Tuesday, April 26, 2011

It's All The Unions' Fault! Part III: The Wage Gap

From Milwaukee News Buzz (emphasis mine):
By the time he broke for lunch on his first day of the new work year, Johnson Controls Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer Steven A. Roell had already banked more salary than the average Wisconsin worker would earn all year. Roell earned $17.5 million in compensation in 2010, making him the state’s highest paid CEO, a new report shows.

The gap between executive pay and rank and file wages has never been greater or easier to document than it is today. In fact, the ratio of executive pay to worker salaries must be reported in the proxy statements of publicly traded corporations according to reform legislation passed by Congress in 2010 in the wake of the financial crisis.

[...]

The report lists CEO compensation at 44 Wisconsin firms and found an average compensation of $3.9 million for them, which is 121 times higher than the median Wisconsin salary of $32,360, while the statewide unemployment rate is 8.5 percent.
It is no accident or coincidence that this wage gap has grown to such an alarming level even as the power and popularity of the unions have been continuously eroded. Without the unions, there is no protection for the middle class and more and more people are forced into poverty.

Imagine what it would be like if Walker and his fellow Koch puppets get their way and finally finish off the unions in Wisconsin.  There will be no middle class left.  Everyone will be driven into poverty or into another state.

8 comments:

  1. we still disagree on public unions as I am losing my home to high property taxes on a $100,000 home ($350.00 a month out of a social security income under $1,000.00. But we do agree on Paul Ryan. If you know anyone influential in the democratic party, tell them if they got the unions to do a recall election on Paul Ryan he would lose his seat, which would be a good lesson for the rest of the republicans. Now is the time. If Feingold runs again, he will win.

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  2. Ryan is a two year seat. In the length of time it would take to organize, implement and vote in a recall, it would be easier and more efficient to just put up a decent opponent for the next regular election.

    Sorry to hear aboutyour home, but why not blame the utilities and health care system which takes a much bigger percentage of your money?

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  3. I want single payer health care and the Dem's screwed us on that after we voted all of them into office. But it is only the public unions who are responsible for high property taxes. The schools should not be on the property tax anyway.

    When is Ryan's next election?

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  4. Social Security means Medicare which Ryan wants to destroy while he gets the best medical care.

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  5. That's not quite true. If the Dems had indeed done what they promised, your health care and your taxes would be lower. Privatization is much worse of a cost.

    I know more about the waste that comes when the private agencies come to grab the money that would provide more services and keep taxes lower than you would believe.

    Ryan is up next year. One person has already announced formally and I've heard of two others that are considering opposing him.

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  6. The alternative is not necessarily privatization but any solution must include representation for the taxpayers. The schools must be taken off the property tax and put on the backs of those who have children in proportion to how many children they produce. That is sustainable and self limiting. Taxes need to be progressive-based on income only.

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  7. Umm, you can't recall an elected federal politician. Senator, House member, President. Should I say you make me feel, nah, I won't.

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  8. Dan

    What do you feel? I don't know what you mean.
    I hope the public remembers in a year - they forget quickly. But I have never understood how Ryan keeps getting elected in heavy union places like Janesville and Kenosha. It makes me wonder about our elections.

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