The past few weeks have been bruising for Michigan. We’ve had to worry about the survival of the auto industry. Our economy has gone from bad to worse, and talk of a recession is increasing. So, on the Eve of Thanksgiving, let’s find some reasons to be optimistic. Mike Whitty is a Professor of Management and Labor Relations at the University of Detroit Mercy. Michigan Radio’s Jack Lessenberry spoke with him.
It is such a shame that the Detroit Three automakers are now in the position of begging Washington for money.
Because what they should be doing now, is going to the public, most particularly the public in states like Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Missouri, and saying, "Perhaps the biggest reason that we are not profitable here in North America, the way that we are so profitable in Europe, or Brazil, or China, is because of what Washington has done to our industry." The death of a thousand cuts -- or better said, the death of a thousand laws and regulations.
It is nothing less than a disgrace to public broadcasting in southeast Michigan, that local public radio news broadcasters are still mulling over the "corporate jets" story when they know quite well that corporate jets and executive compensation have virtually NOTHING to do with the current financial crisis for the Detroit Three automakers.
When challenged on this point, the more thoughtful reporters say, "Yeah, we know that it is not a technically important story, but it is an important symbolic matter, and right now the big story is all about politics and political symbolism."
B.S., I say. If public boradcasting news is to mean anything in terms of serious reporting, hard news, and intelligent alternative commentary, then the first thing that public broadcasting in southeast Michigan ought to be standing up for are the real reasons for the U.S. automaking crisis. And a "corporate jet" ranks about 1,002 on the list of important automaking stories.
The "corporate jets" story has been beaten to death by every dumass MSM reporter for days. By people (Barbara Walters and Bill O'Reilly come immediately to mind) who don't know the first thing about carmaking, and who have never spent any substantive time in Detroit.
NPR's Scott Simon chimed in last Saturday, condemning the Detroit CEO's. Scott Simon doesn't own a car; he doesn't have a driver's license. He never has, as far as I know.
When has anyone heard a single story on NPR or on Michigan Radio, or on WDET, following up on the columns written over the past four weeks by Holman Jenkins of the Wall Street Journal? Just today, the Journal offered up the fourth column by Jenkins on the automakers' crisis:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122765959966358461.html
There are several reasons why the Journal's brand of reporting, critical as it is to the future of Detroit, is not heard or seen on public broadcasting. First, it is way too politically incorrect for NPR, which is wedded to "Green" funding, the activist left and the enviro-wacko movement. Second, it would appear to be just too hard for NPR. Reporting on the gnarly details of what a ludicrous waste that CAFE regulations have been for D-3 automakers is much harder to report than having a lot of talking heads sitting around and talking about GM's symbolism and public attitudes. It really is harder to report hard news.
So, shame on you, NPR. Shame on you, Michigan Radio. Shame on you, WDET. Shame on you, Jack Lessenberry. For my money, the D-3 CEO's, operating with the deck stacked against them, have done much better at doing their jobs than you all have done your jobs.
Posted by: Anonymous | November 26, 2008 at 02:59 PM