Geithner forces Citi to cancel jet order

Anybody else see a problem with 1) the government propping up companies that should be reorganized by bankruptcy 2) taking over these zombie corporations like head crabs 3) and then interfering in all kinds of business decisions?<p>Air travel post 9-11 is ridiculous in this country. How Citi spends Citi's money is between Citi and Citi's shareholders. Except when the government intervenes.<p>Now we have a giant mess. Now every interference can be made in the "public interest." Why do employees get free coffee? Why do employees get gym memberships. What about education reimbursement?<p>What is in the "public interest" now?

It is far more offensive that Citi is still using tax dollars to pay its shareholder dividend.

"That money should be used to lend to consumers to get the economy moving again"<p>Maybe the problem was they didn't write that on the back of the check when they made the deposit.

The car companies that had to give up their jets aren't too happy about it either. And so goes nationalization.<p><a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20090126/NEWS15/90126063/1001/NEWS/Levin+livid+over+reported+Citigroup+jet+purchase" rel="nofollow">http://www.freep.com/article/20090126/NEWS15/90126063/1001/N...</a>

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Looks like they were going to buy a Dassault Falcon. I wonder how these kinds of decisions will affect Aerospatiale/Dassault? It's not like they make a lot of them.. last year they made eight Falcons per month. They've already fired all their temps and cut back on subcontractors hours.<p>It just goes to show, you can't win for losing. One more notch in the economic death spiral.

While they're at it, make them fly economy class.

More accessible article: <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/27/citigroup-nixes-plan-m-corporate-jet/" rel="nofollow">http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/27/citigroup-nixes-p...</a>

As a taxpayer, I'm glad they canceled the order -- if it made business sense to do so. If it was just to look good (and they end up spending more money without the jet) then double bad on them.<p>As a pilot? A Falcon 6X? 5950 nautical mile range? 3 engines? Complete glass cockpit with lots of standby gear? Have you seen that cabin size? The possible configurations? Anybody like to have a private ride you could pick up in DC and get off in, say, Milan?<p>What were we talking about again?

Don't jet companies deserve 'stimulus' too?