The CEO cash cow.

CEO compensation hit new highs.

A recent report by the Congressional Research Service helps to put the executive pay issue into a real-world context. CEOs make, on average, 179 times as much as rank and file workers, double the 90-to-1 ratio in 1994, according to the agency's calculations.

Why are CEO are making too much money? It simply because the Bush Administration is allowing more power of the CEO and less from the shareholders and workers to be decisonmakers on the CEO performances.

This from the Bill Moyers PBS special on CEO high pay:

SHAREHOLDER LEGISLATION
The year began with President George W. Bush voicing concern over executive compensation. In his annual State of the Economy given on Wall Street on January 31, 2007, the President warned company boards that they needed to "pay attention to the executive compensation packages that you approve" and tie pay to performance.

Legislation to give shareholders more oversight of executive pay packages was introduced into the House this session by Barney Frank. The bill, H.R. 1257, the "Shareholder Vote on Executive Compensation Act" is modeled on measures already in effect in the U.K. Although the bill wouldn't set pay limits, it would make sure that shareholders have a voice in approving company executive pay practices.

But the White House isn't in favor of this legislation, stating that it. "does not believe that Congress should mandate the process by which executive compensation is approved" The White House and other critics say that workers and shareholders should give the Securities and Exchange Commission regulations that went into effect in January, 2007 to show results before turning to legislation. The SEC rules, passed in July 2006, require companies to show an executive's total compensation, including all stock options, retirement plans and other perks. Companies are also required to construct and submit a narrative justifying the pay package. But these new rules do not mandate shareholder participation.