Huge figures work to distort reality

How in the world is the Washington State University president going to make it next year with a $100,000 pay cut? How is he going to make it on only $625,000 a year? Then there is University of Washington President Mark Emmert, who is going to forgo a pay raise on his already paltry salary of $905,000 a year. How is a person to live on such a crummy income?

Now we have the new schools chief purposing that we go after $100 billion from the federal government to invest in universities, community colleges, technical schools and K-12 education. These people throw these figures around like normal people talking about 10 bucks. I wonder if they can even fathom what 100 billion dollars is.

Then there are the car companies, showing up in D.C. in their private corporate jets, with their hands out asking for $25 billion, when Congress already gave out $700 billion to banks to loan out. Why don’t these car companies go to the banks for a loan? Because the bank would turn them down. Who is going to loan money to a company on the verge of bankruptcy? Why do we keep rewarding failure?

And you have those arrogant AIG people taking our money and immediately sending all the fat cats to a spa vacation. I’m sorry, something just doesn’t add up. While I believe in capitalism and rewarding a good job, it seems this is way out of proportion. $29 million parachutes for these failing executives for putting a company under, while the economy is in the tank? I think not. These guys should be fired, for not doing their job. While seniors live on Social Security and what little investments they may have, which are shrinking by the day, they come to D.C. for a handout. And what do our great leaders in Congress do? They give it to them.

Chuck Heinitz