Motown flies its lemons to Washington -- in private jets, Congress points out

Congress didn't like it very much when the heads of the Big Three automakers flew to Washington to testify on Capitol Hill about how much their companies -- Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler -- need a $25 billion swig from the national feeding trough.  The Washington Post begins its story on their day on Capitol Hill with the chirpy line, "There are 24 daily nonstop flights from Detroit to the Washington area.  Richard Wagoner, Alan Mulally and Robert Nardelli probably should have taken one of them."  Mr. Wagoner runs General Motors, Mr. Mulally runs Ford, and Mr. Nardelli runs Chrysler.  Each of them flew on their company jet to Washington to beg Congress for a share of $25 billion of public money.  Congressman Gary Ackerman (New York) deadpanned to the three executives, "Couldn't you all have downgraded to first class or jetpooled or something?"  

It got worse.  Mr. Wagoner couldn't state clearly when GM would run out of cash and refused to answer a question from Congressman Paul Kanjorski (Pennsylvania) about how GM would do this quarter.  Congressman Peter Roskam (Illinois) asked Messrs. Wagoner and Mulally if they would be willing to work for $1 a year, as Mr. Nardelli has offered to do.  Mr. Wagoner said, "I don't have a position on that today."  Mr. Mulally said, "I understand the intent, but I think where we are is okay."  The Post demurely notes in parentheticals that "okay" for Mr. Mulally was $21.7 million in compensation for 2007 from Ford.  Mr. Wagoner pulled in a more modest $15.7 million from the GM shareholders.

I don't begrudge anyone a shot at making an honest living, or even a fortune, and I don't think it's reasonable for the three Motormouths to have to work for nothing, even though their companies' performances suggest that a salary of zero is excessive for their services.  Instead I suggest this: each of them agree, or Congress impose as a condition of a bailout, to a salary cap for $400,000 for themselves and all of their executives until the federal money is repaid.  Why $400,000?  That's the salary of the president of the United States, who has a tougher job and answers to a larger crowd.  If Messrs. Wagoner, Mulally, and Nardelli want public money to help pay their salaries, they need to agree to be paid on the public scale.