Moscow's Executive Compensation Program

[Bill London <london@moscow.com>]

    Every Moscow voter should get a copy of the proposed "Executive
Compensation Program" from the city.
    The City Council is proposing to WIDEN the gap between lower-level
workers who will continue to be paid less than comparable worth and the
handful of top administrators who would get a huge raise.
    I suggest that the Council dump this plan immediately, for the
following reasons:
    1. This is morally unjustifiable.  We should be looking at ways to
help the majority of city workers not the few who are already making big
salaries.
    2. This is a solution without a problem.  We do not have a problem
retaining or recruiting administrators.  There is no big turnover
issue.  We do not need to pass out big bonuses to keep administrators
smiling.
    3. This is not economically viable.  At a time when state workers
and university personnel are losing jobs due to budget cuts, the Council
is proposing giving administrators raises estimated in the city document
at 5 to 23 percent.  Moscow taxpayers should not have to pay that.
    4. This redefines executive responsibilities.  Executive level
employees are expected (in exchange for large salaries and the perks
that already go with the jobs) to work whatever hours are required to
get the job done.  Executives know that their jobs may require evening
meetings, weekend seminars, late nights finishing reports, etc.
However, under this plan, Moscow's top administrators would get all the
executive perks, but not the requirements.  The taxpayers would buy back
their unused vacation hours.
    5. Especially disgusting is the fact that the city supervisor gets
an extra-cushy deal under this proposal with benefits 50% better than
the other administrators.
BL