SNIP
> > There should be a salary cap and/or number of riders cap on D3 teams, IMHO. If you can afford to
> > "buy" the best riders, you can afford to provide a professional working environment.
> >
>
> It's a business, and like any business they do what's in their best interest. If they don't
> satisfy their employees they leave. If they don't satisfy their customers they go out of business.
>
Still, as a small business owner myself, and thus poor, I still feel some moral obligation to hold
myself and my company to some set of guiding principles, or coporate ethics, or whatever.
I'm not putting it in words well (hey, i am an engineer) but my point is I would think that a
company of the stature of Saturn, that puts enough pride and importance in their team to run the
thing very well, would also have that overriding desire or self imposed requirement, as part of
their corporate culture even, to do things the "right" way and go the extra step to take care of
their employees. Not just be driven by the bottom line.
The teams public image IS the marketing value, afterall, and I just feel it reflects poorly on
Saturn to be setup like they are, big budget but D3.
> > From what I hear, Saturn is extremely well organized and professional in their infrastructure,
> > which also costs money. Its clear they view themselves as the best team (not just in sporting
> > terms) and it reflects poorly on them that they do not make the move to D2.
> >
> > I guess my point is they are hardly a "developmental" team and are taking advantage of a
> > loophole, not in the spirit it was intended.
> >
>
> I can respect that Saturn does what they do well, and they don't try to be something they're
> not SNIP
Thats the thing, I don't believe they are a "developmental" team. They are a high budget, long term
team that was D2 at one point, IIRC, and chose to downgrade themselves to avoid costs. I hate to
sound like a socialist or something, cause I am not (even though i am in vermont, i am from new
hampshire
but pro riders on D3 teams are basically comparable to bike messengers. Messengers are
given ZERO value by the company. I've been there. Totally expendable.
Its a similar contractural arrangement. Just a contract employee, verses D2 where you become a
salaried, benefitted employee.
Aside from the obvious financial benefits for the rider, it also conveys a certain dedication to the
employee/rider, or value of the employee/rider that you would expect from a Saturn. They want to
appear like "a different kind of car company" with their saturn owner's ralleys and all that.
Choosing to be D3 to, lets face it, simply avoid the costs with being D2 (I can't see the sporting
advantages to the team by staying D3) and those costs being primarily overhead associated with
improving the rider's salary, benefits, and security, just feels wrong. To me anyway.
I thought the whole point was to get people to buy your cars because you want to support what Saturn
stands for. Its not like they are hoping to pick up sales by us the public getting a close look at
the team vehicles and saying, hmmm, yah, thats a nice ride.
Jerry in socialist Vermont paid for by the Howard Dean for President Campaign