Posted on 12/20/2005 5:23:06 PM PST by hiho hiho
- PORTLAND, Ore. - Oregon's attorney general's office says an audit shows the president of Portland's Goodwill made an "unreasonable" amount of money in 2004. Michael Miller earned more than $830,000 in pay and benefits last year. This makes him the highest-paid executive at Oregon's social service nonprofits.
The audit was obtained yesterday by a Portland newspaper.
Miller also made more than executives at the other 172 Goodwill branches in North America.
Goodwill's chairman of the board says Miller, who has been president of the charity for 20 years, has agreed to accept a 24 percent cut in his salary and performance bonus.
Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette says law does not require executives to take a vow of poverty to work in the nonprofit sector.
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1135050924171710.xml&coll=7
The full article is worth reading. Not only is he highly paid for Oregon, and the highest paid of all the Goodwill execs across the US, he's in the top 1/2 to 1% of all American wage earners with salary, current and deferred benefits.
Goodwill, of course, employs lots of low wage workers (except for Mr. Miller, of course). Miller has agreed to take a cut in pay so people won't be distracted from all the good they do - so he'll make 400,000 a year instead of 520,000. What a great discount we're getting - I'm so impressed.
The quote is from an audit that found his compensation package to be inappropriate, though Goodwill Portland defended it.
I know now why I prefer to give to the Salvation Army - what a scam.
"Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette says law does not require executives to take a vow of poverty to work in the nonprofit sector.'
That's a pretty arrogant response to justify his position, IMO.
Boy, this story sure gets the knee-jerk reactions going. Wouldn't we all feel better if we paid some PBS telethon volunteer $18,000 to run Goodwill?
"Goodwill, of course, employs lots of low wage workers (except for Mr. Miller, of course)."
They have government exemptions to pay less than minimum wage!
They're revenue levels were 1/10th of what they are now when he took over in 1989. Sounds like he's worth every penny.
These people are making us a laughing stock. What an embarrassment.
Well, WHO are they traiing? What kind of training? After all, Exxon provides job training to its employees.
She has become suspicious of their operation and has moved her donations to the Salvation Army and the DAV.
http://www.craigslist.org/nby/rnr/119222428.html
I'll never give another dime to UW or similar groups.
The outrageous thing about a limousine liberal isn't that he owns a limo and poor folk don't. The real crime is when the limo is paid for with taxes extorted out of working people in the first place.
Liberals! They rob us. They buy themselves a yacht. They then expect us to get down on our knees and lick their boots in gratitude for giving back a few crumbs from the loot.
Sorry Mr Miller: I'll take a pass on your brand of "charity." I'd rather work my hands to bone making an honest living and keep my dignity.
If I were a donor to them (which I'm not), the answer would be "Yes".
Goodwill is not so cheap anymore. Some of the "upscaled" store have the same old mildewy rags at prices approaching what Wal-Mart get new.
I used to love to go to the thrift stores, but I tend to avoid Goodwill now.
Give? Never again!
More like Enron-executive type job training. Or Mattel.
"How to be a highly paid CEO while your enterprise loses ground."
No, but I do expect a charitable organization not to take advantage of the charity of others to overcompensate its leadership. If you read the article, you will realize that Miller is compensated more than equivalent positions in his organization, more than equivalent positions in other organizations, and more than 99% of the American work force. If you consider that appropriate, I'm kind of surprised.
I'm a free market kind of gal, and I don't have problems with folks who invent better mousetraps receiving the benefit of their ideas and their labor (Bill Gates, for instance).
This guy is not working in the free market - he benefits from below minimum wage labor and the donations of folks like you and I. If he had any ethics, he should be ashamed of himself, and so should his organization, IMHO. And based on the article, Portland Goodwill clearly does not regret paying him that salary and does not think they did anything wrong. What they regret is the public disclosure of the information, and the attendant adverse publicity.
I don't know enough about tje situation to really comment on it but knee-jerk reactions do seem to be par for the course on this thread.
If you are from New England you know about Kennedy Juniors "fuel for the poor" crusade. He makes millions every year from taxpayers subsidizing the poor.
At least Goodwill is not taking money directly from my pocket.
Arioch7
Although she made decent money, it wasn't anything like what others in other more "visible" organizations were making. She worked her butt off for every penny she could get for her agency. I think she was bitter about that sometimes. I don't blame her.
It's hard to convince me that any organization is "nonprofit" when the CEO makes close to 7 figures a year.
My lordy! Craig's list has been used for something other than pot sales and arranging "hookups" behind a bush in the local park. What's next? Mark Steyn as the new CBS Evening News anchorman?
No but how about a 4 star general officer, or the Sec of Defense, or the President, they all make a hell of a lot less.
I think I will send my stuff to the DAV.
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