Final Word from Friday, April 6, 2007
It's sometime said that Czech politicians take bribes because they're poor. In Parliament, certain MPs are willing to sell their vote for as little as Kč 10,000. If only these "poor" politicians earned more, the argument goes, they'd start putting the country's needs before their own. Electing rich people is one of the solutions often proposed. But would it work? Look to the Czech corporate world for a clue. Salaries are rising, managers are earning handsome bonuses or stock options, and an upper-middle class is forming. Yet we continue to hear stories about managers as high as the board level skimming from advertising or sponsorship contracts, buying from related entities, or manipulating their stock prices. How much does it take before they get enough? As in the case of the "poor" politicians, they'll never get enough as long as greed and opportunity are the driving forces.[Czech Republic corruption]