I heard a story on NPR this morning about the corporate-jet industry. Recently, when CEOs of the major auto makers went to Washington to ask the law makers to give them lots and lots of money so they could stay in business, the CEOs revealed each had traveled there aboard his own corporate jet. The revelation stirred anger among the law makers and the tax-paying populace who perceived hypocrisy and greed.
The story, though, was not about hypocrisy and greed, but about the far-reaching effects of the CEOs’ revelations. Companies – whether or not they can afford them without government assistance – are dumping their private jets. They are doing so out of fear how such travel may be perceived. It’s an image thing. And many of those business people who still travel by corporate jet avoid flying into Washington, DC, for the same reason. This means air-traffic controllers in private terminals are being laid off, those who service the private air fleet are being laid off, those who work in the manufacture of private aircraft are being laid off.
Another part of the NPR story addressed the necessity of corporate jets. The argument goes that a private jet is just an extension of the office. A person can hold meetings while in flight, sometimes three or four a day with different groups of people picked up from different locations. In addition, there is no waiting at the terminal at either end. No baggage check, no security check. Time is money.
I am neither defending nor condemning the use of corporate jets. I’m pointing out that there is more than one way to look at this and other situations.
Which brings me to the question: What is necessary? It’s a tough question without the elaboration: necessary for what? Personal survival at the basest level? Getting to work safely and on time? Maintaining a comfortable lifestyle? Supporting one’s family? Operating a small business? Running a multi-billion dollar business that has an impact on thousands, maybe millions of other people?
Each of these endeavors requires certain resources. The individual without food, clothing, and shelter will die. The multinational corporation without its necessary resources of capital, material supplies, labor, management, lawyers, and much more will cease to exist. We all need resources to survive. When resources dwindle we can either get more or make adjustments so that we can get by with less. If we can’t get more, then we must make adjustments.
We are in an interesting time because there are so many of us affected by the effects of others who have gobbled up more resources than necessary. Oh, and guess what. Many of us – myself included – are among those others. Our excessive consumption has created false levels of necessity that are gradually becoming unsupportable. Here in my household – and I imagine in many households – we are wondering how we can cut back spending. But I’ve come to realize I have been looking it the wrong way and asking the wrong question. It’s not about spending, it’s about needing. It’s about what is necessary.
There are certain things necessary for me to carryout the work I do. But it’s time for us to reevaluate and distinguish between what is necessary and what is not. This will not be easy, because what is necessary for a business is different from what is necessary for a family. Still, making those distictions and acting on them are the necessary tasks we must undertake.
