GM jets: No tracking for you!
GM has seven planes (four of them are for sale), and one of them was recently and infamously used for a brief sojourn to Washington for head honcho Rick Wagoner. When the public found out about it, well, let's just say the polling numbers weren't exactly favorable. For reasons that might or might not be related to that episode, GM has asked the FAA to block its planes from being able to be tracked on sites like FlightAware.com. This is something that private plane owners -- a group of folks who don't usually seek the limelight -- are known to do. And GM has every right to do it and not be judged for it, since it's possible that GM feels the flight thing can turn into and undo distraction. But we can still raise an eyebrow at the timing... Thanks for the tip, Big Spender![Source: Bloomberg]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Justin 7:24PM (11/30/2008)
They really don't get it...do they?
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geo.stewart 7:27AM (12/01/2008)
people really dont get it.
1) as mentioned before, they are more productive on the flights as opposed to and its a time saver. If they save 2 hours of work productivity and they make $2M/yr, that's a $2000 saivings in work vs. the cost of the flight.
2) Nancy Pelosi, herself herself, flies back and forth on a private jet at your cost.
3) I'll gladly loan out $50B to automakers to keep jobs and products rather than handout $700B to the financial sector where the money will disappear, and anothe r$700B that the lovely Democrats want ot spend of your money on top of the already growing budget.
it really is a fool's world when people cant see the forest for the ground clutter.
notYou 7:49AM (12/01/2008)
Just curious -
How many Congressmen (err, Congresspeople, comrade!) and Senators flew to the hearings in coach, or rode on a Greyhound bus, or drove in an obligatory world-saving Prius?
When Wall St. got 700billion in TARP funds to save their collective arses, who in Congress told them to screw off and "come back with a plan!"? Oh, that's right, they cut a check after about 10 days of hand-wringing. Domestic automakers are looking for less than 5% of that (25b) and getting 10times the scrutiny.
My point isn't that flying to congress in private jets to beg for public funds is good PR, but rather that no similar scrutiny on Congress, the Fed, Wall St., and all the previous (and ongoing) bailouts is hypocritical.
Mr.Oak 9:12AM (12/01/2008)
@geo...:
For the rest of your life, you don't get to label the democrats as spendthrifts. Here is a factual history lesson idiot.
Ronald Regan with his 600 ship Navy, reviving the B1B bomber and Star Wars project spent more money than the last three democratic presidents.
George Bush Sr. was more fiscally responsible, but the First Gulf war blew his budget to hell. He was also clueless about the economy.
The Idiot-In-Chief spent more money than all presidents before him, and left the country in utter shambles.
The last three GOP presidents have thoroughly trashed the myth of the Dems being the BIG SPENDERS.
Incoming president have no choice but to spend, the alternative won't be pretty. At least he is INVESTING in OUR future. I support any plan that stops us from handing over boat loads of our $$$$ to the Middle-East. Money that could be spent filling that massive sink-hole created by the Dim-Wit In Chief
Funny how you folks whine about money being invested in our country, but selectively forget about GWB pissing away 12B per month in Iraq.
That said, I think that congress was grandstanding. The private Jets are the least of GM problems.
geo.stewart 9:48AM (12/01/2008)
Mr. Oak,
Interesting that you point to the presidents when complaining about the budgets when its the Congress that actually sets it.
Beyond that, both parties have an orgy with our money. And no, I'm not averse to pulling out of all the countries and just shoring up our borders but I really dont think that is the best policy.
Even your esteemed president barry hussein wants to up the military now. No, he wont spend as much in Iraq but now he wants to boost Afghan and go after other areas. interesting. I'm guessing the military budget is going up up up
sparkster 7:29PM (11/30/2008)
But you still want us (tax payers) to still give you OUR hard earned money?
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Mike 8:38PM (11/30/2008)
Come on sparkster,
Even if they got all of "your" yearly tax contribution, it's probably still about a buck o' five.
tristan 11:04PM (11/30/2008)
its a low interest LOAN!!!!!!!!!!!
i would love to see the execs waiting in chicago on a 2 hour layover. then people would complain that these men who get paid millions spend most of there day traveling in our crap airline system!!!
move past this everyone. worry about what you should do instead of be on the computer not about some companies private planes
Will Design for Food 1:12AM (12/01/2008)
Seriously, if you're coming to the American people and asking us for a bailout, then it is our business where you take these private jets. It's also our right to know what these automakers are planning to do to rectify their business model, and how/when do they plan on paying the government back.
Soccer Mom 7:43PM (11/30/2008)
Of course they should not be using these planes. It is disgrace - a company that is begging for public money flights its executives to the meetings.
Oh, wait, the country is in incredible debt, running consistent current account deficits and begging for more money to borrow. Let's ground Air Force 1 and let the president to drive an economy car that reflects the current state of the economy. Also, the citizens of this country shouldn't be driving, when their president cannot afford to fly. Give up your car, get on a bike or walk. After all, it is unfair when we through our representatives begging the world to bail us out, yet we drive cars instead of tightening our belts and walking.
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Alias 9:44PM (11/30/2008)
Before you get all self-righteous...you may want to look into how Nancy Pelosi flies(private jet we pay for)...or how about how much she spent on flowers last year($16k)... this crap about how CEO's fly is a joke and is aimed at distracting the public from Congress's excesses.
The idea of Congress looking down it's noses at CEO's and lecturing about financial responsibility makes me want to vomit...
why not the LS2LS7? 10:08PM (11/30/2008)
The sergeant at arms of the House insisted that the speaker fly private for security purposes.
Alias 7:33AM (12/01/2008)
Same applies to CEO's. Security and productivity. So why is it OK for Pelosi and not for CEO's?
Mobius_1 7:44PM (11/30/2008)
GM's PR department (or whichever) isn't really doing the companies any favours with the public. People's jobs and livelihood are on the line and the heads which haven't done very good jobs are still all enjoying all the luxuries they had when times were good.
I personally would not mind if they received bailouts, but I hope they use it on something useful (like building cars people want and improving efficiency and flexibility)
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smitty 7:56PM (11/30/2008)
this is stupid, you cant track anything on flightaware unless you know the tail (n-number) of the aircraft, i highly doubt that the general public is really that intrested in tracking 7 of GM planes....
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Yaroukh 8:11PM (11/30/2008)
i highly doubt the news is not interested
why not the LS2LS7? 10:09PM (11/30/2008)
You don't think their competitors are interested? And I assure you think can find the N-numbers easily and likely already have.
alex 8:22PM (11/30/2008)
big freakin deal. Most companies have their private jets have the FAA block them from tracking. The only suprising thing is that GM didn't ask them to do this years ago.
everyone has to get over the whole corporate jet thing. They are required by their contracts to use these jets. To not use them required them to ask for special permission. And the money for the jets is a drop in the ocean... where does it end? "How many of you wore suits today? How many of you will sell those suits on craigslist right now and go home in your underwear? let the record show that none of them raised their hands"
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jpm100 8:49PM (11/30/2008)
More time has been spent on the corporate jets than the Citibank bailout and AIG 2nd bailout that have happened recently without a Congressional or Media grilling or a plan.
It is what you believe it is, Perk or Business need. Whatever. Lets move on to substantive parts of the issue.
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Shadyman 9:14PM (11/30/2008)
"can turn into and undo distraction."
You mean it "can turn into an undue distraction?"
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