Jackson Jambalaya

Was this somehow performance-based, like a bonus? You know, like on account of the tremendous growth and expansion of private businesses in the area last year? Just asking.....

Breathtaking. Unbelievable.

9:56. Do you think that other areas around the country have not experienced similar growth patterns? Do you really think the metro chamber has had any relevance in the growth in the area?

Birmingham is a little misleading. They had a split last year.

So the Chamber ran a deficit and had an outstanding loan of over a million, yet they give him a bonus of over $100k, deferred comp, retirement plan, full benefits and a base salary over $200k?

Something looks mighty fishy.

I can do just as crappy of a job as he has, and I'll do it for the half the pay.

What I find interesting is the percentage of the overall budget the executive compensation is! Here in Jackson it is a little over 16% Most of the other cities cited here are around just 5%. The second highest percentage is Knoxville with 13%. It looks like our chamber is spending a very large portion of their budget on executive compensation.

10:13 - this is 9:56 here - you're not familiar with the concept of sarcasm, are you?

Is there a college major in "Executive Leadership in Non-profit Chambers of Commerce"? Compensation of this caliber befits a heart surgeon or pro football player(grin). I mean this is almost twice what the Governor makes.

So whose scandalous affair or strange fetish does he know about?

That is why you should join the Chamber......Help pay thoes saleries....What a joke. I was asked to join last month and after thinking about it....what do I get for my membership? Nothing

11.38: You've got to wonder, don't ya.

This is still 2-3 years old.

This is disgusting, Harvey will be pissed!!

I can't say whether Mr. O'Neill does a good job or not as I am not that familiar, however I do have to say... you have to pay for talent. Whether it be a school superintendent or a chamber president, you are competing with the private sector for talent. People with skills do not give them away- nor would I. If you expect your public servants to be charity cases, you had best get used to mediocrity at best.

The pay for talent canard is an overused and extremely lame excuse. If you truly believe that the Chamber couldn't find someone equally skilled to do the job at $200,000 annually then you are only fooling yourself.

Must be nice. He makes all that money while I scratch around for a living in the business enviroment that he "helps" create. What a joke!

I'm always amused by the haters who sit around and complain about the salaries of business leaders -- as if they could do the same job. Go apply for the job and quit bitching and moaning. Stop acting as if this guy named his own salary at gunpoint. His board set his salary and obviously thinks he's worth every dime. It's called the free market. He is not being paid with public money. Envy and bitterness are not very attractive attributes.

*** ONE-SIXTH OF THE BUDGET GOES TO PAY O'NEILL ***

Percentage CEO compensation to Budget
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jackson 16.5%
Knoxville 13.2%
Shreveport 10.3%
Little Rock 9.4%
Baton Rouge 8.7%
Austin 8.0%
Atlanta 6.3%
Memphis 6.0%
Jacksonville 5.8%
Charlotte 5.3%
Nashville 5.2%
Phoenix 5.2%
Mobile 5.2%
San Antonio 5.1%
Louisville 3.8%
Birmingham 3.6%

Either the Chamber BOD is impotent, incompetent, knowingly feathering the nest of one of their good ol' boys or some combination of all the above.

Bend over Chamber members!

His board set his salary and obviously thinks he's worth every dime. It's called the free market.

You'd be hard pressed to prove the free market had anything to do with this compensation decision. His board must have been high on Psilocybin at that meeting.

$393,323. $393,323. Good Lord. A non-profit. $393,323.

Are you kidding me? Who is he related to on his bboard or who is getting a cut? Wha tresults are there for this salary?