Op Ed: Corrupt Corporation Culture Overmatched by Power of Oregon’s People

(SALEM) - Corporate culture cannot continue to evade its share of Oregon’s tax-burden to stuff into its own pockets. That political ploy has enriched some while forcing many into endangering rapidly-arriving retirement.

Middle-classers are driven downwards into desperate economic straits by corporate downsizing, off- shoring, “privatization” and company-consuming consolidations. Seeking from corporate colleagues “reasons why”, they’re frustrated by mythic meaningless phrases or fed economic, social and political malarkey.

“Invisible-hand market forces”, when mentioned, brings derisive chuckles, then demands defensive evasions from the explainer: Too many hurting people are pursuing, and finding, widespread believable information sources for that to prevail.

Gasoline-price impacts, Enron-embezzlements, and massive management manipulations for CEO private gains are too widely published.

“Corporate profit” --professedly for stockholders-- turns out to be cover-compost for management’s malign self-interests all too frequently --which is where Enron et al originated. Absentee-ownership has its heavy costs.

Nationally, irrational Chief Executive Officer compensation now is raising fears of rapid retaliation among CEO top guys. Some speak honestly about manipulation to extract monies from proven-lax “governing-director boards”. (See FORTUNE: “The Real CEO Pay Problem”, 7/10/06)

Mountainous payments for partial success supplement lavish stock-benefits and special-comfort pensions, perpetrated by complacent boards while millions of workers ponder ANY pension OR retirement.

Ratios comparing CEO compensation to on-line worker-pay have run as high as 785-to-l (in 2000). After revealing pressures and pundit-pursuits, they are down to 350-1, with a median of 104-1 in 2004. (FORTUNE chart, p. 81, 7/10/06)

Fears of furious ordinary-citizen retaliation are favorite themes in CEO-discussion situations. (See FORTUNE-cited.)

For further historical background all you need is TIME’s revisit to the original “Rough Rider” Roosevelt: “...the first president to aggressively use the powers of government to to set rules for the headlong U.S. economy and the men he called ‘malefactors of great wealth’ ”. (TIME, p.71, 7/3/06)

That was first of three pivotal eras in American history. Another Roosevelt --Fanklin Delano-- guided us in the second era: “New Deal” policies descended from Teddy’s rugged struggle with those “malefactors”. That era is noted for “historically progressive” attitudinal approach to notably essential democratic economic and social needs for a new world-order of democracy setting worldwide patterns ever since.

Look back now --well into our own third-era-- to see what’s been damaged, disheveled and even destroyed: Union activities, then the bellwether for the New Deal, now in desperate membership decline, further damaged by unrelenting corporate attack on all benefits; Downsizing, out-sourcing, globalization and job-export, and aggressive corporate combination via any means to dominate any part of any or all markets; moving in to overwhelm, distort and pervert nearly every other possible social, economic, legal and even psychological business and industrial arena.

(Even war-veteran assistance essential for psychological recovery from mental trauma has been victimized as widely reported.)

You can easily “see with own eyes” what has happened since the Reagan administration pitched over the brink. What drives this open pattern of “Greed is GOOD !!” in attitude and action ? (Quote from Reagan speech to nation.)

“About half of American industry has grossly unfair compensation systems where the top executives are paid too much,”says Charlie Munger. (Warren Buffett’s partner; p. 81, FORTUNE-cited.)

You already know this “third era” if you are paying even partial attention to our once-vaunted “free press”; still reporting despite desperate despoliation by heavily corporatized compression in every media enterprise.

You MUST be aware of massive, malign corporate “campaign contributions” causing Oregon’s funding failures. It’s probable some Munger-mentioned corporate Greed-ists are right here in Oregon.

Deeply-detailed explorations “on the record” in every channel --print, tv-news, on the Web-- guarantee rapid access. now, to authoritative information. (You “see with own eyes” right now on this channel - your website daily newspaper.)

“Corporate campaign contributions” shape nearly every Legislative decision on facet and form for community-building and citizen services in Oregon. Anything salvaging Oregonians disabled beyond their own possible control has been slashed and (at least partially) de-funded; not to mention execrable dollar-bleeding of every educational level, with indefensible damage to our only Oregon future.

Then there’s “the Kicker” - with “corporate refunds” never once mentioned by Minimal Minnis, while “defending to the death” any disparate refund to private persons; obviously a further political ploy; while one would-be Governor is PLEDGED to promote ongoing confrontation to evade solid tax-reform.

Meanwhile we are still “bottom-line” on corporate tax-payment os others settle for a thin Ten-only; that means bottom-receipts, too.

Corporations operate via state-granted charters controlled by legislative action...always have, always will --legal necessity.

That’s pure “power of the people”-decision; when allowed to BE pure, and wisely then put to work; to defend state-level democracy and guarantee Oregon ANY future.