Other Editorials

Should GM's Name Be Changed?

Jim Dollinger
Monday, June 15, 2009

"The Story You Are About To See Is True.

The Names Have Been Changed To Protect The Innocent"

These were the opening words of every episode of the series "Dragnet".

Most usually the names are changed to protect the innocent. In this case, it's the same names and they are guilty. They're guilty of destroying the most powerful corporation on earth. Yet they (management) are held harmless, no one at GM is ever held accountable for failure.

John Smith, a disaster at VSSM, was moved to Worldwide Product Planning, ditto for LaNaive (remarkably still there) or Bent Over (transferred to Europe). They shift blame to employee wages, retiree costs, dealer expense (not), and every other excuse imaginable.

The clowns are running the circus and their failed marketing is being blamed on the elephants, tigers and tight rope walkers.

It's well past time to clean house at GM and throw the bums out who are responsible for decades of decline. No more business as usual at the Ren Cen, too many communities are suffering as schools, police stations, fire departments close. If change doesn't come from within, it needs to happen externally. How bad does it have to get before we see another storming of the Bastille?

"Is it a rebellion?" asked Louis XVI of the count who informed him of the fall of the Bastille.

"No, sire," came the reply. "It is a revolution."

Viva La Revolucion!