Seriously!!

You would think it's just the end of the damn world, from the crap that's being aired.

If you've got a healthy company, not needing anything from anybody, I think what the top brass get paid is really their deal. Either they can compete with that pay structure, or they can't.

No worries.

If the company is not healthy, or is leveraging the public (like Wal*Mart does), then this is an issue. Clearly they can't compete, and that's not ok.

I'm hearing pay the best to get the best, but I'm also hearing the best just EPIC FAIL, so which is it?

Just ranting a bit, I guess. When times got tough, the KSKD scaled down. Living small now, and still costs are rising, STILL pretty much month to month, and STILL it's not looking like there is an END to it, or maybe just we hit bottom.

What the hell? How hard is it for people to understand just how much money is gone, and what that means?

Arrgh!!!

I think any company that is receiving money to stay afloat (not all that are receiving it need it to stay afloat) then the senior management should all be replaced, and paid in a way that would encourage growing the company and paying the money back and once done, handsomely award the leadership that accomplished that. It's a win win for everyone.

But senior management, at least some of them, at even a struggling company may be very competent and the best positioned to help the company recover. Bring in a bunch of new people who aren't familiar with the company and they may make things even worse. And the employees of the company may resent them and not work as hard for them.

If certain people in a company's management and/or their board of directors can be shown to have made terrible choices, then yes, get rid of them. I don't like the idea of getting rid of everyone outright without any consideration of merit.

As far as pay: yes, absolutely, if the government bails you out or loans you money, you should not be making more than $500K/year. I say, take your compensation in the form of long-term stock options that can't be exercised until the company has paid back the money received from the government. That gives the executives incentive to turn the company around. Give some stock options to all the employees as well.

One of our local success stories has been Les Schwab. Les understood that if the people he hires do their job and make his company money they should share in those profits. Talk about motivation. You have many millionaire managers and workers making a good living through Schwab because they make it work the right way.

Firms getting public money need to give a majority of their board of directors seats to government watchdogs until they can afford to buy back the seats at $156 million/seat.


Les Schwab needs to do something about their needless waste of fossil fuel and huge pollution problem and get more women and minorities into the higher paying positions. Other than that, Les Schwab is on to something.

OK, here's my rant. They're NOT doing their goddamn jobs, why don't people like you get THAT?

They've run their banks, car companies, what ever company into the ground then run to the government for help only to put the money into their own pockets, or better yet, buy other companies in trouble. I take it you think this kind of job is the job of "top talent". If anyone else did their jobs this way, they would be OUT of a job, instead we have people like you telling us we need to give them more.

I'll tell you another thing. If they don't like it, here's something else the average joe is told, go find another job. Talent my ass, there's tons of people walking the street right now who probably have just as much "talent" who will work for a fraction of what these elitist fat cats (hey what do you know, there are conservative elitists) are doing it for and who knows, they may offer a fresh idea.

The thing you don't get is the executives of America want you to think there's a shortage of people who can do what they supposedly do and their biggest fear is for their dirty little secret to come out and it's coming true.

Stop telling me to kiss executive ass. THAT'S my rant.

Skep-

I didn't say Les had a perfect situation. He was certainly a good ole' boy and it's still very much apart of the company. He had a sizable ego too, however the basic business plan of profit sharing is what made Schwab successful. In his final years as the head guy he only took in a $32,000 year salary.

I've no big problem with Les Schwab. I go there all the time. As large businesses go, they're fairly decent, but I'm afraid they're going to hit a rough patch employee-wise (especially if you're working for Les in Prineville or Bend) as they move their business plan into the 21st century.

Skep there's a lot going on at Schwab right now that I believe it's a turning point. Les had set up the business to be run by his kids after his death. Sadly his kids proceeded him in death and the grandkids are now running the place.

It will be interesting to see how they choose to run the business in the 21st century.

They sure ain't buying much radio I can tell you that! AND its FREE BEEF time!

You don't get free beef with a brake job. Only "with the tires you buy".

I drove away with new brakes and no beef once.

My wife voiced the Free Beef spots earlier in Jan so they should be airing soon depending on their run schedule.

This is the fault of Congress. If they didn't want bailout money to pay for corporate jets, billion dollar executive bonuses, or even gold plated washrooms, they should have specified these prohibitions within the language of the bailout legislation. Words mean things.

Well, one does have to wonder about the people, who need public assistance. Not sure it makes any real sense to do those things on the public dime.

That's like borrowing money to make your house payment, yet go out to each each night. I know I wouldn't feel good about that. Would you?

Provisions were written into the first bill. Just never implemented either. They were specified by Congress, when they handed the money to Paulson. ...those were never implemented, and it was not their authority to implement all of those.

I agree they could have done it WAY better, requiring those things happen, BEFORE the money was released. As it was, it was a flat out give away. (and that sucks)