OnW

Outlandish CEO Pay: How to Fix the Problem

To "americaninc"
And what's wrong with marginal income tax rates above 90% ? Industry and society functioned OK during those years. The haves still had plenty left over compared with the havenots. I'm not a socialist, but I believe there should be less inequity in compensation. Who can justify earning over $50 million a year and still pay the same marginal rate as the guy earning $l million?

Sure It’s Legal … But Is It Right?

Taxes are needed to support a society ---to support the public good, safety, welfare, etc. Taxes exist in every form, on all kinds of purchases and incomes. The question is: What is a FAIR tax? It should not be regressive. It MUST be progressive. Those with the highest incomes and ownerships can afford higher tax rates and should be required to pay higher rates to protect their greater positions and further their greater ownerships. Let's not turn the clock back to preFrench Revolutionary disparities. Now you want to disenfranchise...perhaps bring back the guillitine?


On Sep 03 11:29 AM Buckoux wrote:

> Anyone who does not comprehend the difference between rate and amount
> and who wants to use the tax code to punish those who have more than
> he thinks they should have, or are doing something they think they
> should not do, should be disenfranchised. If an action is wrong,
> make it illegal by law, not taxation.

Sure It’s Legal … But Is It Right?

Since when did higher tax rates reduce government tax revenue? That's the same baloney that Reagan used when he cut taxes, and we started to run deficit after deficit, and multimillions became billionaires.


On Sep 03 09:50 AM TeresaE wrote:

> Yes, because giving more taxes to the corrupt government will fix
> it.
>
> Sure it will.
>
> The government collected LESS taxes with higher rates.
>
> And what will keep these companies from leaving to Ireland or Dubai?
> They will leave and the US government will get nothing.
>
> 100% of nothing is NOTHING. Every single time.
>
> Taxes do not create positive outcomes for the working man. Our salaries
> continue to shrink and higher taxes will make everything cost more.
> Great plan.

Sure It’s Legal … But Is It Right?

The solution is so simple. Recapture the egregious compensation with a truly progressive income tax going all the way up to a top bracket taxed at 90%. There will still be plenty of incentives for the powers and prestige that accompanies high executive positions. Let's remember the good ol' pre-Reagan days when top brackets were 70-90%. Today we have a new aristocracy with billions accumulated from the post-Reagan greed years. Never have we seen such a spread between the haves and havenots.

Letter to Her Majesty: Suggestion for Low-Tech Apparatus for Economic Horizon-Scanning

Somewhat pedantic, with tongue in cheek, but an enjoyable and informative read.

38 Companies with Top Financial Strength

Years ago, as I was building a portfolio, I made a scatter diagram of about 100 stocks for which both Value Line and S&P provided ratings for future price change (e.g. 1-5 stars). The correlation was about zero. So much for the analysts...use the dart board instead.

Why AIG Gets Billions While GM Gets Scorn

AIG got around the "no bonus" pledge by using retention benefits!! The only way this country can curtail corporate executive greed, and restore a more equitable distribution of wealth, is through personal income tax rates. In the l950s, income taxes had many many tax brackets. As income grew, the brackets slowly rose to 90% for the multimillion incomes. And these high top brackets recaptured this excessive income....and did not discourage initiative, and best of all the economy thrived. We need to go back to a more progressive tax system.

The Bailout: How’s It Doing?

An excellent article. But will some reader please help with my Eco 101?

There is talk of deflation. With the government printing up a trillion dollars of paper to finance the many programs which we hope will kick-start the economy, doesn't this mean INFLATION?

S&P 500 Index: Six More Changes

Do these changes affect comparability?

S&P 500 Index: Six More Changes

I worry about long term comparability. Over the years, doesn't the replacement of losers with winners result in an upward bias to the index?

Paul Krugman + Al Gore = The Way Forward

So much invective. How can so many of us (choose your favorite side) be so angry and/or misinformed?

Housing Update: Underwater Loans, O'Neil's Plans

When I bought my home 50 years ago, it cost $20,000, and required a 15% down payment. At the time I earned $7,500 and had to save/save/save for several years. I did the same for my first car, TV, etc. And all my friends had to do the same. Was thrift in the 1950s a terrible hardship? Not compared with the depression years, or the war years.

Credit Crisis Sharpens Anger Over CEO Pay

A more progressive income tax, with brackets as high as 90% would go a long way to reducing outrageous compensation. Our experiences of the 1950's, when this was a case, didnot reduce ambition or incentive. Being the boss, or one of the bosses, is in itself compensation.

'No Shorts' Outperforming

Is it not true that when there are more sellers than buyers, then the market generally declines? Isn't that the way of demand/supply? Doesn't selling short add supply, which then tends to lower price?

On Board the 'U.S.S. Titanic'

Good article. Pretty strong language. A lot of truth. But I'm still hopeful that if proper restrictions/oversight... can be made...the Titanic will not go down. My view is that the problem is so great that only the resources of the federal government are great enough to stop the sinking. But these resources should benefit everyone.

We no longer guillotine Royalty. But can we find a way to reduce their wealth? First a one-time progressive tax on total assets. Then more progressivity in the annual income tax. Remember the 1950's. The top bracket was 90% and this country's economy thrived. There was still plenty of motivation to work harder for the corner office, to be the leader. Even dogs have an alpha male.