幾則新聞的感想(三)
(4/19/08 Taipei)

這兩天，宜蘭一個42歲的老爸失了業，想不開就把9歲女兒帶著一起燒炭自殺。在電子報上看到小女孩寫的遺書，真的不是普通的難過。這老爸是有用心的，他不只是要給岀走的妻子看，他事實上是要給所有的人看，包括政府官員。這件悲劇其實有許多解決的辦法。
1. 老爸42歲還可以再學習再就業啊，政府不是有辦許多就業輔導課程嗎？2. 小孩可以送給別人認養啊。這個老爸顯然患了憂鬱症；政府應該想辦法幫助這些邊緣人克服這種憂鬱症，具體做法是心理治療。

另有一則新聞是 ─ 健保局統計，全台洗腎病患約五萬人，一年「洗」掉281億元。腎臟科醫師認為，地下電台強力放送賣藥訊息，加上部分國人喜歡購買來路不明的藥物，讓台灣成了世界有名的洗腎王國。最近才有一對夫妻一起向電台購買「顧肝」藥物吃，腎臟功能也一起受損，妻子前不久前開始洗腎，現在先生也面臨洗腎的命運。這則新聞告訴我們 ─ 1. 政府真的無法「整治」地下電台嗎？2. 我們的全民教育做得不夠。這種全民教育必須從小學做起，一直做到高中畢業；然後還要再做全民的社會教育。最近看到公視有全民講堂；不夠，應該做得更多更廣，尤其是健康教育。用趣味的方式寓教於樂。

第三則是美國財經新聞，表面上看起來是一則有趣的新聞，背後其實充滿了危機與無奈。美國的大公司老闆(CEO)平常時領高薪，岀了事下臺了還有超高的離職金可領，這種離職金通常是這些CEO在被聘用時就已簽定的協定，意思是 ─ 你要我來替你做事可以；但是哪天你要我滾蛋時就必須付我「退休金」幾千幾百萬，這在美國職場俗稱「黃金降落傘」(Golden Parachute)。這是只有高階主管才有的禮遇。最近美國次貸金融風暴，所有的人都在受苦受難，但是那些主事的金融主管CEO等被炒魷魚滾蛋了，他們全都拿著非常優厚的離職金到加勒比海退休了。這絕不是誇張之詞；到目前還沒有看到次貸金融風暴起訴任何這些CEO。
話說回頭，美國最具經濟指標的超大集團奇異電子公司(GE)總裁Jeffrey Immelt才在GE公佈營餘不久前信誓旦旦地宣稱GE的營收會如預期的好；但是，公佈的盈餘卻大失人望。一手提拔Immelt的GE前總裁Jack Welch氣得「公開」地破口大罵「他要再犯同樣的錯，我會拿槍殺了他。」Jack Welch當然痛心，他一手建立的「帝國」竟然要在他一手提拔的人手上動搖了根本。
我的看法是，Immelt犯了與其他CEO犯的相同的毛病，反正我能活得悠哉優哉，別人的死活干我屁事，更何況我這錯根本還吃不上官司。這和我們臺灣人常愛說的「死是死道友，不是死貧道。」一樣的心態。
看到美國變成這樣，也只有嘆息。

Welch says GE's Immelt has 'credibility issue'
Wednesday April 16, 2:46 pm ET
By Stephen Singer, AP Business Writer

Former General Electric CEO says Immelt has 'credibility issue' after company missed forecast HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Former General Electric Co. chief executive Jack Welch said Wednesday that he would "get a gun out and shoot" his successor, Jeffrey Immelt, if he allowed GE to miss earnings targets again.

"I'd be shocked beyond belief and I'd get a gun out and shoot him if he doesn't make what he promised now," Welch said on CNBC, a cable station owned by GE. "Just deliver the earnings. Tell them you're going to grow 12 percent and deliver 12 percent."

The remark showed the depth of his ire at GE's announcement Friday that profit fell 6 percent in the first quarter from last year. The report came a month after Immelt promised investors that the company would hit its financial goals.

"Here's the screw up: You made a promise that you'd deliver this and you missed three weeks later," Welch also said. "Jeff has a credibility issue. He's getting his a-- kicked. He apologized."

GE spokesman Gary Sheffer did not directly address Welch's comments.

"We've said we hate to disappoint investors, but we're confident we have a strong set of businesses and the right strategy to execute on our revised outlook for the year," he said.

GE said Friday that disruptions in its financial business late in the quarter kept it from warning Wall Street. But investors and analysts were stunned as stock fell 13 percent and wiped nearly $47 billion off the company's value.

Welch, 72, retired as chief executive in 2001. He strongly defended GE and said investors should not clamor for major changes because the conglomerate's business model works.

"I'm not here defending what happened," Welch said. "This was a bad miss. This is a credibility crash. He's got to earn it back. He will earn it back. But to take GE apart, what's wrong with the company, it's falling apart, blow up the model, sell NBC, sell real off estate, let's go out of business because we had 24 hours of a mess?"

On Friday, GE reported its financial services business fell 28 percent, driven by a 21 percent erosion in commercial finance due to lower real estate and other income. Net income fell 6 percent to $4.3 billion, or 43 cents per share, from $4.57 billion, or 44 cents per share, a year ago.

Earnings from continuing operations came to $4.4 billion, or 44 cents per share, down 8 percent year-over-year. That was well below the 51 cents per share expected by analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial.

Investors were shocked by the lower-than-expected earnings and a profit warning that wiped $46.9 billion off GE's value and sent the overall market slumping.

During Welch's two decades as head of the Fairfield-based company, GE expanded from a $13 billion manufacturer of appliances and light bulbs to a $480 billion conglomerate. He divested GE of billions of dollars in businesses and steered the $6.4 billion acquisition of RCA, including the NBC television network.

In retirement, he gives speeches and writes books and a "Business Week" column while continuing to draw a GE pension.