They can't give up their jets

It is well known that lifestyles of CEOs of top corporations are partly to blame for the financial debacle now engulfing the whole world. But we only had generalizations, not unlike how the rich and famous live. Details were hard to come by because the financial moguls kept details secret. They exhibited the wealth only among themselves and kept this out of the public eye.

Detailed information on their excesses trickled out when the $700 billion bailout came up for congressional approval. The proposition that Main Street can only be solved by saving Wall Street was resisted by long suffering Americans. The bailout was duly approved but the financial crisis accelerated. That put the public in an ugly mood and it was the situation when the CEOs of the biggest carmakers in the US went begging in Washington recently. The three were Alan Mulally of Ford, Robert Nardelli of Chrysler and Richard Wagoner of General Motors. They came cup in hand for a $25 billion loan package.

But tv footage showed the three CEOs squirming from questions. It seemed like a small detail but the three had made a serious mistake to come in their private jets. There was bad blood from the start as the legislators pummeled the businessmen with questions like. “Can they clearly identify cash needed, or ranges of cash needed, for specified time periods. Since the CEOs did not seem to have a clue, the legislators decided enough was enough. After the $700 million bailout they did not want to be seen by their constituents as being too easy with CEOs. After an embarrassing session, the consensus was that “if any loan were to be granted, for national interest/security purposes, it might best be done after bankruptcy declaration.”

“There is a delicious irony in seeing private luxury jets flying into Washington, D.C., and people coming off of them with tin cups in their hand, saying that they’re going to be trimming down and streamlining their businesses,” Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-New York, told the chief executive officers of Ford, Chrysler and General Motors at the hearing. “It’s almost like seeing a guy show up at the soup kitchen in high hat and tuxedo. It kind of makes you a little bit suspicious.” Rep. Brad Sherman, D-California asked the three CEOs to “raise their hand if they flew here commercial.” None was raised. “Let the record show, no hands went up,” Sherman said. “Second, I’m going to ask you to raise your hand if you are planning to sell your jet in place now and fly back commercial. Let the record show, no hands went up.”

Like many other major corporations, all three CEOs travel in private jets for safety reasons. But it did not mollify the critics.

“If it is simply the company’s money at stake, then only the shareholders can be upset or feel as it might be excessive,” said Thomas Schatz, president of the watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste.

But in this case, he said, “it’s outrageous.” “They’re coming to Washington to beg the taxpayers to help them.”

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When my friend, Elisa Salapantan, asked me to come she just said “talagang magaling na Russian pianist”. In a way it was good I knew so little about Katya Grineva and was puzzled by her description as romantic pianist in the program. Her romantic piano playing was a singular experience as she interpreted great music with her soft personality. Her performances have been described by the New York Times as “Liquid” and “Dreamlike.” But to me the word is comforting. I caught on the Russian Ambassador to the Philippines, H.E. Vitaly Y. Vorobiev short talk about how music brings people together and how it comforts and is a balm for sadness. She played pieces that my late husband and I listened to together a few weeks before he died.

Her interpretation of Ravel’s Bolero was uniquely beautiful. Maybe it’s because I am used to listening to it with orchestra playing and was surprised how a single piano could catch the mood and power of such a piece.

Manoling Morato, a friend of Grineva, persuaded former First Lady, Amelita Ramos to be the patron of the concert to raise funds for livelihood projects of soldiers and their dependents in Camp O’Donnell in Capas. Assisting them was the group Friends of Overseas Filipinos Inc. (FOFI).

There’s not even a school for children in the camp. The concert organizers hope to put up a technical-vocational training to hone new skills for the retired soldiers so they can be employable.

Katya’s music was the fitting background for Mrs. Ramos words. “In any nation, whether superpower or less developed, the lot of the career soldier is difficult and hazardous. In a developing country like ours, the soldier’s lot is sacrificial and unenviable. The same is true for his family.

When a nation is at peace, citizens regard the soldier as a burden on the state. But in times of danger and of conflict the soldier bears the hardships and risk of early death.”

Katya received the prestigious Gusi Peace Prize from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2007. The fund-raising concert included a special participation of soprano Joanna Ong Go.

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What war? I was surprised that in reaction to my recent column, “What could be sadder?” not a few of those who wrote reactions to STAR online mistook the “wars of independence” as the war against the Japanese.

It shows just how much there is to do to make Filipinos aware of their identity. There has been no real study of the Philippine-American wars of independence in our schools. If I remember right when the Philippines was granted its independence, Filipinos were given all the cabinet posts except for one — the education portfolio, which was retained by the Americans. This is an important clue to why Filipinos think the way they do.