Ringing the (Money) Bell

By now we are all inured to the outrageous salaries of corporate executives. From Enron to BP we've long since ceased to be surprised with the kingly fortunes handed over to other humans, who presumably just like us, put their pants on one leg at a time and drool in their sleep. Except, of course, these folks can afford custom tailored pants and personal drool-wiping attendants, if so desired.

But what are we to make of the salaries paid to run-of-the-mill public servants in the City of Bell, California, a metropolis of 40,000 mostly working class souls nestled in the sprawl of greater Los Angeles? It seems they managed to pull a fast one on their citizens by giving themselves paydays that, while not quite reaching corporate fat-cattiness levels, nonetheless boggle the brain.

Actually, now that I contemplate it, given the low incomes of most of their citizens, the compensation these folks gave themselves may be worse than anything in the corporate overlordship. Almost Bernie Madoff unethical - by which I mean criminal.

You have to ask yourself how such a small municipality could afford to pay its city manager nearly $800,000 a year, or pay their police chief more than the leader of Los Angeles' much larger force.

This news came along in time to remind us, just when we might have been looking down our noses at 'third world' countries and tsk-tsking about their rampant corruption, that we can compete with anyone when it comes to greed.

When it comes to lining their pockets at the expense of their citizens, no one has done it much better than the city leaders of Bell. They may be fleecing a small town, but they are doing it with world class skills.