Where's Robin Hood when you need him?

[KvHagedorn]

1980: CEOs made $10 to average worker's dollar. 2006: CEOs make $430 to average worker's dollar

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/04/24/Columns/CEO_pay_eclipses_ridi.shtml

This world sucks big donkey dicks.

[Dr Mordrid]

Is that because the CEO's did something wrong or because the average high school student now has the smarts of a jackass compared to 1950/60/70/80 and therefore hasn"t earned enough to keep up....that is IF they even bothered to graduate?

Dr. Mordrid

[KvHagedorn]

That's because there are a bunch of people who think anything that is capitalism is good, and act as apologists for these greedy pricks, which "our" representatives in government (who owe their political livihood to corporate bribes) use as a mandate to let it all happen.

High schoolers have no book smarts because of gangsta culture. It's pretty much that simple. When thuggism is glorified and achievement is pointless unless you are a corporate prick at the top of the pyramid, why should kids care about getting good grades?

Leadership is supposed to come from the top, not from the average oppressed minor.

[cjolley]

Is that because the CEO's did something wrong or because the average high school student now has the smarts of a jackass compared to 1950/60/70/80 and therefore hasn"t earned enough to keep up....that is IF they even bothered to graduate?

Dr. Mordrid

It's because they have been practicing the Circle Jerk technique for longer and have gotten pretty good at it.

[DukeP]

Well. Its a hard nut to crack..

One brilliant idea from an C.E.O. can earn the company lotsa$$$$

One brilliant idea from average joe would earn him squat - and would prob. go unoticed by the firm.

Things need to change, but I cant see where to begin.

~~DukeP~~

[Brian Ellis]

Whoa, Duke, you'll turn this into Politics and Religion fodder if you start preaching Marxism or Leninism. The neocons love liberal-bashing.

[Jammrock]

Whoa, Duke, you'll turn this into Politics and Religion fodder if you start preaching Marxism or Leninism. The neocons love liberal-bashing.

Only when pinko commie liberal get preachy

No, Duke does have a good point. A good idea from a CEO can make a huge difference in company profits. At my company, the old CEO couldn't handle the post-.com burst market, so he got the boot. The new CEO has done remarkably well, and company profits and stock prices have reflected accordingly.

I think the problem that most people, neocons included, is that these CEOs get "Golden Parachutes" no matter how they perform. A common worker would get fired without severance if he goofed up and caused the company to lose several million in profits. A CEO on the other hand gets $26 million to $83 million to leave the company no matter how they perform. The ex-CEO of my company got a ~$24 million severance package, plus we had to keep him on as a consultant for a year, at $3 million a year, before the tie was permamnently severed, and the stocks at the time were at $3 a share, versus >$50 a share two years before.

So there's little pressure on them to perform well. Even if you never work again, you're still a multi-millionaire. Now if the CEO contracts were performance based ... people might not be as mad about CEO pay rates.

[Dr Mordrid]

I agree that bonuses should be performance based, which is a very conservative principle....neocon or not. If only that could be implemented in the educational system and in management economic disparities could be minimized....

Dr. Mordrid

[DukeP]

... If only that could be implemented in the educational system and in management economic disparities could be minimized....

Dr. Mordrid

Hear hear.

We are actually working towards that, here in Denmark.

THe teacher who can turn a "problem-child" into a succes, gets a major bonus.

And such.

~~DukeP~~

[KvHagedorn]

It can't be done by pandering to the lowest common denominator. Relating to kids "on their own level" is a losing cause if their own level is a defensive, hate-filled way of thinking. Denmark is a far different place than here, where going into an inner city school is like going into a hostile foreign land.

[DukeP]

It can't be done by pandering to the lowest common denominator. Relating to kids "on their own level" is a losing cause if their own level is a defensive, hate-filled way of thinking. Denmark is a far different place than here, where going into an inner city school is like going into a hostile foreign land.

Im sad to hear that, KV.
Its common practice to use USA as a crystalball for our future, here in EU.

I think You would enjoy reading the German educational researcher Thomas Ziehe.

He argues (quite well, actually) that students shouldnt be too tamperede. That its in the students own interests, to be faced with something different, something a bit "old school".

~~DukeP~~

[KvHagedorn]

Its common practice to use USA as a crystalball for our future, here in EU.

And you still embrace mass immigration, with this prospect of becoming what most of you seem to abhor?

[Dr Mordrid]

In the US most school districts have to deal with the NEA (National Education Association)....a teachers union that makes French labor unions look tame

ex: dont even THINK about merit pay, private school vouchers, regular teacher competency testing or, heaven forbid, firing a tenured teacher for any cause short of homicide

That bunch is the largest donor to the Democrat Party and several wimp Republicans in the Senate, which makes getting real reform near impossible.

For the record: my wife is a teacher and feels the same way.

Dr. Mordrid