Parade Magazine's Annual Salaries Issue

It's that time of the year again, when the Sunday newspaper publication, Parade, reports on "what people earn". I'm always amazed at how little or how much some occupations compensate their workers.

I also read between the lines of the article, as it seems to set up the class warfare scenario, using the "rich get richer and the poor get poorer" mantra. The reporter, in my opinion, is somewhat disingenuous when she mentions that "the salary gains of the last five years have gone to the highest-paid workers". Well, here we go again. Socialism at it's worst, building on the case for wealth redistribution.

Another drive-by is her assertion that "most Americans didn't see the long economic boom reflected in their paychecks". Excuse me, but what Karl Marx university did she attend? Asides from the complex shift from an industrial to a service/technology base in this country, she is guilty of the sin of omission -- she left out the part of people bettering themselves.

One good example is a bartender that almost whines that she only made $25,000 last year. As an occasional frequenter of bars, taverns and pubs, I think she understated her income by leaving out all those wonderful tips I left for her last year. And how many hours did she work to claim that figure? If she really is despondent over her salary, she can do what a lot of other people have done: improve your situation.

I love these articles like Parade's, as they always present a monolithic perspective. For instance, on the other end of the spectrum of upper-middle class, a professor from South Dakota laments that "inflation seems worse than official reports indicate". This poor Geologic Engineering academician only made $94,300 last year in the classroom. Correct me if I'm wrong, but South Dakota can't be one of the most expensive states to live in.

Do any of these people live beyond their means? Does everyone in this country think they deserve more than they earn? The reporter goes to lengths to make her point, although the many people and their incomes cited contradict her. It's another attack on corporate America, and the big, bad CEOs who don't deserve their huge salaries. Maybe some of them don't, but the corporate Board of Directors usually does. And if you're not cutting it, you can be axed without notice.

It's human nature to think you're worth more than you really are. I have a problem with those people who are self-delusional in this regard. They hold unskilled labor jobs that might pay $15 an hour and they want double that.

One person profiled in the list of salaries is an auto worker in Michigan, who's an "auto parts assembler". This poor guy only makes $87,700 a year! Any wonder now why your new car or truck costs a gazillion dollars? He's not part of the corporate structure that the reporter rails about, but he's making more than a lot of professionals do.

The one area I don't see her complaining about are the so-called entertainers and sports figures. Jimmy Johnson, age 31, NASCAR driver, made $15.8 million last year. The CEO of Halliburton made $12.3 million. Who do you think had more responsibility in his occupation? Yet the media constantly attacks Halliburton and the CEO for what he makes.

Chad Hurley, the co-founder of YouTube, made $341 million last year. Is anyone complaining about his salary or wealth? I'm not, as it's proof that "rags to riches" success stories still happen in this country. Katie Couric gets $15 million a year for no talent and a bad impression of a 60+ woman trying to look like a twenty-something. See where I'm going with this?

What do you think a Pediatric Neurosurgeon feels when she sees that a 17 year old pro golfer is making $735,000? Michell Wie did.

There are always economic disparities in this country, mostly based on occupations that are in transition and individuals' personal circumstances. I really get tired, though of sociologists who have a political agenda and feed the flames of ideology with this type of reportage.

An amusing item from the article was under the "Hottest Jobs" section that don't require a college degree: Registered Nurses! Hmm. If you're an RN with a BS or MS, you might think you wasted your time getting that degree!