Here's what's really wrong with this countries economy

[Elmo]

The average CEO in the USA gets paid 475 times more than the average worker in the USA. See how that compares to other countries.

[ants]

Right.. Thats because this is the USA. As long as their emplyees are making a good wage big deal.

[growalot]

Holy cow...IT IS A BIG DEAL! what do you think drives up the prices of every thing? and let me tell ya...people that are making middle class and low pay scales are the ones that are taking it in the back side......... so those CEO's can wash their incomes in over seas banks dodging taxes to boot...and spending that same money in other countries vacationing and on and on and on....

[Elmo]

If one CEO cuts his/her salary in half, and still make more than CEOs of other countries, the company can hire 100 additional employees, easy. Wouldn't that increase production and efficiency? It's not like US CEOs are being compared to third world countries. England and Japan are economic world leaders as well.

[adirondackbushwhack]

I never complain about another man making more money than me. It means there is oppertunity for me to rise higher. If I take everybody else down to my level there is no up for me to aspire to. The higher up the other guy is the higher up me or mine can go. Thats the difference between a bad country and a great one. A bad one wants to bring everyone DOWN to the same level and a great one wants oppertunity for all to rise UP.

[dave6x6]

Elmo, Don't be a pawn. You are falling prey to the propaganda. You sound like your one step away from European Socialism. Maybe you could use a history lesson on FREEDOM. Or you could fill us in on the great things those other countries have ever done in the past 300years.?? Just one example ..??

[fasteddie]

The biggest problem I see with some of these CEO's is ......... a company goes down the tubes and the CEO get a huge ass buyout ! Many people lose their jobs but the top dog gets rewarded big-time !

[wooffer]

You guys sound like Barack Obama. Let's take the money from the rich and give it to the poor. WAKE UP!!!

Cut the government back to a realistic size and that will save us all money. My taxes don't pay the CEO's salary, but they do pay all our over paid government workers.

I am surprised you are getting suckered by Uncle Sams mis-direction trick. Don't look at us here in DC, look over there.

Edited July 4, 2012 by wooffer

[SteveB]

So those who object, what would you want to be done about it?

Government regulation of wages and salaries?

[dave6x6]

Tonight we drink to Liberty. Tomarrow we celebrate one of the greatest days in human history!!

[Doc]

Actually in the complex scheme of the economy, the wages of CEOs has absolutely no impact on anything. Our economic problems run much deeper than that. The biggest contributer is the way our economic activity and future relate to the fact that we simply don't make things here anymore. You can't base an economy strictly on service industries. CEO wages have no impact on that ...... CEO decisions perhaps, but not their wages.

[ants]

Thats why A-Rod, makes way, way, way more money than the "average" player. He makes the team (corporation) much more successful and profitable than the "average" player. He's one of the absolute best at what he does. Same thing with these CEO's, like it or not. If the Yankees (corporation) lost every game to the other teams (corporations) then the Yanks would no longer exist and the entire Yeankee team would have to try to find jobs with the more successful teams. It's all the same thing.

[Grouse]

I don't agree with the huge incomes of American CEO's, but that is between them and the company's stock holders. Interestingly, even if they took 1/4 of the money they are getting, not one single employee would be hired because of it. If the workforce needed expansion, the CEO would do it. Corporations want to be lean and cut expenses as much as possible without causing inefficiencies in production. The idea is to make as much profit for investors as possible. They get the huge pay check when they hit certain agreed upon profit goals. They are not paid by the hour, they are paid on very specific contract terms. Unfortunately those contracts often say if they are let go by the Board of Directors prior to the end of their contract, they get a golden parachute when they leave. That is often something the CEO negotiates with the board prior to coming on as the CEO. They want to protect themselves from a Board that would have them pilot a company to huge success by fixing all the problems and then turn them out the door after all the problems are solved. Cutting the CEO's pay would simply mean more profit and more money towards stock holders shares. Stock holders would love to see a CEO willing to take less pay because it means more money for them, not for the employees or the company.

In actuallity, less money for CEO's usually means less profit for the company and less help to the economy. Foreign companies also operate on a totally different level than American companies. CEO's in Japan for example are really just top level managers that work for the Board of Directors of the company, and many of those Board members make much more than American Board members, because they are actually the real owners of the corporation, often holding more than 51% of the company stock.

It's easy for this type of propaganda to be used to make the electorate vote a certain way, because it's complicated and few voters take the time to educate themselves on an issue and find out the truth. It's not their fault though, because often they are working long hours just trying to afford the taxes they have to pay. Not many want to spend their free time doing reasearch on propaganda.

[Elmo]

Elmo, Don't be a pawn. You are falling prey to the propaganda. You sound like your one step away from European Socialism. Maybe you could use a history lesson on FREEDOM. Or you could fill us in on the great things those other countries have ever done in the past 300years.?? Just one example ..??

Freedom is great. It's also great for criminals who abuse that freedom. It was also great when bullies use to take other kids lunch money until a teacher stepped in a protected the smaller kids. The top CEOs are where they are because they know how to work the system and abuse that freedom. I fully support open democracy and capatilism which is based on incentive based achievements but seriously, if you're 60 something years old and have hundreds of millions of dollars, would you really care if you're fired?

[Elmo]

Also, the unemployment, the less tax is collected, the more the employed has to carry the burden on top of supporting unemployment checks.

[Elmo]

Thats why A-Rod, makes way, way, way more money than the "average" player. He makes the team (corporation) much more successful and profitable than the "average" player. He's one of the absolute best at what he does. Same thing with these CEO's, like it or not. If the Yankees (corporation) lost every game to the other teams (corporations) then the Yanks would no longer exist and the entire Yeankee team would have to try to find jobs with the more successful teams. It's all the same thing.

Off topic but using A-Rod was the worst example. Every since he was accused of being on the juice, his production has dropped dramatically. He isn't even a top 10 player anymore and the Yankees still owe him $114 million for the next 5 years not even counting the rest of this year. The Yankee's can't even give him away for a bag of baseballs.

[Skillet]

You guys sound like Barack Obama. Let's take the money from the rich and give it to the poor. WAKE UP!!!

Cut the government back to a realistic size and that will save us all money. My taxes don't pay the CEO's salary, but they do pay all our over paid government workers.

I am surprised you are getting suckered by Uncle Sams mis-direction trick. Don't look at us here in DC, look over there.

Com'on Woofer, that's a little harsh. All that junk about the average state worker making $60,000 is just that - junk. Go to www.seethroughny.net You'll see the problem. I have no problem with a productive CEO making a good buck, it's the overpaid slugs who drive me nuts. The state is no different than a private sector company, we have a bunch of worthless engineers, etc. who are bringing down over $90,000, while highway workers like me make around $30,000 (which is a fair wage, I'm not whining), and earn every dollar. Seriously, you can go on that site, type in my name and pull up my earnings history for the past 4 years.

Edited July 5, 2012 by Skillet

[Elmo]

How about this...CEO's salary should all be incentive based. If the company makes 2 billion dollars this year, he/she should be paid $20 million dollars. If the company loses 2 billion dollars this year, he should lose 2 million dollars. (so as not to be TOO harsh)

[NYbuck50]

Private companies executive pay has nothing to do with our economy.. It's purely sour grapes. What publicly traded companies pay their executives is up to the board, and to a larger extent their share holders... Remember the American people own these big companies through stock... If shareholders actually gave a shit what the CEO made, they'd sell the stock if they disagreed with it (reference Rite AId).. The executive pay bullshit is propaganda rhetoric coming out of the White House, to try and create class warfare, with the end goal of expanding government, and turning our Limited government into a socialist style European government. (which if you read the news isn't really all that exciting is it?) Turn off MSNBC and do some reading

[wooffer]

Com'on Woofer, that's a little harsh. All that junk about the average state worker making $60,000 is just that - junk. Go to www.seethroughny.net You'll see the problem. I have no problem with a productive CEO making a good buck, it's the overpaid slugs who drive me nuts. The state is no different than a private sector company, we have a bunch of worthless engineers, etc. who are bringing down over $90,000, while highway workers like me make around $30,000 (which is a fair wage, I'm not whining), and earn every dollar. Seriously, you can go on that site, type in my name and pull up my earnings history for the past 4 years.

You're right Skillet, I was not referring to the state workers , but rather the 500 plus members of Congress that actually are not needed in this day and age.

[Skillet]

You're right Skillet, I was not referring to the state workers , but rather the 500 plus members of Congress that actually are not needed in this day and age.

Ah, understood & agreed Sir.

Edited July 5, 2012 by Skillet

[adirondackbushwhack]

I have to agree with that poster who stated that the anger about others makeing more money is driven by the government/media complex. They like to divide people and pointing the finger at people who have more than we do and calling it wrong is an easy way to gin up trouble. Keep and mind thought that there are other people who make less than you do and so they will have them poitning their finger at you and demanding that your pay is cut too.

[ants]

Okay so after the Yanks signed a contrat with A-Rod, for what ever amount of years, they should be able to stiff on it ,if they don't like his performance during that contract time.... Got it.... I'm sure you would go for that too!!!!

Same thing people. "off topic?" NOPE!

[ELMER J. FUDD]

Tonight we drink to Liberty. Tomarrow we celebrate one of the greatest days in human history!!

Anybody still drinkin'? I am!

[dave6x6]

Freedom is great. It's also great for criminals who abuse that freedom. It was also great when bullies use to take other kids lunch money until a teacher stepped in a protected the smaller kids. The top CEOs are where they are because they know how to work the system and abuse that freedom. I fully support open democracy and capatilism which is based on incentive based achievements but seriously, if you're 60 something years old and have hundreds of millions of dollars, would you really care if you're fired?

Elmo, i fear that this statement proves that you are not thinking rationally on this subject. Your emotions and jealousy have clouded your willingness to see the dangers you are putting on a public forum. It's thinking like this that shows how powerful class warfare can be and why it is a key tactic for socialists everywhere. I love when people claim they love freedom but then start laying down their conditions to that freedom. I also love when people are more apt to believe that the government is somehow less corrupt then a private company. And what the heck is incentive based democracy? Or incentive based capitalism? And lastly, It's none of your GD business what some 60 year old has made in his lifetime and what the hell makes you think that because he might be rich, that he's still not HUMAN. What only working class people have pride? Only working class people want to prove they are worthy of climbing the mountain. Only noble workers have the desire to leave a legacy to the family they love? God programmed these things in all man's DNA so that we would fight to survive. Why would anyone purposely try to squelch that? It's dispicable. CEO's by the VAST majority are good and honest people. Show me a good and honest tyrant?? Edited July 6, 2012 by dave6x6