THE RICH GET RICHER

A new report on CEO salaries has calculated that the average Chief Executive Officer earns 430 times as much as the average American worker. This figure has steadily increased over the past 25 years, when CEO salaries averaged just $10 for every $1 the workers earned. Along with obscene salaries for the CEOs, share holders also regularly pay for perks such as cash bonuses, stock options, retirement packages, free cars, subsidized housing, corporate apartments, personal jets, free tax consulting, entertainment, dining and personal security services. Some of the worst examples of CEO bonuses are $1.6 billion in stock options given to the CEO of United Health Group, a $400 million retirement package for the CEO of Exxon Mobile (the poor guy only earns $51 million a year), and an $83 million pension for the CEO of Pfizer. And if you were wondering where the gas price profits are going, check out the salary of Ray Irani of Occidental, who earned $63 million last year, or about $120 for every minute of every day of the year. (St. Petersburg Times)