He does look thinner—What with GM’s overhead, top dog Rick Wagoner took it on the chin. His wage for last year was chopped 22 percent, to a meager $9.96 million.

Some others also get hit—In North Carolina, it’s estimated that in recent years some 200,000 jobs have been lost. Appealing for action by state lawmakers, the Rural Economic Development Center and other groups reminded the legislature that each month thousands of people run out of jobless benefits.

He joined ownership society?—George and Laura Bush reported a 2004 taxable income of $673,000—the previous year they reported $784,219.

Wait, there’s more—Unlike Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and family reported income for 2004 was $1.3 million, a 63 percent gain over the previous year. Part of Cheney’s income was $194,852 in “deferred income” from the Halliburton company. He headed the notorious construction firm until his White House job. “Deferred payment,” we’re told, means Halliburton is salting away Cheney’s annual stipend. Since the Iraq war, Halliburton has gained billions in federal contracts, some of which skipped the usual contract bidding.

Highway robbery—“LONDON— Motorways and bridges across the West Country are in danger of crumbling because they were built from substandard cement falsely passed off as safe…. Structures built using the cement could develop so-called concrete cancer, which can cause them to rot and eventually become unsound.”—The Times, London.

Good old capitalism—Frequent news from Louisiana indicate many people there are bitterly impoverished. But not everyone. Like, the ex-chancellor at the University of New Orleans admitted he used $50,000 in school funds to pay for his daughter’s wedding reception. And the state legislature’s top financial adviser sought to advise why he gave himself a car allowance, a retroactive pay raise, and thousands of dollars in other compensation that auditors asserted were “improper.”

Stay firm—“U.S. Territory: Puerto Rico—Student leaders say students will return to classes at the University of Puerto Rico…after reaching an agreement with administrators to end a three-week-old strike in protest of a 33 percent tuition increase. UPR officials accepted a student proposal to postpone the increase and evaluate alternatives.”—USA Today.  
 
 
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