A Japanese company (TOYOTA) and an American company (FORD Motor) decided
to have a canoe race on the Missouri River. Both teams practiced long and
hard to reach their peak performance before the race.

On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile.

The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to investigate the
reason for the crushing defeat. A management team made up of senior
management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action.

Their conclusion was the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 person
steering, while the American team had 8 people steering and 1 person
rowing.

Feeling a deeper study was in order, American management hired a
consulting company and paid them a large amount of money for a second
opinion.

They advised, of course, that too many people were steering the boat,
while not enough people were rowing.

Not sure of how to utilize that information, but wanting to prevent
another loss to the Japanese, the rowing team's management structure was
totally reorganized to 4 steering supervisors, 3 area steering
superintendents and 1 assistant superintendent steering manager.

They also implemented a new performance system that would give the 1
person rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the
'Rowing Team Quality First Program,' with meetings, dinners and free pens
for the rower. There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes and
other equipment, extra vacation days for practices and bonuses.

The next year the Japanese won by two miles.

Humiliated, the American management laid off the rower for poor
performance, halted development of a new canoe, sold the paddles, and
canceled all capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was
distributed to the Senior Executives as bonuses and the next year's
racing team was outsourced to India.

Sadly, The End.

Here's something else to think about: FORD has spent the last thirty years
moving all its factories out of the US, claiming they can't make money
paying American wages.

TOYOTA has spent the last thirty years building more than a dozen plants
inside the US. The last quarter's results:

TOYOTA makes 4 billion in profits while Ford racked up 9 billion in losses.

FORD folks are still scratching their heads.

IF THIS WEREN'T SO TRUE IT MIGHT BE FUNNY

very true

SMOKIN WAGON!!!

I agree 100%. We have become self absorbed in ourselves with the thinking we do everything better and we must be highly paid for our efforts. I see it all the time at my job. people that get paid well but after each raise their performance increases only to quickly lower shortly afterward with the attitude of "I don't get paid enough".
On a side note I feel this country is being sucked dry by outsourcing and imports. China is killing us. Just look at the goods that say Made in China. I try my best to not buy anything with the stamp but at times it seems there is no other option. We need to suck it up and realize that USA may not be #1 anymore....

Its uncomprehensable that we deal with China when it seams they are trying to do everything they can to harm us.
How long will we suffer this repressive country to poison America.
American companys are the culprate, not the workers. They set the standard we have to follow. If it wern't for unions you would still be paid little or nothing for your efforts.
American workers do not set the price of Gas, Milk, bread. We have to buy thies commoditys at the price set. We have a free market economy. Prices are what ever the back of the American people will stand. Companys like Walmart deal with China because they don't pay the workers but a few cents per day.
It's a fact that American workers produce a higher quality of workmanship, than offshore. Ford, Walmart and other companys who have offshored there businesses, trying to bolster there profits only find poorer quality workmanship. By ostersizing the American worker for greedy purposes, they find there profits have shrunk because of poor quality workmanship. They deserve what they get.
I drive a 13 year old Ford and I will never buy another one.

Remember when Americans used to boycott products? Rare and noneffective nowadays. The problem, like gas prices, is that we complain, but keep on giving our money to the folks that raise our prices without raising our wages. Who can actually live on a minimum wage salary?

I'm on my my fourth Toyota, and the only reason I'm not still driving my first one is due to wrecks or trading up. Never any problem and always frre service bulletin repairs/replacements for upgrade issues. My only FORD was fine, too. But you could not GIVE ME a Dodge/chryler/Plymouth product. Disgustingly poor workmanship and quality.

Who actually Makes minimum wage?

Blackhearts
Engineer @ Large
"Creating complex solutions to simple problems"

It's such a vicious circle... Supply line prices go up and drive up everything that pulls from them. Boycotting oil companies is a joke. Sooner or later you're going to need gas. And for everyone that boycotts, that many more don't.

As I've said before, why is it that the government can regulate financial profits and percentages but they yell, "We can't interfere!" when it comes to the oil business? We all know why. I've been a conservative Republican all my voting life and, IMHO, the GOP has largely eliminated the real middle class. And if you want proof, watch TV for the next automobile dealer commercial that touts the 2008 Cadillac CTS for "ONLY" $35,000! Homes for "ONLY" $250,000!

I bought my first home in an affluent neighborhood of San Antonio in 1989. Three BR-2BA brick ranch w/garage 1700 SQF under beam for $75,000. Included membership in country club. (SA residents Braun Station) Now I pay $800 a month rent for a double wide manufactured home with 3 BR in rural Ponchatoula, LA. Real estate prices, (DOWN HERE), are so inflated that it's insane. Not to mention paranoid financiers!

It's reached goofy levels... And also, IMHO, NONE of the candidates are worth a fudge! Two who know nothing and one who knows enough to keep us on the present course.

ACK! My two centavos... But that's another issue...

Lot of people do, anyone who works in the Resturant, or food industry, Agriculture...just to name a couple. I'd have to research to find more.

I delivered pizza and work inside the Store.

WHen doing delivery i made $40k a year. while my salary was only minimum wage.

When working inside the store slinging pies. I made $8/hr while minimum wage was in the $5.75

Nobody in the restaurant industry is scraping by on minimum wage. Tips... Dont say mcdonalds. They start at over $7 these days same for star bucks.

No clue about Agriculture, but i doubt they are at the bottom.

Minimum wage is more of a bench mark then a True Actual wage. Waiters generally make 1/2 of minimum wage, man that sucks if we raise it $2/hr they only get a $1 raise...

Nobody that lives on there own, can string a complete sentence together and has a high school education is making minimum wage.

Blackhearts
Engineer @ Large
"Creating complex solutions to simple problems"

Thats wonderful socoj2, and you live in the Carolinas...Right...
Well my experances are here in Florida and this is a "Right to work state" that means the Unions have absolutly no power.
My wife was a teacher/Librarian/Media Specialist, in the NC school system. When she moved back home and started in the Hillsbrough County School System she took a $7,500.00 pay cut as well as health and medical Insurance is almost doubled what it is in NC.
So insted of making close to $50.000 a year she makes about 35 to 38 thousand a year. NC also give's bigger preformance bonises.
Agriculture workers here in Fl. make less than minum wage. Food service industry workers as well...Guess what we are just barely getting by, I own my own home and land, my truck is paid off and next year her vehicle will be paid off. If I want to play paintball I have to scrap up the money my self, I don't ask her for any funds.
Right now I have about $14.00 in my bank account.