Atlanta wants Delta sold!

[luvthe9]

http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion...delta_oped.html

 

[Alice Cramden]

http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion...delta_oped.html

Just goes to show, no loyalty. But who really cares? Bottom line...CEO's don't care either. Their bottom line...get employees to work for minimum wage or less. If that doesn't work, outsource. That means no jobs. But can't fly planes without pilots! So there!

Alice Cramden

 

[delta777]

http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion...delta_oped.html

Uh, yeah, if Rajeev Dhawan, the director of the Economic Forecasting Center at Georgia State University is now considered the voice of the city of Atlanta.

In conclusion, thank you. We were all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view. Now get the hell out of here!

 

[BoeingBoy]

Actually, toward the end of the article it becomes clear that Rajeev had previously thought DL would go out of business, which he viewed as bad for Atlanta. His current perception is that US' offer forced DL to get their act together, meaning that the airline (and it's air service at ATL) will survive in one form or the other.

I saw nothing that indicated he preferred one plan over the other, despite what the title says.

Jim

 

[Ch. 12]

Just goes to show, no loyalty. But who really cares? Bottom line...CEO's don't care either. Their bottom line...get employees to work for minimum wage or less. If that doesn't work, outsource. That means no jobs. But can't fly planes without pilots! So there!

Alice Cramden

Can't you stick with one ID?!

 

[whatkindoffreshhell]

The author of that article is simply repeating a tired and misleading opinion:

'the convention business is our city's economic savior! we must cater to the conventioneers and our chamber of commerce!'

Nonsense.

I would bet this professor has collected many handsome fees from desperate municipalities.

If DL folded up tomorrow you would witness an overnight rush by other carriers to fill the void in ATL. Just because ATL is so huge.

I cannot understand why anyone has faith in Grinstein.

It was on his watch that DL got into this mess and now he is to be trusted with solving the mess?

 

[michael707767]

I cannot understand why anyone has faith in Grinstein.

It was on his watch that DL got into this mess and now he is to be trusted with solving the mess?

Not exactly true. Grinstein was on the BOD during the days when Mullin and Reid ran this company into the ground. However, Grinstein was not a part of the management team and he was but one of twelve votes on the BOD. No one knows if he supported what Mullin and Reid were doing.

As a member of the board, does he share some of the blame for Delta's misfortunes? Yes. But, to say this all happened on his watch is just not true.

 

[flyhigh]

Considering that he brough Mullin in...he should get a lot of blame. Continuing to endorse their actions through inaction on the board was the real mistake.

Is Atlanta's vitality tied to conventions, not as much as Las Vegas or New Orleans, but it is definitely important. Given that Delta didn't care much for the Atlanta traveler for so long through its pricing practices, you can't expect much loyalty. While it has improved some, it is not where it should be.

Lastly, is anyone really surprised there really isn't loyalty? The mayor was prominently in attendance for the openning of the AirTran hanger as much as she would be for any Delta event.

 

[autoplaneguy]

Problems were starting way before Grinstein, remember Ron Allen and company?.The article in the Atlanta Journal had little to do really with Atlanta not wanting Delta to stay in business (hey, that's why it was in the "opinion" section also)it was a slanted view of a professor from GSU regarding tourism.He forgot the other big businesses in Atlanta such as Coca-Cola,Turner Companies, SunTrust Bank ,Equifax , etc.as well as Delta.I also don't see the Mayor's attendance at the Airtran hanger as biased toward that airline, I would expect it of her regardless if it was any airline.Lots of votes out there with all those Airtran employees, you know.It would be politically unsavvy for her not to go.

Considering that he brough Mullin in...he should get a lot of blame. Continuing to endorse their actions through inaction on the board was the real mistake.

Is Atlanta's vitality tied to conventions, not as much as Las Vegas or New Orleans, but it is definitely important. Given that Delta didn't care much for the Atlanta traveler for so long through its pricing practices, you can't expect much loyalty. While it has improved some, it is not where it should be.

Lastly, is anyone really surprised there really isn't loyalty? The mayor was prominently in attendance for the openning of the AirTran hanger as much as she would be for any Delta event.

 

[Redbone]

The author of that article is simply repeating a tired and misleading opinion:

'the convention business is our city's economic savior! we must cater to the conventioneers and our chamber of commerce!'

Nonsense.

I would bet this professor has collected many handsome fees from desperate municipalities.

If DL folded up tomorrow you would witness an overnight rush by other carriers to fill the void in ATL. Just because ATL is so huge.

I cannot understand why anyone has faith in Grinstein.

It was on his watch that DL got into this mess and now he is to be trusted with solving the mess?

For the same logic that we have the same "talent" running NW...AFTER sucking the employees dry in the 90's and stealing every penny not nailed down.

What's the reward for their sacrifice? BANKRUPTCY in 2005! Same CREW with Wilson at the helm.

NW employees have EVERY reason under the sun to be bitter, mean, and I'll fight to the death kinda people. When the police (US government) says "open your door and let this thief in, by the way, he's moving in!"

 

[WorldTraveler]

this clown has written some amazing stuff about other topics in Atlanta and it is very obvious he is far more of a politician than an economist.

His fundamental flawed assumption is that DL is in dire financial shape and was at the time of US' bid. If he had written his article a year ago, it might have had some credibility.

while some people tire of hearing me say it, DL has executed one of the most dramatic and fastest turnarounds in the airline industry - and they did it long before US decided they had an interest in DL.

US wants DL dead or under their control - plain and simple. The last thing US wants is to compete with a carrier that is far larger and stronger than US.

Desite all the rhetoric, there is no indication that DL's Official Creditors have changed at all in their lack of support for US' proposal. The ALPA letter elsewhere in this forum is absolutely accurate - the creditors who want a DL/US deal are relatively minor in the size of their claims.

We'll see the final story soon but it certainly appears that DL mgmt has done a very good job of pitting one creditor group against another - to the point that, as Bethune says, trying to get them all on the same page is like herding cats. And inability to support an alternate plan means DL mgmt is pretty well free to push its own plan. And since they have settled with most of their biggest creditors and doing so makes those creditors supportive of the mgmt led plan based on BK law, it is highly likely that this will all blow over with DL mgmt still in control of an independent, standalone Delta.

 

[ASAmechanic]

Not exactly true. Grinstein was on the BOD during the days when Mullin and Reid ran this company into the ground. However, Grinstein was not a part of the management team and he was but one of twelve votes on the BOD. No one knows if he supported what Mullin and Reid were doing.

As a member of the board, does he share some of the blame for Delta's misfortunes? Yes. But, to say this all happened on his watch is just not true.

I agree with this. These problems started way before Grinstein took over. But I think it's hilarious how quickly everyone forgets about what a savior Leo was thought to be in the aftermath of 9/11. How he didn't immediately lay people off like all the others did. I was on the tech ops council then and I went to the town hall meetings and Leo got standing ovations at those meetings. Leo retires, takes his huge golden parachute and suddenly he's the devil. These problems can also be attributed to Ron Allen for starting the whole mess and then just exacerbated by Leo, Fred Reid and Michelle Burns. Personally, I thin Grinstein has done a stellar job turning this airline around, even though I got laid off in the process. If UsAir takes over, who knows what will happen. Just my 2 cents.

 

[WorldTraveler]

let's make it perfectly clear that this economist doesn't speak for Atlanta.

There is no basis for making a statement that Atlanta wants Delta sold - in fact Georgia's Congressional delegation, governor, and lt. governor, and community leaders have all resoundingly stood behind Delta. Makes Ga State's "expert" look pretty out of touch with the rest of the community.