At United, Greed Is Good

    You think I'd be used to it. But, I never lose my sense of shock and amazement at how brazen corporate executives can be in this country. You may remember that United Airlines filed for bankruptcy, partly to dump its workers' pension plans. And the workers themselves have made about $4 billion in concessions.

    Today, we can read in The New York Times how 400 company executives will divvy up shares valued at about $480 million, "significantly more than an earlier estimate of $150 million." Nice.

    From my vantage point, I find this kind of on-going monkey-business for more corrupt than the new uproar on Capitol Hill in the wake of the Abramoff scandal. It's one reason I find the soundbites by Nancy Pelosi and the other self-righteous Democrats as particularly pathetic. It's great that DeLay et al. are getting hammered but a hard look at everyone's campaign contributions will show everyone awash in corporate money--the very kind of corruption that keeps both parties from saying anything about the United-type mass enrichment of a few, while millions lose their pensions, health care and see very little in the way of pay hikes even though people are working harder than ever and being more productive than ever.