Welfare Queens

When the subject of welfare arises, thanks to Reagan, a lot of Americans think of Black women with hordes of children, (all from different absentee fathers of course), driving brand new Cadillacs whilst wearing loads of gold jewelry. Chaw chewing, dental hygiene challenged, white yokels, also with scores of kiddles, might come to mind too. 

Our government now spends $181 billion a year on aid to businesses. This started with Reagan. On his watch (from a column in The Albany Herald—go read the whole thing):

1.  Regulatory agencies curbing corporate ravages were essentially shut down.
2.  Labor unions were weakened…
3.  Congress abandoned its role of checks and balances and gave much of its constitutional power to the imperial, autocratic presidency.
4.  The consequences of corporatizing Congress allowed the tax system to be filled with escapes and lower rates for the super-rich and global corporations.
5. ….the bloated unaudited “defense” budget zoomed over 50%…
6.  Meanwhile, the corporate giants became dominant in weakening the private pillars of American law.
7. Without challenge to their marketing, corporations commercialized childhood, directly selling to kids junk foods and junk drinks that set off the deadly obesity epidemic and its health-damaging results.
8.  Corporate globalization has erected mechanisms such as corporate-managed trade agreements…
9.  Decades after warnings by scientists of rising global warming, the fossil fuel giants, while on the defensive, still have the economy in their clutches, slowing their substitutes of conservation and renewable energy.
10.  Corporate welfare is larger, more varied, and more automatic than ever. Subsidies, handouts, giveaways, and bailouts are now routinely enacted by little-challenged, government-guaranteed capitalism at the federal and state levels.
11.  Voting rights and electoral accuracies are being undermined in many states by legislation.
12.  Medicare is being corporatized (over 40% of elderly beneficiaries are under corporate plans). (source)

Musk is the CEO of Tesla and Starlink. He snags $23.5 billion in compensation from Tesla alone. I couldn’t find figures on how much he takes in from SpaceX/Starlink but it ain't peanuts and pennies. 

Boeing’s CEO, Kelly Ortberg, makes a guaranteed $1.5 million in basic compensation and much more on bonus and shares.  

Intel's new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, scored a compensation package of $69 million.

Ford CEO Jim Farley's total compensation for 2024 was $24.86 million.

In 2023, Mary Barra, the Chair and CEO of General Motors, received a total compensation of $27.8 million.

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon's pay package for the 2024 fiscal year was $27 million.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy's haul for 2023 was $29.2 million. 

Tell me again about the welfare queens hurting this country. I believe I've found them.