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To: Ilaine who wrote (106640)	6/5/2001 1:45:17 PM
From: benwood	Respond to of 436258

Just wondering what CEO's and other higher executives' compensations have gained during the last 25 years or so. I'm guessing 20% per year, compounded annually (much like Major League Baseball babies), far outstripping everybody else. When I owned stock in Disney, the CEO (Eisner? it was about 1994) pulled down 20% of the entire corporation's profit (he harvested over $200 million, the "rest of us" got about $850 million that year). So... just wondering if the THAT current self-serving, gluttonous, greedy trend is better or worse that inching up the minimum wage. Paying the ex-CEO of Mattel, what, $60 million, to get rid of her for being a total failure? Anybody ever wonder if it's the top-heaviness of our corporations that makes us non-competitive? And how that drive to widen the salary gap inspires those in control to shutdown American factories and open up new ones overseas? The repeated demonstration of how those power will exploit will always inspire me to support a reasonable minimum wage. Even the stepwise increment that is lamented by some gets no sympathy from me -- the chance to increment it gradually was spurned by inaction. Skeets, I liked you trickle-up commentary. It's rare that somebody gets "air time" with a non-power establishment view. I do agree that small increments to the minimum wage are much better than a jolt; however, those that oppose any minimum wage will all but assure that the only way to get a raise after years of vehement opposition is to jolt it. Oh well... bummer!

To: Ilaine who wrote (106640)	6/5/2001 2:19:49 PM
From: flatsville	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 436258

>>So you are raising the specter that a minimum wage increase (and that is what we've been talking about by the way) will turn an ordinary recession into a depression and result in a near collapse of capitalism?<< >>>My answer is yes, it can, but not all by itself. There's a reason Americans are importing more than we export - our goods are more expensive than goods produced overseas. Part of the cost of goods is wages, part of it is taxes, part of it is the cost of compliance with government regulations like OSHA and EPA.<<< Interesting, since minimum wage workers are underrepresented (compared to other sectors) in the manufacturing sector at only 8.5% of total manufacturing workers. Even at the current minimum wage +$1 (the proposed increase) those low wage workers only comprise 11.2% of total manufacuring workers. ...just trying to gage the depth of the myth out there and boy is it deep...gonna need hip waders, a shovel and a clothespin for my nose on this go around...<ggg>

To: Ilaine who wrote (106640)	6/5/2001 2:20:03 PM
From: maceng2	Respond to of 436258

CB re Ask pearly what happens when your country stops making things that people want to buy simple...you just go to the imf and ask for some loans -g- well, raise taxes and soak the rich too! more seriously.. Exporting jobs overseas works only when the wealth generated comes back to the original country. Otherwise it is bad news for the nation that lost those jobs imo. Low wages, where you can't pay the rent, send your kids to school, and eat properly will have a bad effect over the longer term. Wages in all 3rd world countries are typically very low and that does not make for a strong or wealthy nation. I expect it is the government, the schools, the law, the infrastructure... then it's industry that makes a nation strong... and wealthy in that process. If the average citizen can't afford those essential services, well what would happen? pearly.