Conflicted

I have a real back and forth with our new President, some days I really like him and some days I really question his judgment. By the same token there's probably someone who sees him the same way but reversed; and perhaps that is as it should be. He is my president, but many other peoples as well, if everything I agreed with then for me its great but then he’s not doing his job elsewhere for other people (who don't have same beliefs/needs I do).

This thought was compounded today when he(Obama) announced plans for essentially a salary cap on corporate execs in firms that are receiving a bailout. Initial thought before I read the article (the title was ''Maximum wage' for execs' which sounded a little scary to me. (Maybe a lot socialist)) Now I have railed on executive pay and bonuses for a while now as it seriously bothers me- especially when the companies are requesting massive amounts of 'bailout' money, and yet I thought it was a dangerous precedent limiting pay in a 'free-market' My thoughts; if you earn it, you should make it. Now in 99.99% of cases CEO's do not 'earn' it, but if the company makes money the employees are happy, and the shareholders are happy, I can't say much. However, if you force a fire sale on stock, lose billions in equity, and then say you deserve a massive bonus, I say go fry. Sooooo after reading the article I'm totally for it- its for companies receiving bailout money that must cap salary. My problem with this is it should be for entire compensation total- not just salary. (example Steve Jobs made $1 salary, yet almost 8 million in compensation a couple years ago) To get back to my point without belaboring it too much, when a company receives a bailout it is no longer a free market case- it has debts to the American taxpayer and as such restrictions should not only be put in place but all spending should be accurately reported, and corporate jets and vacations need to be axed. I would have thought that obvious, but apparently it wasn't. Go get 'em Barack!