Comments on: Uncle Sam Wants to Set Corporate Pay

By: Jay6

Jay6 — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:39:15 +0000

Too big to fail? Bullcrap! The bigwigs would now face the wrath of all those poor employees that they’ve screwed by bonusing themselves and their buddies instead of looking out for the company as a whole. Why can I not go by a GM car for $10.00 now? I don’t know but I can’t–but I should be able to since I own them and will be paying them from now on through taxes! Millions of dollars in bonuses to retain the “good ones”??? If they were that good, why is the company in a craphole? LET EM FAIL on their own or let em do well on their own. Government (AKA our tax dollars) should’ve stayed out of this one.

By: Charlie Kelly

Charlie Kelly — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:21:22 +0000

I totally agree that government should have no role in corporate compensation. But when extremly unwise excesses become the norm with so-called golden parachute severance packages and unbelievably high annual compensation awarded to members of the “good ole boys club,” then something has to be done. The old robber barons had nothing on today’s corporate chieftians. Ms. Carly Fiorina, Mr.O’Neil at Merrill Lynch, and, Bob Nardelli, all prospered mightily while doing nothing spectacular. Those are only three of the many more in their category. Excesses inevitably bring on government intervention. Government will only exacerbate the problem by stepping in to fill the void. But, step in they will. I do not have the answer but like the situation with health care, where unjustified spiraling inflation is the norm, government will not sit idly by while industry sends American jobs overseas while bountifully rewarding the CEO’s who are creating the job loss. Industry must start policing its own ranks or disaster lies straight ahead.

By: Jake Jackson

Jake Jackson — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:07:34 +0000

It wasn’t “the government” that ran up the deficit. It was George Bush, mostly by starting a war based on false evidence.

And yes, there should be limitations on corporate pay. Consider an analogy from the principles of tort law: people are free to do what they want unless their actions threaten to harm, or harm, others. Corporate executives who vote to give themselves and others large salaries, thereby reducing the funds available for meeting the corporation’s responsibilities to the public, such as maintaining a bank’s liquidity, damage the pubic at large.

By: Ray Pontes

Ray Pontes — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 06:45:52 +0000

Wake up America, The wealthy and all those big Banks and Financial Inst, have atleast two Polititions in there pocket. It has always amazed me how we chastize and bring the Law down on The Mafia or any other criminal orginization. When infact the Wall Street Mafia is thriving. These companies new full well at what was going to happen and they new those politions they gave mony to would help out. It’s sad were not like the Chinese or those other countries we consider irrelivent. There people have more testiculer fortitude than five American atleast those that died fighting there Gvt. Knew there would be others. Americans well we just complain and those of us that do fight do it alone. So America if you really care I mean really care find out the biggest contributers to either your congressman or Senater and send them a message listen to the people or forget a political career. We as a people wield great power but are to scared to use it. ???

By: Hungry Ron

Hungry Ron — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 21:38:23 +0000

I don’t want the government to limit executive pay, but pass a bill where the stock holders can control it and not a bunch on the board. The stock holders own the companies and it should be set up so it would be easy for them to control salaries and bonuses.

By: DrinkSlinger

DrinkSlinger — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 21:32:04 +0000

Bob, I voted for you. I have supported you. But this article p*sses me off a little. You are misleading in a big way. You do not mention once in your article that the government is only wanting to cap pay plans for businesses that recieved government money, i.e bailouts. I don’t understand how anyone can be against this… Millions and millions of TAXPAYER dollars went to bail these companies out. Until they repay those loans they should absolutely not be able to hand out billions in bonuses. Go get a loan from the bank and then tell them that you are going to pay your employees bonuses before you pay back their loan and see what they say… It’s logical, Bob, for the government to do this and it should be logical for us to want them to do it. It is our money after all.

I have to say, this is one of the most misleading articles I have ever read. I am highly disappointed.

By: FNB

FNB — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 18:43:35 +0000

What’s a Fat Cat to do? You’ve run the company into the proverbial crapper but the wife wants a European vacation. That TARP money looks like it will solve all of your problems; so, your company cries “Too Big To Fail” (also known as “too stupid to succeed”). And, now, what the deuce??! Those sniveling taxpayers want to take the money for your well-deserved 15th hooneymoon in Lake Como Italy. The nerve!

Oh, please. Get over yourselves, Corporate America. I’m a government worker; the government sets my pay because that is the source of my income. If you have accepted government money to bail your sorry skillsets out, welcome to my world. The government is, now, your pimp. Pull up your big girl panties and deal with it.

By: clyde

clyde — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 17:34:55 +0000

Mike,
People that have the right ideas and the right answers aren’t politicians and therefore don’t run for office.This seems to be the whole problem in a nutshell.

By: Mike

Mike — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 17:20:56 +0000

If you folks have the right ideas why don’t you run for President?

By: ken

ken — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 11:55:37 +0000

I think the pay of any publicaly traded stock company should be controlled by an oversite committee. Look a Disney, when Eisner hired his pal and 6 months later he left and walked away with $150 million in a golden parachute.
These execs are robbing the companies blind and their hand picked board of directors always go along with them.
Many people say you need to pay these people lots of money to retain them, guess what, if they all died tomorrow there would be someone else beating down the doors to fill their shoes, so that just throws that falicy out the window.

Nobody needs to make over 2 million a year to run a company, especially with all the added perks that they get.