Dan Mitchell discusses executive compensation on CNBC

[mason72518]

If you deregulate 401K plans to allow foreign investment it will solve the problem of not being able to get out of US stocks. Second, if you abolish capital gains taxes you will end the need for tax deferred acounts and allow investors to move money freely. CATO inst. should have made that argument instead of what he actually said.

[bloorwestreno]

execs didn't take any risking of their own money or often weren't founders, hence don't deserve to be rewarded as if they were...of course if anyone got the chance to be ceo, they are going to beg to differ

[bloorwestreno]

the shareholders are the owners and the ceo's are the workers, workers shouldn't be shafting the owners. eventually money that should be going for unfunded liabilities, research and development and company expansion is going to the people who are supposed to manage the till, not abscond with it. this is the reason why we are in a financial mess, or at least a major factor.

[steinbeck1805]

dan mitchell is a stupid ideologue. that unfortunately overshadows some of the valid points he's making.

[bpknapp63]

Wanted: Honest and coherent answer to the following question -- Where in the U.S. constitution is it specified that the federal government has the authority to regulate compensation of executives working at public or private corporations?

[ryno99]

When you take a bailout from the government, you have no right to argue for bonuses. If these people are so good, their performance would earn them the big bucks. id love to get a bailout for my business, but that wont happen im not on wallstreet. These people would be out on the streets if it wasnt for the taxpayer. Its time they give back to the taxpayer. Beggars cant be choosers.

[bpknapp63]

I'll ask again, and for the last time: Where in the U.S. constitution is it specified that.....

See below:

[Thorbie]

Unfortunately (mostly) democrats in washington find that nonexistent provision hidden in the commerce clause and the words "general welfare."

[pig5689]

None of em' worth ten-cents. These execs are incompetent & greedy. Should have all their ill-gotten stolen assets seized & liquidated & then be tossed into the sewer. Darn smokers played $3,000 rounds of golf while millions of families watched their life savings be stolen. After they thieved from hard-working familes they took the stolen money & gambled it away on high-stakes Blackjack. When it went bad they sucked for some more. Their wretched lust & greed is incomprehensible.

[ejwhot]

EjW Inc. Magazine- Dan Mitchell is absolutely correct. The less government is involved the more control the share should have. But, if companies are asking for government assistance they get what they deserve. Shareholders should understand the game before they get involved. Who in there right mind would compensate an Exec millions of dollars. There's no bottle. Its just plain dumb. Didn't VP Cheney teach anyone about trust with Enron?

[DavidThePatriot]

Since Reagan?? No. Since before Woodrow Wilson. I love CATO but this guy is not representing Libertarians well by evoking Reagan.

[HarrisonCountyStudio]

I agree, however when have the markets and trade been more free?

[DavidThePatriot]

The 1800s, excluding the civil war and reconstruction.. The steady push to big gov regulation seems to be exponential by those standards. But I think Reagan gets too much credit for being an awesome figurehead. He lowered taxes, but didn't cut spending. I don't base my decisions solely on market performance, but actually how fiscally conservative they are. That's my biggest concern. US stocks don't have to do well for a capitalist to make money. Just ask Peter Schiff =)

[Wormtail81]

He could do a lot worse.

[AdamTC2504]

I don't think the Government should regulate how much a CEO or the like should be able to earn.I also don't think the tax payers should be forced to pay bonus money to company's that they do not receive a dividend from. If I was running the show I would not bail out any publicly traded company because there is no benefit for those who do not reap rewards!!

[XCritonX]

Tying pay to long-term performance (10 - 20 years) is the key. It is easier said than done. It is especially hard due to government regulations.

Way to stick it to the man Dan!

[uche007us]

what an idiot, yea we had genuine free market with Reagan. I always knew there was something off with Dan Mitchel cos someone who thinks medicare, 401k rules and the distortions caused by the massive Reagan borrowing can create a free market must be crazy

[Federalist306]

Dan Mitchell's level of "badassossity" is growing by leaps and bounds. I enjoy hearing him properly insult the economic incompetence of Washington. Any money passing through there will surely be wasted, any policy congress makes will only serve to limit and slow our progress toward prosperity.

[Elasaltaculos]

the proper term is "badassness", lol

j/k

[a4finger]

god i love it when he makes fun of congress

[oiuoiu988]

why would dan mitchell say something so blindingly stupid as "we havent had a genuine free market since reagan". why does the cato institute care so much about party politics... we havent had a free market in this country in hundreds of years. we do have markets, but they are not free. we have state capitalism.

[soundmoneyfan]

the guy opposite of Dan Mitchell is not as bad as most of them.

[ubuibiok]

All BS...The Big Share Holders are the ones getting the comp., how do you think they got there positions in the first place...

The real fools are the small investers who bought into the crap, or didn't to Do-Diligence with ther MM holdings.

[oiuoiu988]

due...

[ubuibiok]

thx... "there" as well...lazy E Key.