$40 million/year salaries

[LuluLovesDisney]

Does it bother anyone else to think that a baseball player or actress makes MORE than one thousand teachers, nurses, firefighters, police officers or soldiers?

 

[Free4Life11]

Yep and it bothers me more when they whine about their privacy.

 

[pearlieq]

Occasionally, but for the most part I'm a staunch capitalist. There are viable economic reasons why things are the way they are.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

Absolutely!!!

Then they whine and cry that they want more more more!

And don't even get me started on all the free stuff they get at the Oscars and places like that. Makes me sick!

 

[Nancy]

Not really sure if it bothers me, but I find the salaries for athletes to be a joke. They claim they play the game because they love it and yet if they weren't making the big bucks how many of them do you think would still "love the game"?

Actors/actresses their pay doesn't bother me at all. I figure how many of them last a long time in the industry and if they earn a high paycheck for 1 movie there is no guarantee that it will continue....but sports..

 

[RobInBigKC]

As the son of a retired police officer and a big supporter of public employees, it does bother me but if the entertainers (which is what pro athletes are as well) weren't making that money, the owners (either stockholders or proprietors) would be. Also, in the case of athletes especially, you have to remember they are among the top 30 people in the world (to get into the $40 million per year range crossing all sports) with their skills. How much do the top 30 surgeons in the entire world make? Probably not $40 million per year but I'm sure it is a multimillion amount.

Finally, if you could do something better than billions of other people, and people were willing to pay your employer to be allowed to see you do it, how much would you want to be paid to do it?

-- Rob

 

[JKanownik]

Occasionally, but for the most part I'm a staunch capitalist. There are viable economic reasons why things are the way they are.

I agree totally.

They wouldn't be making the big bucks if it weren't for people like us who shell out the cash to have them entertain us.

 

[olena]

I agree totally.

They wouldn't be making the big bucks if it weren't for people like us who shell out the cash to have them entertain us.

Supply and demand. They negotiate their salaries according to the market value of their skills and talents. No one is forcing studios or owners to pay exorbitant sums and no one is forcing any of us to go to the movies or games to watch. It doesn't bother me at all.

 

[Tybug]

As the son of a retired police officer and a big supporter of public employees, it does bother me but if the entertainers (which is what pro athletes are as well) weren't making that money, the owners (either stockholders or proprietors) would be. Also, in the case of athletes especially, you have to remember they are among the top 30 people in the world (to get into the $40 million per year range crossing all sports) with their skills. How much do the top 30 surgeons in the entire world make? Probably not $40 million per year but I'm sure it is a multimillion amount.

Finally, if you could do something better than billions of other people, and people were willing to pay your employer to be allowed to see you do it, how much would you want to be paid to do it?-- Rob

I never looked at it that way... good point!

 

[crz4mm2]

Yes it does. Has bothered me for years. Not a thing I can do about it though.

People pay big bucks all the time to go to Pro (fill in the blank ) games and never bat an eye, but ask them to pay their co-pay on their insurance to come to their yearly appt and they balk. I don't get it sigh.

Guess that's why we have free will.

 

[Robinrs]

It disgusts me. What it reflects is the priorities we as a society have given to certain aspects of life.

Entertainment and sports.. I am an EXCELLENT speller and writer.. if I could throw a ball at a hoop or dance the way I spell, I guess I'D be a zillionaire... or is that a word?

Teachers, mothers, people who put their lives on the line for the betterment of society are not only underpaid but aren't given the respect the job deserves. We'd rather pay per day an anorexic waif who can walk a runway with ridiculously priced clothes the average fireman's lifetime pay.

It's been a lifelong disgust of mine.

 

[Charade]

Does it bother anyone else to think that a baseball player or actress makes MORE than one thousand teachers, nurses, firefighters, police officers or soldiers?

Nope.

It all has to do with how much an individual brings in for the corporation. If they were a 3rd rate player which no one wanted to see (and really didn't help win games), they would be paid such compenstation.

What do you think about lawyers getting 25-33 (or more) percent of a mega- dollar lawsuit?

 

[Charade]

It disgusts me. What it reflects is the priorities we as a society have given to certain aspects of life.

Entertainment and sports.. I am an EXCELLENT speller and writer.. if I could throw a ball at a hoop or dance the way I spell, I guess I'D be a zillionaire... or is that a word?

Teachers, mothers, people who put their lives on the line for the betterment of society are not only underpaid but aren't given the respect the job deserves. We'd rather pay per day an anorexic waif who can walk a runway with ridiculously priced clothes the average fireman's lifetime pay.

It's been a lifelong disgust of mine.

From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.

Karl Marx

 

[JPN4265]

Does it bother anyone else to think that a baseball player or actress makes MORE than one thousand teachers, nurses, firefighters, police officers or soldiers?

It does bother me in someways. But it is a free market system. Remember Teachers, firefighters, police officers and soldiers are paid by our taxes. Most people would balk at raising taxes to increase these professions salaries.

 

[Disney Doll]

"Bother"?? I don't know if "bother" is the right word, but I do sometimes wonder at the inequity of it and what that says about our society today.

I also wonder at how those same people can then complain about anything, especially their privacy, when their very livelihood is gleaned from being a public figure...you want privacy, get a "real" job and fade into anonymity like the rest of us.

I also wonder at how they can earn that amount of $$ and spend it on mostly consumer things...multiple homes in multiple areas and so forth.

I also wonder at why "society" thinks it is so wonderful when someone whose net worth is in the hundreds or millions of dollars give a million dollars to a cause. IMHO, when you make/have that much money, you should be giving a lot of it away to causes that you deem worthy. I don't know of anyone who needs to own more than 2 homes.

And for those of you who will flame and ask me if I "walk the walk"...yes, I do give a significant portion of my income to charitable causes, mostly related to veterans, animals and Downs Syndrome care/research...proportionally, I probably give "more" of my income than the very wealthy do. I spend a significant amount of time volunteering in my church as a parish nurse, in my geographic area for certain civic groups. Certainly many of our "average citizens" do what I do and more, which is a heckuva lot more impressive than "A-Rod" getting paid millions of dollars to swing a stick at a ball.

 

[Fitswimmer]

Supply and demand. They negotiate their salaries according to the market value of their skills and talents. No one is forcing studios or owners to pay exorbitant sums and no one is forcing any of us to go to the movies or games to watch. It doesn't bother me at all.

The salaries of CEO's bother me a heck of a lot more. Those folks make their living off the backs of other people. At least the athlete has done the training and the work to become one of the best at his job. The CEO benefits from the hard work of his employees and the salary difference between the CEO and the "worker bee" is absurd.

 

[declansdad]

Yep and it bothers me more when they whine about their privacy.

For the most part I agree with you. I don't think that the big salary should take away their right to privacy. It does bother my when they whine about being underpaid.

 

[declansdad]

The salaries of CEO's bother me a heck of a lot more. Those folks make their living off the backs of other people. At least the athlete has done the training and the work to become one of the best at his job. The CEO benefits from the hard work of his employees and the salary difference between the CEO and the "worker bee" is absurd.

But that is what our system is all about. Supply and demand works for the CEOs as well.

 

[pixiemomma]

It does not bother me at all.

 

[lillygator]

there are plenty of inequities across the board.....my dept for example, has the same level employee, same years and $65,000 difference in some....!