Pre-Formal-Announcement Ford Restructuring Dirt!

Our boy in Detwa, Ray Wert, has access to some high-placed sources in the Ford administration. Tomorrow morning, as is widely known, the company's going to announce its plans for restructuring, including the immediate pink-slipping of white-collar execs as in, "Okay, Chumpkin, thanks for your years of service, but we're flushin' ya down the toilet. You're gone, as of now. Have your desk cleaned out ASAP." The more interesting part of the news after the jump.

As far as plant-shuttering goes, Ford's announcing the list tomorrow. But according to Ray, it's not the final list. Ford's planning on keeping the plants whose states offer them the best deal. Obviously, Michigan stands to be hardest-hit, and with its economy obviously somewhere comparable to the seventh layer of sediment in a landfill and its unemployment rates ridiculously high, they're hoping that the pressure will force the Michigan government to accept whatever terms Ford dictates to keep Wixom operational.

Needless to say, this is not only high-stakes poker for Ford, but for its home state as well. According to Ray, Governor Jennifer Granholm has been on the horn to Wee Willie Clay three times in the last two days, trying to dissuade the Ford Scion from ditching factories in its own backyard. People are sweating on all sides right now; we can only hope that things shake out well after this tumult, but given Ford executives' attempts at wristbanding and Dave-izing things, we can only honestly call ourselves hopeful-yet-skeptical.

Survivor: Ford Motor Company [DetroitWonk]

Related:
Ford's Quarterly Loss at $284 Million [Internal]