[legion]

Originally posted by Jeff Higgins
All in the name of very short-term bottom line and to hell with the future. Many of us that have been around here for some time are quite worried about the future of the company and our ability to continue to build what we already have, much less continue to innovate and develop new technologies and products.

This is what I see as a fundamental problem with publicly-held companies--especially since the big stock bubble burst a few years ago. Wall Street will not tolerate a company that takes a loss for a quarter, a year, or even a few years so that it can invest in the future and ensure its own viability. Investors have gone from being far too risky (think 1999) to far too risk-averse.

It always irritates me when companies announce massive layoffs. Yes, some companies are overstaffed. Most are sacrificing the futures of their companies to make this quarter's numbers though.

I remember when Boeing went shopping for a new headquarters (read: more subsidies). I couldn't believe how King Richard II rolled out the red carpet for what amounted to 400 jobs. Further, how could Chicago be viewed as "aviation friendly" after the Meiggs field fiasco?