Photo Credit: United States Department of Transportation

There’s a bit of a brouhaha brewing about Ford bringing about 150 “social media influencers” to Detroit and then Las Vegas for the big North American International Auto Show and the Consumer Electronics Show. While there may be some ethical issues concerning transparency and disclosure, I doubt that anyone begrudges Ford the ability to spend Ford stockholders’ money promoting Ford Motor Company and its products. Ford is acting in the fiduciary interests of those stockholders. Whether or not cabinet members and other Washington officials are acting in the fiduciary interest of taxpayers by flying to car shows is another question. (Read More…)

Yesterday, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood had a reassuring message for Toyota owners: “My advice is, if anybody owns one of these vehicles, stop driving it.” He said it in front of cameras at a House of Representatives hearing, cameras rolling (or whatever cameras do these days.)

“LaHood’s explosive comment,” writes Reuters, “sent shares of battered Toyota Motor Corp plunging.” (Read More…)