Comments for Inequality.org http://inequality.org Wed, 16 May 2012 21:31:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Comment on European Austerity: Who Should Pay? by Ttesoro http://inequality.org/european-austerity-2/#comment-277 Ttesoro Wed, 16 May 2012 21:31:00 +0000 http://inequality.org/?p=3438#comment-277 Sal, if "institutional transaction taxes" ARE imposed, what guarantee that 'capital'' will  not FLOW out of greece and INTO THE U.S. ( the usual reaction to greed these days).It appears really to me that UNLESS A government does the bidding of the "markets"( we know who they are!) well everyone is sent to the dark ages! It seems to me still ( and it is early yet) that a new greek government,  could break the stanglehold of the euro- fin-terrorists) and really look into these debts! French-German banks cannot be allowed to terrorise, greek, spanish;belgium; italian and portugese families to then leave a 'social disaster'in its wake, a-la 1929 depression ( and another ugly war). To me anything the euro- financial slaves do, seems to create the 'rush to safety 'that pop journos write about! Citizens MUST take charge of their own lives depsite the threats from the banks. Austerity as a word MUST be first wiped away (I agree with you here, all the way!) by an honest representative of the people HOPE must replace it FIRST...then we'll see about the debts! Sal, if “institutional transaction taxes” ARE imposed, what guarantee that ‘capital” will  not FLOW out of greece and INTO THE U.S. ( the usual reaction to greed these days).It appears really to me that UNLESS A government does the bidding of the “markets”( we know who they are!) well everyone is sent to the dark ages! It seems to me still ( and it is early yet) that a new greek government,  could break the stanglehold of the euro- fin-terrorists) and really look into these debts! French-German banks cannot be allowed to terrorise, greek, spanish;belgium; italian and portugese families to then leave a ‘social disaster’in its wake, a-la 1929 depression ( and another ugly war). To me anything the euro- financial slaves do, seems to create the ‘rush to safety ‘that pop journos write about! Citizens MUST take charge of their own lives depsite the threats from the banks. Austerity as a word MUST be first wiped away (I agree with you here, all the way!) by an honest representative of the people HOPE must replace it FIRST…then we’ll see about the debts!

]]> Comment on Outrageous Bonuses for Federal Workers by Aripat http://inequality.org/bonuses-federal-workers/#comment-276 Aripat Wed, 16 May 2012 18:01:00 +0000 http://inequality.org/?p=2834#comment-276 The average Federal worker does not get bonuses, Nurses are exempt for some reason. The  physicians, service chiefs and managers get the big bucks. Please do not include all the federal workers in the bonus round-up. The average Federal worker does not get bonuses, Nurses are exempt for some reason. The  physicians, service chiefs and managers get the big bucks. Please do not include all the federal workers in the bonus round-up.

]]> Comment on A Tax Plan to Rally Around: The Buffett Rule by Randall http://inequality.org/tax-plan-rally-buffett-rule/#comment-273 Randall Mon, 14 May 2012 12:53:00 +0000 http://inequality.org/?p=1898#comment-273 The Buffet tax strikes me as band-aid-and not a very good one. The estate tax is rarely paid by the most very wealthy-that funnel money into trusts and foundations. What we really need is a direct tax on concentration of assets similar to what Ed Wolff of NYU has written about. The VERY wealthy have all kinds of ways to shelter income not accessible to the rest of us. The Buffet tax strikes me as band-aid-and not a very good one. The estate tax is rarely paid by the most very wealthy-that funnel money into trusts and foundations. What we really need is a direct tax on concentration of assets similar to what Ed Wolff of NYU has written about.

The VERY wealthy have all kinds of ways to shelter income not accessible to the rest of us.

]]> Comment on The Global Super-Rich Stash: Now $25 Trillion by B1963G http://inequality.org/global-super-rich-stash-25-trillion/#comment-270 B1963G Tue, 01 May 2012 21:25:00 +0000 http://inequality.org/?p=2240#comment-270 This is nothing more than a simpleton's socialistic view of the world. This is nothing more than a simpleton’s socialistic view of the world.

]]> Comment on The Invisible Recession: How Forty Years of Stagnant Incomes Got Lost in the Shuffle by DHFabian http://inequality.org/invisible-recession/#comment-269 DHFabian Tue, 01 May 2012 03:41:00 +0000 http://inequality.org/?p=3224#comment-269 Are there any statistics showing the impact of NAFTA  and ending welfare aid? NAFTA gave us the Great Job Drain at the same time that ending basic aid increased the workforce -- more workers for fewer jobs. Workfare has also been a handy tool for suppressing wages and blocking unionizing efforts. (If you don't like it, you can be replaced by morning with cheaper labor.) Both factors increased job insecurity as well.  A large chunk of the population has grown accustomed to being put on "indefinite layoff" as soon as regular scheduled pay increases reach a certain point, at which time they have to start all over again at another workplace, at the bottom of the wage scale. This keeps them in the "near poor" category permanently. Are there any statistics showing the impact of NAFTA  and ending welfare aid? NAFTA gave us the Great Job Drain at the same time that ending basic aid increased the workforce — more workers for fewer jobs. Workfare has also been a handy tool for suppressing wages and blocking unionizing efforts. (If you don’t like it, you can be replaced by morning with cheaper labor.) Both factors increased job insecurity as well.  A large chunk of the population has grown accustomed to being put on “indefinite layoff” as soon as regular scheduled pay increases reach a certain point, at which time they have to start all over again at another workplace, at the bottom of the wage scale. This keeps them in the “near poor” category permanently.

]]> Comment on Why the Jobless Recovery? by Neil Talbot http://inequality.org/jobless-recovery/#comment-268 Neil Talbot Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:50:00 +0000 http://inequality.org/?p=3274#comment-268 Salvatore Babones is 100% on the right track in this article and in his article of March 5, 2012 "The Problem Isn't Growth -- the Problem is Inequality." It all boils down to the circular flow of income. Ordinary working households, who make up most of the 99%, can only spend what they earn. Their meager savings may cushion them a bit in a time of recession, but not much. If the growth of corporate outflows goes not to them but almost entirely to the 1% in higher salaries, fees and profits, it will not be respent in the same way. Instead will find its way mostly into already-glutted financial markets, thus raising the risk of future financial bubbles and busts. Keep up the good work, Salvatore, along with other economic "dissidents" like Robert Reich.  Neil Talbot Salvatore Babones is 100% on the right track in this article and in his article of March 5, 2012 “The Problem Isn’t Growth — the Problem is Inequality.” It all boils down to the circular flow of income. Ordinary working households, who make up most of the 99%, can only spend what they earn. Their meager savings may cushion them a bit in a time of recession, but not much. If the growth of corporate outflows goes not to them but almost entirely to the 1% in higher salaries, fees and profits, it will not be respent in the same way. Instead will find its way mostly into already-glutted financial markets, thus raising the risk of future financial bubbles and busts. Keep up the good work, Salvatore, along with other economic “dissidents” like Robert Reich. 
Neil Talbot

]]> Comment on Why the Jobless Recovery? by Domsmom3 http://inequality.org/jobless-recovery/#comment-267 Domsmom3 Sun, 29 Apr 2012 16:08:00 +0000 http://inequality.org/?p=3274#comment-267 I notice you didn't criticize Obama's trying to spend our way to economic prosperity.  Also, you need to check your grammar and punctuation before you post. I notice you didn’t criticize Obama’s trying to spend our way to economic prosperity.  Also, you need to check your grammar and punctuation before you post.

]]> Comment on What Taxes Leave People the Happiest? by Pakistan Army http://inequality.org/happiness-and-taxes/#comment-265 Pakistan Army Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:05:00 +0000 http://inequality.org/?p=1834#comment-265 I was very pleased to find this site.I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I was very pleased to find this site.I wanted to thank you for this great read!!

]]> Comment on Welcome to inequality.org by Jed Diamond http://inequality.org/welcome/#comment-263 Jed Diamond Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:30:00 +0000 http://dev.inequality.org/?p=425#comment-263 I'm a researcher who focuses on the impact of stress related health problems and the way stress increases with inequality.  I'm interested in connecting with others who are working in the field. I’m a researcher who focuses on the impact of stress related health problems and the way stress increases with inequality.  I’m interested in connecting with others who are working in the field.

]]> Comment on In Corporate America, Why Greed’s Never Good by Kevin E Mcmanus http://inequality.org/corporate-governance-pay-performance-greeds-good/#comment-261 Kevin E Mcmanus Wed, 11 Apr 2012 04:49:00 +0000 #comment-261 I doubt very much shareholders would have a successful lawsuit since the source for the vast majority of this excess compensation is the very stock option plans the shareholders approved, or in the case of most retail investors, didn't even bother to vote for or against. As long as small shareholders continue to not vote and large shareholders (and their agents, the large proxy advisory firms) continue to use dilution and dilution like models to "control" executive pay the compensation at most large publically traded firms is going to continue to be on the high side. If you look at the publically available policies of many large institutional investors you will see they don't even bother to worry about a stock option plan until the dilution rate hits 10% or at best 5%. Now 5 or 10% of a few billion dollars (the market capitalization of many mid sized firms) divided over the two and a half years or so that it takes before a new or amended stock option plan comes online is a lot of money. And it can be worse when companies game the system by granting "shares" with no vote that don't even count against the limit of a voting power dilution test! Granted the CEO doesn't get all of the value of a stock option plan, or even a majority in most cases, but what he or she does get works out to a lot of wealth. Thus the first step in getting control of CEO (and executive) compensation is for shareholders to step of to the plate and at least vote, and for the large institutional shareholders to get rid of their outdated dilution models for limiting executive pay. Kevin E. McManus Editor, ProxyTell, LLC I doubt very much shareholders would have a successful
lawsuit since the source for the vast majority of this excess compensation is
the very stock option plans the shareholders approved, or in the case of most
retail investors, didn’t even bother to vote for or against. As long as small
shareholders continue to not vote and large shareholders (and their agents, the
large proxy advisory firms) continue to use dilution and dilution like models
to “control” executive pay the compensation at most large publically
traded firms is going to continue to be on the high side.

If you look at the publically available policies of many
large institutional investors you will see they don’t even bother to worry
about a stock option plan until the dilution rate hits 10% or at best 5%. Now 5
or 10% of a few billion dollars (the market capitalization of many mid sized
firms) divided over the two and a half years or so that it takes before a new
or amended stock option plan comes online is a lot of money. And it can be
worse when companies game the system by granting “shares” with no
vote that don’t even count against the limit of a voting power dilution test!

Granted the CEO doesn’t get all of the value of a stock
option plan, or even a majority in most cases, but what he or she does get
works out to a lot of wealth. Thus the first step in getting control of CEO
(and executive) compensation is for shareholders to step of to the plate and at
least vote, and for the large institutional shareholders to get rid of their
outdated dilution models for limiting executive pay.

Kevin E. McManus

Editor, ProxyTell, LLC

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