Open Forum

The Republican Open Forum writer from Pequot Lakes stated, "While CEO pay increases generally reflect increases in profits and shareholder dividends and an expansion of the business (thereby creating additional job opportunities), pay increases for union presidents can hardly reflect an increase in anything since their ranks and their clout continue to decline at a rather rapid clip."

I don't know where the writer heard this, and he gives no authority for the statement.

Corporations are struggling to find ways to make CEO pay reflect the long-term performance of a company. Claudia Deutsch, "My Big Fat Paycheck," New York Times, April 3, 2005. As the writer for the Times points out, CEO pay in the form of stock options (ostensibly the preferred form of executive compensation because increases in stock price would reflect an executive's good performance on behalf of the stockholders) did not prevent the fraudulent behavior at Tyco and Enron, and might have even encouraged it.

CEOs are adept at accounting gimmicks and other strategies for increasing their compensation in the short run at the expense of longer run shareholder prosperity. When the stock price goes up, the CEO can cash out and make the next CEO to clean up the mess. In fact, as the Times article shows, American corporations have "got wise" to the form of robbery that is CEO pay, and CEO compensation has finally started to decline since 2001, both in objective terms and in terms of the ratio of CEO pay to the pay of the average worker.

Of course, there are some who would choose to ignore these factual statements since they came from the New York Times. But the point of discourse is to find the truth, not for one side or the other to be right all the time.

Marcia Ferris

Brainerd

Cheerleaders for the Brainerd area

It's easy to get on the "band wagon" and support Lisa Paxton and her achievement in getting the dream of having a Minnesota welcome center in our area. She has already put out disclaimers as to her "part" in getting it going. It is the mark of the kind of individual she is.

She seems to have the "can do attitude" possessed by a several individuals in our communities present and past. These people have a "cheerleader" like disposition in all that they do. When it isn't appropriate to be the "cheerleader" themselves, they have the gift of being willing to appoint others to assume the leadership role. They have a gift of putting a positive "spin" on whatever they do. When confronted with the, "Whys?" they tend to respond with, "Why not."

To attempt to list these individuals leads to the almost certain error of missing someone; but not to list a few of them weakens the attempt of this theme. So here goes. (The reader is asked to fill in their own memories of the accomplishments of the mentioned individuals)

Birney Wilkins -- the Crow Wing County Fair; Elliot Whoolery -- the Brainerd School system; Dick Endres -- Camp Confidence; Jerry Walseth -- the Brainerd School system: Jack Chalberg -- the Brainerd Community College; Harry Nysather -- The Brainerd Technical Institute; Terry McCollough -- the Brainerd Dispatch!

No "one" individual should attempt to assemble a list like this -- the viewpoint is too narrow. Someone once said, "To err is human, to forgive is divine."

Now to this list, you the reader, can surely add many more names; and somehow we must not miss the thousand of parents who everyday must be the "cheerleaders" within their families, who daily inspire children with a "Why not" attitude!

Ed Fox

Rural Brainerd

Legislators behaving like children

I for one am tired of listening to our state legislators behave like children. Do your job and get the people's work done! You people seem to forget that you work for the people not the other way around. You were elected to represent the people of your area, not your party or even yourself, but the people. Why are we having a "special session?" Are you all "special?" (get my drift?) If you cannot do your job in the time frame allotted, then pay back your salary and resign. You should not be getting paid, you should not be getting per diem. This would be like me going to my boss and saying, you know that big project that had to be done yesterday or we would not be paid? Well, it did not get done, but I did bring you coffee. Oh, and how about a bonus for me? You can vote on a poet laureate but not a budget? No, I do not think you have an easy job. But, you asked for it. You begged and raised money and fought to get this job, so, whining is not allowed. Get it done or get out and let someone else do it.

Keith Riedel

Brainerd