At Eye Level

Episode 9
August 15, 2011


This week At Eye Level, we're talking about the middle class and small business.  Since 99 percent of my audience is middle class and a fair amount of them own small businesses, I expect a lot of feedback in the comments section of this blog.  You can also email me at BigPoppaOnline.com, or follow me on Twitter @fatkidglasses.

Did you know that most Americans can't afford a $1,000 emergency expense?  In a story published on August 8, 2011, by CNN Money, a survey by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC), a Washington, DC-based non-profit, showed that 64%, of Americans don't have enough cash on hand to handle a $1,000 emergency expense.

Of the 2,700 people polled, 36% said they would have to use  their rainy day funds for an emergency.

17%, said they would borrow money from friends or family. Another 17% said they would neglect other financial obligations -- like a credit card bill or mortgage payment -- in order to free up some funds.

12% of the respondents said they would have to sell or pawn some assets to come up with $1,000 and 9% said they would need to take out a loan. Another 9% said they would get a cash advance from a credit card, according to the NFCC.

An earlier study by the same organization found that 30% of Americans have zero dollars in non-retirement savings.  A separate study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that 50% of Americans would struggle to come up with $2,000 in a pinch.

Gail Cunningham, a spokeswoman for the NFCC, said, "It's alarming for consumers who live paycheck to paycheck... an unplanned expense can truly put them in financial distress,".  She adds that neglecting other debt obligations, or worse piling on more debt "really exacerbates the problem".


10 highest paid CEOs according to CNN Money

These 10 CEO's took home the most pay in 2009.

1. Larry Ellison: Oracle: $84.5 million
Cash compensation: $6.1 million
Stock and options: $78.4 million
2. Ray Elliott: Boston Scientific: $33.4 million
Cash compensation: $4 million
Stock and options: $29.4 million
3. Ray Irani: Occidental Petroleum: $31.4 million
Cash compensation: $6.6 million
Stock and options: $24.8 million
4. Mark Hurd: Hewlett-Packard: $24.2 million
Cash compensation: $17.6 million
Stock and options: $6.6 million
5. James Hackett: Anadarko Petroleum: $23.5 million
Cash compensation: $6.1 million
Stock and options: $17.4 million

Click here to see the full list.


The Forbes Special Report on CEO Compensation from April, 2010 has H Lawrence Culp Jr of Danaher making $141.36M/yr in the top spot with Lawrence J Ellison of Oracle in second at $130.23M/yr.

So, what does the average employee at these companies make?  I went to the Google and here's what I found out.

Oracle Corporation published their 2010 salary survey.  It shows an average 2009 DBA salary of $97,000 with the highest salaries to consultants and those with lots of experience, living in high-cost areas.

As a general guideline, a well-qualified Oracle professional (read: has a masters degree) will earn age times three, so a 30 year old Oracle professional can expect, on average, at least $90,000 per year.
The salary survey also shows that experience counts most, and jobs with the most responsibility makes the highest Oracle salaries.

The lowest salary I could find was $69,684.21 for an Analyst, with zero to two years of experience.  With the same experience, an Administrator can make $85,094.33; $89,181.82 for an Architect; $71,343.72 for a Developer; $71,666.67 for a Functional implementer; and $75,933.33 for the ubiquitous “Other”.

A DBA is also known as a consultant, freelancer or contractor.  This means the person is not an employee of the company and will, most likely, not even be on the company's employee records.  They're considered vendors and have to submit invoices, either weekly of monthly and when they get paid no taxes are withheld from their checks.  Instead, they receive a 1099 for at the end of the year, just like a small business.  They have to keep records of all hours worked and save all receipts for all business-related expenses.  They also have to provide their own health insurance.  Without getting into too much of a heated debate, I think we can all agree that's no easy task.

Occidental salaries

The lowest paid position I could find was for an Engineering Intern, $21 to $23 an hour.  That works out to just under $50k a year.

An Accountant can expect a salary of $51k to $55k a year, while an IT Consultant can rake in $62k to $68k.  On the higher end, a Drilling Engineering Supervisor makes between $146k and $159k and an Engineering Manager earns $148k to $160k.

Here's a link to the full list of Occidental Petroleum salaries.

Boston Scientific Corporation develops less-invasive medical devices and treatments for patients.  In August 2010, a national average base salary for Boston Scientific sales rep job openings was ranged from 59,000  to 72,000 per year.

In order  to apply for a sales representative position, Boston Scientific requires at least a bachelor's degree, but prefers a master's degree in business administration.  Other requirements include at least five years of sales experience with a fortune 500 company, as well as experience selling medical technology equipment.
Good luck with that!


I'd like to change things up a bit and talk about an upcoming event, here in Huntington Beach, that I didn't get a chance to mention on the show.  I think my fellow dog lovers out there might be interested in this one.

The Orange County SPCA is hosting their 14th annual “Walk for the Animals” on Sunday, September 25, at Huntington Beach Central Park.

The Walk for the Animals event is from 9AM to NOON and will feature an easy 5k or 2k walk, pet contests, flyball demonstration, vendors, rescue groups, prizes, a silent auction, as well as lots of great pet giveaways like goodie bags, tee shirts and doggie treats and Snoopy will be the Grand Marshall.
Registration is $20 by September 17 and $25 thereafter. Children under 12 are FREE.  Packs of five or more pay $15 each if pre-registered by September.  On event day, registration opens at 7:30 a.m.

Huntington Beach Central Park East is located at Goldenwest Street and Talbert Avenue, behind the Central Library.

All funds raised from the walk provide direct support to save animals and sustain the OCSPCA's programs.

For more information, call (714) 374-7738 or click here to head on over to the Event Website.
This is a very worthy cause and I'm seriously considering participating in the walk.  If you'd like to sponsor me, send me an email and I'll send you the info.  Be sure to put "Walk For Animals" in the subject line.

I'd like to that Matt from Bogota and Doc Savage for contributing to the show.  Don't forget to tune in next week, where we'll spotlight some local businesses and meet a few interesting characters along the way.

I want to hear from you.  Leave comments, ask questions or submit a story that affects your world.  You can also contact me at BigPoppaOnline.com and follow me on Twitter @fatkidglasses.  Tell me what you think. It's OK, I'm a big boy, I can take it.  Just remember the rules. It's OK to disagree, it's OK to argue, it's even OK to use the “seven dirty words”- just keep it civil.  All I ask is that you be honest, original and don't hate.  My bouncers review everything before it's posted, so don't bother spamming, flaming, rick-rolling, or whatever the hell it is that you kids today are doing, because it won't make it through.

At Eye Level is a production of the BigPoppaOnline Network.  Visit BigPoppaOnline.com for more information.