Takin' Credit

I’ve often written that I grew up in a simpler, naïve time. For instance, kids walked home from grade school; neighbors looked out for the kids next door; our black and white TV received only three channels; people did say, “Yes, Ma’am” to my mother; and most importantly, as far as I can remember, people kept their word and didn’t take credit for something they didn’t do.

O.K. Times have changed and none of the above happens today.

Just take a glance at today’s headlines. You’ll note our President-elect actually reinforced my premise… about the takin’ credit part… by claiming that he convinced Mr. William Ford to keep a Louisville, KY assembly plant open and not move the whole shebang to Mexico.

The truth is that Ford Motor Company never planned to close the plant. In fact, according to Crain's Automotive News*, in 2015, Ford signed an agreement with the UAW to invest $700 million in the facility over the next four years and that the current production Lincoln MKC “will balance out to allow capacity for (the) Escape”. That translates into: the plan was to open up more production capacity for the better selling Escape.

Most everyone even remotely connected to the automotive business knows that the OEMs and suppliers stop, start, move, shift vehicle and component production for lots of reasons. So, Ford’s Louisville facility production adjustments and investments are excellent examples of good management at work… no jobs loss are anticipated and consumers will have the product they want when they want it.

Mr. Trump, however, needed to take credit for all this. He said, "I worked hard with Bill Ford to keep the Lincoln plant in Kentucky. I owed it to the great State of Kentucky for their confidence in me!"

Okie dokie Mr. President-elect. If you need to claim something you didn’t do, it's fine by me. After all you are the Pres-in-Waiting.

Still, all this “takin’ credit” stuff brings to mind one of the TV characters of my childhood, when we were all naïve and believed it just wasn’t “honorable” to borrow someone else's credit.

His name was Amos McCoy, of The Real McCoys. Played by three-time Academy Award and three-time Oscar winner, Walter Brennan, Amos McCoy was full of bluster and vinegar. Yet as certain as the sun will come up tomorrow, he always could be counted on to arrive at an honorable, honest decision.

Please join me in Mr. Peabody’s WABAC Machine and spend a few minutes revisiting that “takin’ credit” challenge.

The Real Mccoys - Season 1 Episode 9 The Fishing Contest

• Ford says Lincoln MKC production will stay in Kentucky, not move to Mexico, Michael Martinez, Crain's Automotive News, 18 Nov 2016.