equal wages

We live in a complex system of manipulated supply and demand. 

For example, the University of Washington just fired the defensive coordinator for their football team.  He was being paid 650 thousand dollars a year.  But the poor showing of the defensive unit brought pressure to replace him.  The fellow they hired to replace him had just received a pay raise from his current employer.  He would have received 750 thousand dollars per year, so we can figure he'll most likely receive something in that neighborhood.  Now this is just one coach.  I've lost track of what the head football coach earns...did I say "earns"?...but I know it's at least 2.5 million a year. 

I'm pretty sure that this salary is more than that of the university president.  And no department head comes close to taking home that sort of pay. 

But we have only ourselves to blame...or credit...for this insanity.  We have allowed ourselves to be manipulated into not only accepting such outlandish rewards, but we actually become outraged when someone suggests that something is wrong with our values. 

Of course these values are so mixed up and distorted that we probably will never sort them out and set them straight.  But what is it about a young man with certain athletic skills that makes him worth countless millions of dollars, while the same young man wearing a uniform can fight and risk his life for a pittance? 

Our values tell us that our entertainment is far more important to us than is our self defense. 

Anyway, we can follow one thread after another and always come back to the fact that we are nuts.  So why should I concern myself as to whether my pay is actually measuring my worth?  I'll never come close to earning what Tiger Woods pulls down, but I'll never screw around on my wife, either.  Is Tiger really the better man?  I just can't get into that game.  My worth is inside my own head.  I know where I measure up and where I let down.  No one has to dangle money under my nose for me to figure out who I am. 

Finally, I would absolutely love it if Cathy earned twice my income.  While we are not hurting financially, we are not going to pretend that we couldn't find ways of spending additional dollars.  Yes, if Cathy earned twice what we now bring in I could actually consider retiring and becoming a gentleman farmer. 

 

Curious Carl