Running a business like the government.

See how much bigger my head is than this aircraft?

This from the Rocky Mountain News is sadly self-explanatory (Emphasis added.)

United gives more stock options
Execs' awards could total $193 million over next four years
By Chris Walsh,
March 7, 2006
United Airlines awarded its top eight executives another 821,669 stock options for navigating the company through bankruptcy protection.

The group, which includes Chief Executive Officer Glenn Tilton, has now received 2.5 million options in addition to 1.6 million restricted shares.

United issued shares and options to the executives four separate times since emerging from bankruptcy Feb. 1. Those executives have now been given all the stock awards that were outlined in United's reorganization plan.

The stock could be worth an estimated $193 million, although it's impossible to predict the value because the shares become usable at different times during the next four years.
...

United CEO Tilton has received 822,000 options on top of 545,000 restricted shares, compensation potentially worth $64 million.

The stock awards are part of United's overall compensation plan, in which the carrier gave 10 million shares - or 8 percent of the company - to 400 managers and executives. The carrier's initial proposed compensation plan would have awarded managers 15 percent of the company's stock. It was pared down after numerous objections.

Executive compensation has been a hot-button issue at United in recent months. Employees have been the most vocal opponents, arguing that the compensation levels are too high considering workers have taken two pay cuts and lost their pensions.
The friction has eroded worker morale and trust, union leaders say.

"Glenn Tilton cut jobs, terminated pensions and held employees at United hostage for three years," said Frank Larkin, spokesman for the International Association of Machinists, which represents about 20,000 United workers. The company "survived in spite of senior management, not because of it."

United, a unit of Chicago-based UAL Corp., says tying compensation to the company's stock performance helps ensure executives are aligned with the interests of shareholders, who include employees who were given stock to help offset the wage and pension cuts.

Some observers, though, say the stock awards are too high.

"You can't have large executive compensation and at the same time claim poverty to the work force," said Gary Chaison, professor of labor relations at Clark University in Worcester, Mass.

Let's see: Cut everything, squeeze the staff, fire to the bone and then to the marrow...and then cut yourself a fat slice and collect an obscene bonus?

Well if Bush ever jettsions Criminally Massive Failure Big Don Rumsfeld, and needs to bring in a like minded CEO to host "Pimp My War", looks like Tilton just made it to the short list.