customer what they want at a price they can afford.

 

The hypocrisy is a little disconcerting though, how can someone make a process more efficient in some areas, yet be so overindulgent in others. The expense of the weekend travel is trivial, but perhaps if we are to move forward, everything needs to be reexamined.

 

Travel expenses are necessary right now; I just wish they would go to the right places, all the cities where factories are located. They need to get out of the glass tower and come on down to the real world and get a dose of reality, for in my opinion, they must be living in another one to let things deteriorate to this point.

Edited November 19, 2006 by methos

[skeptic]

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

In watching this excellent series I noticed when Steve confronted both Mark Fields and Bill Ford on the use of Ford corporate planes for personal use they both told him to speak to the PR department.This in fact is the core of the issue when Fords executives tell you all of us must sacrifice and share the pain it is only Public Relations they HAVE NO INTENTION OF SHARING THE PAIN .The only pain will be felt by you dear employee .I must admit the Public Relations department did its job well since it convinced so many of you to defend these over paid hypocrites running this company.In the event that Ford fails to the point of bankruptcy Mark Fields and Bill Ford will feel no pain and they will no longer need their PR department.

[foxrun]

In watching this excellent series I noticed when Steve confronted both Mark Fields and Bill Ford on the use of Ford corporate planes for personal use they both told him to speak to the PR department.This in fact is the core of the issue when Fords executives tell you all of us must sacrifice and share the pain it is only Public Relations they HAVE NO INTENTION OF SHARING THE PAIN .The only pain will be felt by you dear employee .I must admit the Public Relations department did its job well since it convinced so many of you to defend these over paid hypocrites running this company.In the event that Ford fails to the point of bankruptcy Mark Fields and Bill Ford will feel no pain and they will no longer need their PR department.

 

Who's defending Fields, what he is doing is wrong (maybe) but not illegal.

 

Imagine investigating a CEO and finding out that thier vice might be greed and then presenting it as news.

WOW this Wilson guy must be a genius for finding out that nugget.

[stap1520]

wow, thanks for answering the question, i watched all your reports, i wonder why all the secrecy(on ford's part)

?

Because they want to hide the truth from us employees !

They want us to give concessions and lose health care and lower our pay but they dont want upper management to alter their expensive rock star lifestyles one bit !!!

I say if Ford can afford the perks of Bill Useless Ford ,Mark Fields and Alan Mullaly or whatever his name is hten they are making more money than we know about and they are hiding it in their perks instead of recording it as income it is writen off as expenses ....

[Len_A]

In the end, maybe the broadcasts will do some good, as in your being watched - so do the right thing. On the other hand, hopefully, the entire affair does not turn out to be to big a distraction. We need those individuals focused on the customer, not their asses.

 

As far as I am concerned, the reporter is just doing his job - sensationalism. Lets face it, while it may be customary in this country for CEO's to spend outrageous sums frivolously, it is even more outrageous when they're making deep cuts. Mark left himself open for criticism. However, at this point, I just don't care how much they spend, as long as they are doing their job - streamlining the process; focusing on quality; continuous improvement; and finally, giving the customer what they want at a price they can afford.

 

The hypocrisy is a little disconcerting though, how can someone make a process more efficient in some areas, yet be so overindulgent in others. The expense of the weekend travel is trivial, but perhaps if we are to move forward, everything needs to be reexamined.

 

Travel expenses are necessary right now; I just wish they would go to the right places, all the cities where factories are located. They need to get out of the glass tower and come on down to the real world and get a dose of reality, for in my opinion, they must be living in another one to let things deteriorate to this point.

While I want to agree that the broadcasts will do some good, I can't, because I am certain they will do from "absolutely nothing" to "make a bad situation worse." Before anyone flames me, please let me explain my reasoning.

 

 

 

What really pisses me off about Steve Wilson and WXYZ's piece is that ignores one of the fundamental facts of business in the United States, and that fundamental fact is this: There are more openings for upper management executives than there are bodies to fill those positions. OK, now someone reading that is going to get all pissed off and post back a response flaming me. Before you do that, again, please read on first. The fact that there are so few really qualified people is why the amount of executive level compensation has gone through the stratosphere since the early 1980's. It's the reason the various company boards of directors are giving these people the compensation they're demanding. Note, I'm not saying that I agree with it, because I don't like it at all. That said, my not liking it or not agreeing with this business condition's existence doesn't matter one gawd damn bit. It exists, as a matter of fact, in doing business in the United States, and there is not one gawd damn any of you, me, or Steve F***ing Wilson is going to do to change this fact. In fact, the "press scrutiny" is going to make the price of hiring executive "talent" for the Detroit automakers even higher now, because Steve F***ing Wilson & WXYZ Channel 7 News and parent company Scrips Howard are now one more reason that taking an exec position with a Detroit auto company is "undesirable". Plenty of other places to go, and practice one's trade of "management" (as well as some of these white collar idiots perform as "management") without having to deal with one more distasteful fact of being a Detroit auto exec.

 

 

 

Japan doesn't have this problem, because Japan's government and banks tends to be a bit protective of older, established companies,and makes it difficult for even Japanese nationals to start up a new company that competes in Japan with an older, existing company. Honda is still considered a bit of a red headed stepchild in the Japanese auto industry for getting into the manufacturing of cars, when they were still a motorcycle company. In 1960, Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry looked down on Honda's intentions of becoming an auto company, and Honda founder Soichiro Honda got in to the car business in defiance of MITI's wishes. One of the very rare times someone defied the Japanese government and won.

 

 

 

In the USA, if someone has a sound plan to make cars to compete with Gm, Ford, and Chrysler, the various states governments would fall over themselves trying to land the plant. Oh, wait, they've already fallen all over themselves trying to obtain these transplants business. And there's the rub: any disenchanted Detroit auto exec, who doesn't want to deal with legacy costs, legacy customers (the "I think the big land yachts are real cars, not these damn jap ricers"), the UAW and CAW, etc, can, and have, bailed out of Detroit and gone to Toyota, Nissan, and Honda. The Honda Ridgeline was originally conceived at GM. GM shot down the idea, and it's chief proponent quit and went to Honda, taking the Ridgeline idea with him. Nissan's original California design studios were staffed by former GM stylists and designers. Toyota's chief manufacturing manager in North America is reported to be an ex-Ford plant manager. The list goes on and on, and is endless.

 

 

 

That's why these execs can act like pro sports free agents. They have plenty of companies willing to bid on their so-called talents, and take the level of executive compensation from an average of 20 times the average workers salary in the early 1980's to more like 400 times the average workers pay today. Is it fair? Hell no. Is Steve Wilson's report going to change anything? Again, hell no. You guys think when Ford starts demanding more givebacks next year, and Steve Wilson posted correctly - they already stated their intentions to do so, you guys think this hub-ub over these personal travel usages of company jets is going to stand in the way? Forget it. Company employees like you, and vendor personnel like me, are expendable, whether we like it or not.

 

 

 

Stop and think about this: If we get Fields, Bill Ford, Wagoner over at GM, and the rest, thrown out, force out, or whatever, out of their positions, do any of you think we're going to get new leadership that's going to pay for their own personal trips? In fact, you think, with the challenges of legacy costs, trying to attract new customers while keeping the legacy customers, dealing with the UAW and CAW, etc, do any of you think publically putting these execs under a microscope is going to attract new talent to take these exec positions?

 

 

 

Spare me. The pay levels of the execs are unfair from my point of view, but at least I'm mature enough, and savvy enough to realize that my opinion isn't going to change this situation one little bit. And that's my question to you , Steve Wilson - just what the hell did you and Channel 7 hope to accomplish with this? Challenge a fact of doing business in America that is beyond anyone's control? Do you think your report is going to help attract some more enlightened people to pursue and assume these executive positions with the Detroit automakers? You really think this so-call expose' is going to change the "free agency" attitude of Corporate America?

 

 

 

This situation sucks, it's unfair to the middle class, it's ridiculously unfair to you guys at Ford, BUT if it wasn't for the free market mentality that's existed in government going back to when the first transplants came to the USA, and the accompanying "screw Detroit, let them compete for the customers business" mentality, then we wouldn't be having this conversation. It's completely unfair, but younger companies have built-in advantages, finacially, over older, established companies, and it's Detroit auto managment's past mistakes that cost us customers. Detroit no longer has the level of business that can sustain your jobs as autoworkers, or my job as an auto vendor, but these executive clowns have PLENTY of places that will trip over themselves to recuit them. Just look at how hard a time Nassar didn't have, in landing a new position.

 

 

 

Welcome to reality.

[Len_A]

I'm going add one more comment, aimed right at Steve Wilson:

 

As a vendor, I've been going through the "give back" demands of the automakers since at least fall of 1993. In the late 1990's, around 1998 and 1999, when these Ford employees, hourly and salaried alike, were getting profit sharing checks in the $1000 to $3000 range, vendors like myself were being demanded to give annual price cuts of 3% to 3-2/2%, each and every year of our contracts, whether material and other costs went up or not. As one Ford engineering supervisor told me "We have at least three guys standing in line, behind you, waiting for you to fail, that think they're smarter than you. We'll use them up, and the three in line behind them too." Don't challenge me on that statement, because that guy has retired and I can name names.

 

 

 

That Ford manager, along with about five others, as Ford managers, documented within Ford's system, how, as a vendor, I not only saved Ford in excess of $2 million a year in down time, but help them avoid a PR and environmental nightmare at their Research & Engineering Center. In Dearborn. Right next to Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum. You think Ford gave a damn when helping put me out of a job? Not even one little bit. Mi income has been frozen, at a level below that of an hourly line worker, since fall of 1993.

 

 

 

So the execs are appearing to live high off the hog, while extracting concessions from people beneath them. This is news?

 

 

 

Again, welcome to reality.

[J-150]

I'm waiting to see that dirty fucking rat tell us what kind of perks the CEO of WXYZ gets.

 

 

Well? You dirty fucking rat, tell us what kind of perks YOUR boss gets. How about the CEO of the network itself? Care to tell us about that?

 

 

Oh wait, the TV industry isnt in trouble. They have protections. A little thing called the FCC makes TV stations a license to print money. I wonder how WXYZ would do if the government allowed free competition in broadcasting.

 

 

Care to answer that you dirty fucking rat?

[Trimdingman]

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?

 

 

And you are right down there wrestling in the shit with him. What does that say about you? You are supposed to be a professional writer. Is that the best that you can do? We are auto workers, not professional writers, like you. If you can't outwrite us, then you are a total loser. He may use coarse language. We all do at times; but he makes points. Address the points, or just get off our forum.

Edited November 20, 2006 by Trimdingman

[WixomRealityCheck]

Steve, you did your job, and did it well. I would ignore the likes of j150 and trimdingman, especially when it gets downright nasty.

 

Oh, and Len A, could you be anymore longwinded? It's hard to read your posts the way you go on, and on, and on, and on...geez...

Edited November 20, 2006 by WixomRealityCheck

[Len_A]

Steve, you did your job, and did it well. I would ignore the likes of j150 and trimdingman, especially when it gets downright nasty.

 

Oh, and Len A, could you be anymore longwinded? It's hard to read your posts the way you go on, and on, and on, and on...geez...

Complicated subjects often don't lend themselves to simplistic and narrowly thought out responses. Not to mention that premise of Steve Wilson's story has a few serious holes in it. Seems like Steve Wilson had a long responses or two as well, but hey, sounds like his story makes him your hero. Sort of like a comic book, but then again, comics are often simplistic, too.

 

 

I hope that was short enough.

Edited November 20, 2006 by Len_A