“Nobody called Eisenhower a “socialist”.”

Actually Barry Goldwater did call Eisenhower a “socialist”. He said this in the
Senate chamber in 1958 and called Eisenhower a “dime store new dealer”.  That
said, I agree with your overall thought. What is interesting is that study after study
has shown that tax policy has had very little affect on overall economic growth,
yet conservatives think tax cuts drive economic growth. Amazing how little
Republican’s really know about economics and business.

“Believe it or not but I think it would be UNFAIR to summarily cut a person’s salary
by 90% or even 50% in one fell swoop.”

Huh - these guys made more in one month then we will make in our lifetimes.
They could take 100% paycut and still have money left over to buy another home
in the Hamptons and a Ferrari to boot.

What is unfair is how these idiots gambled with our money and lost half of it.

Believe it or not but I think it would be UNFAIR to summarily cut a person’s salary by 90% or even 50% in one fell swoop.

As extravagent and excessive as their lifestyles likely have become a pay cut of that size would lead to bankrupcies and a great deal of chaos and misery for many “colaterals” such as children in the family.

I suggest a graduated pay reduction over several years to allow for those involved to rearrange their living to meet their future income - A CEILING OF $500,000 GROSS (all stocks, bonds, bonuses, etc., included). All income that comes their way over that will be taxed at 100%. No one in the country should require a greater income than the President.

The only “clause” I would allow would read something like this. “This maximum of $500,000 per annum will be raised ONLY when surveys indicate that ALL CITIZENS have the opportunity and means to “enjoy” living in a SAFE ENVIRONMENT, FREE FROM HUNGER and with FULL ACCESS TO ALL NECESSARY HEALTH CARE.

When everyone’s basic needs are met then, and only then, would I allow a reasonable adjustment in the top incomes in the country.

Perhaps this might even be an incentive for even the greediest to work towards creating a system that shares the wealth a little more equitably… the sooner they arrange things so those at the bottom of the pecking order have at least the means to live some sort of dignified existence, the sooner they can have their pay increased.

1 in 6 Americans now live at/below the poverty line.
Meanwhile military spending continues to climb.  Corporations own a majority of our Congresspeople so the average American has no voice in the governing/lawmaking process.   
I fear if this continues unabated, revolution will be coming to America and it will not be pretty.

Cutting salaries of folks who get stock options at far less than the traded value of the stock seems a pointless exercise in duping the public into believing that something is being done.

The CEO of my own company, a large public utility, got 60,000 shares at zero cost when the stock was trading at fifty. This was completely separate from his other compensations. A little quarterly bonus .......

Better that Obama insist upon repayment of all TARP and stimulus funding and assurances that such will never happen again.

By iRa, October 22 at 12:47 pm #

...used to help communities across our US create “green” education and with that sustainable jobs…

What kind of “green” education you are talking about?

... keep up the “good” stuff; we are progressing (believe it or not); just have to convice the “Obstructors”.

Again what is the so-called “good” stuff mean
and who are the “obstructors” ?

Sounds like a bunch of incoherent mumbo-jumbo to me.

How about cutting the power of Wall Street overall. How about regulation of the greed-fest and risk-taking at our expense.

Hi everyone…I kinda think that whatever the amount of $alaries being trimmed, should go into a “financial vehicle” that would be used to help communities across our US create “green” education and with that sustainable jobs…

This would be money used very wisely and further President Barack’s ideals…

Just a thought, keep up the “good” stuff; we are progressing (believe it or not); just have to convice the “Obstructors”.

The very best to all…

iRa

Complete bullshit.  Pure politial theater to deceive and mollify the American people, the function of both the Conservative and Progressive media.  There is no way in the US power system for the governement to prevent a corporation from paying their executives anything they want, short of EFFECTIVELY raising their taxes.

But the plutocracy did not put Obama in office to raise their taxes.  So the pretense of the salary Czar, forcing the payment to be done secretly or in the future when the population is distracted by media trivia.

Cutting the salaries and fringe benefits of these pigs is a good start. To finish the job, take the rest of it away from them with steeply graduated income taxes. The Republican Eisenhower administration of the 1950s provide a good example: the top rate of income tax on incomes over $400,000 (equivalent to, say, roughly $2,500,000 today) was 90%. Nobody called Eisenhower a “socialist”.

If they don’t like the new America, they should move so, say, Colombia.