Are America's Top Executives Paid Too Much Money?

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With business leaders on trial and in prison, there's growing concern about executive compensation. American CEO's get more than 300 times the pay of an average worker. Golden parachutes, stock options and free use of company jets are hidden away in proxy statements or not reported at all. Some pay packages encourage decisions that are good for top executives but bad for their companies. We talk to business reporters, legal experts, contract negotiators and union strategists about CEO demands and calls for board accountability, and hear about the first new public disclosure rules in 14 years. Making News: President Bush Describes Foiled Al Qaeda Plot against LAIn a Washington speech today, President Bush gave new details of an incident that he said illustrates multinational cooperation against terrorism. He said that a South East Asian country helped thwart a plot by Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of September 11. Josh Meyer, staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, wrote in October about the plot hijack to fly a plane into Library Tower in Downtown Los Angeles.Reporter's Notebook: Report on Why Guant--namo Detainees Are Being HeldToday's New York Times reports that officials at Guant--namo Bay, Cuba, are using tougher measures to force-feed detainees who go on hunger strikes, apparently with the aim of committing suicide. Yesterday, lawyers for some of the detainees reported that half the 500 prisoners have not been accused of committing hostile acts against the US or its allies. Joshua Denbeaux, whose law-professor father and students at Seton Hall University in New Jersey studied public records to determine what charges have been made against inmates, represents two Tunisian detainees.
With business leaders on trial and in prison, there's growing concern about executive compensation. American CEO's get more than 300 times the pay of an average worker. Golden parachutes, stock options and free use of company jets are hidden away in proxy statements or not reported at all. Some pay packages encourage decisions that are good for top executives but bad for their companies. We talk to business reporters, legal experts, contract negotiators and union strategists about CEO demands and calls for board accountability, and hear about the first new public disclosure rules in 14 years.
  • Making News: President Bush Describes Foiled Al Qaeda Plot against LA
    In a Washington speech today, President Bush gave new details of an incident that he said illustrates multinational cooperation against terrorism. He said that a South East Asian country helped thwart a plot by Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of September 11. Josh Meyer, staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, wrote in October about the plot hijack to fly a plane into Library Tower in Downtown Los Angeles.
  • Reporter's Notebook: Report on Why Guant--namo Detainees Are Being Held
    Today's New York Times reports that officials at Guant--namo Bay, Cuba, are using tougher measures to force-feed detainees who go on hunger strikes, apparently with the aim of committing suicide. Yesterday, lawyers for some of the detainees reported that half the 500 prisoners have not been accused of committing hostile acts against the US or its allies. Joshua Denbeaux, whose law-professor father and students at Seton Hall University in New Jersey studied public records to determine what charges have been made against inmates, represents two Tunisian detainees.

President Bush discusses progress in war on terror to National Guard

White House press briefing on West Coast terrorist plot

Meyer's (October, 2005 LA Times) article on foiled plot

General Motors announces additional actions to support North America turnaround

GM on United Auto Workers' deal

UAW on GM deal

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on executive compensation

Surowiecki's New Yorker article on SEC and executive compensation reform

New York Times article on US force-feeding of hunger-strike detainees at Guant--namo

Report on Guant--namo detainees by Mark Denbeaux and Joshua Mark Denbeaux, et al

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Warren Olney