Librekrieger

If a car quits working and leaves you at the side of the road 17 different times in new and bizarre ways, eventually we call it a lemon and destroy it. This is not all that uncommon.

I'm not sure we should use cars as a paradigm for how to treat people. (But I suppose it does work from a practical standpoint.)

Competition works on both the demand side and the supply side.

If there's a limited quantity of good housing, and people have more dollars to spend, they'll compete with each other to get at that housing and prices will rise.

Of course he wouldn't nominate a candidate that he knows would be rejected. He'd pick a well-qualified candidate that would be acceptable.

The only question is whether the co-CEO is required to take some formal action after being informed of the nomination. The process can work whether it's required or not, but if it's required, action should be mandatory. What doesn't work is if a signature is required on one line or the other, but the co-CEO won't sign or even read the document because he's busy on his yacht. That's just someone in high position not doing the job.

That's a great comparison. If the old CFO quits and one CEO has the statutory right to appoint a new one with the advice and consent of the other, and the other says "I have no opinion, I've got more important business to take care of", to me his position is clear. If he wanted to say no, he'd say no.

I've been reading your column for many years and always see it as a highlight of the paper.

You must get many letters describing the same basic problem or situation. Do you ever choose one and formulate a reply, intending for that to be a stand-in for all the others?

Or, alternatively, do you ever reply to letters privately because you feel you have worthwhile advice to give even though there isn't room in the printed column?