Sunday, April 13, 2008

WTF?!?!?!

I now present my annual 'WTF are we thinking in this country' post. Parade magazine has a yearly article that lists what people in America earn. After reading the article, all I can think is WTF are we thinking in this country?!

Salaries of some celebrities:

Leona Helmsley's dog---$12 million
Miley Cyrus, 15, singer/actress---$18.2 million
Meredith Vieira, 54, television anchor---$10 million
Timothy Janus, 31, competitive eater---$25,000 (excuse me? competitive eater?)
Mary-Kate Olsen, 21, actress/entrepreneur---$17 million
Gisele Bundchen, 27, model---$33 million
'Dr'Phil McGraw, 57, TV host---$90 million
Steven Spielberg, 61, movie director---$110 million
50 cent, 32, rapper---$33 million
Oprah Winfrey, 54, TV personality---$260 million
Eli Manning, 27, football player---$11.5 million

Now for what REAL people earn:

Dean McIlvane, 50, farmer---$30,000
Yordana Rodriguez, 25, pharmacy technician---$23,000
Paula Daigle, 35, Spanish teacher---$38,000
Shetal Amin, 31, speech pathologist---$85,000
Mike Crawford, 31, deputy sheriff---$35,000
Capt. Richard Barnett, 34, Air Force fire chief---$70,000
Eileen Welsh, 44, preschool teacher---$15,000
Allen Kite, 48, firefighter/paramedic---$53,000
Lisa Summers, 41, VA clinic coordinator---$46,600
Bruce Hossler, 53, truck driver---$45,000
Tiffany Todd, 34, 911 supervisor---$54,500
Grace Jones, 45, dental assistant---$41,000
Lt jg Brendan Blain, 26, Coast Guard pilot---$66,000
Russell Farmer, 28, high school teacher---$42,000
Joshua Shelton, 25, police detective---$40,000
Lynn Hosford, 57, home daycare provider---$56,000
Steven Drews, 46, social worker---$43,700

It is sad that we are more than willing to give 'entertainers' millions of dollars and don't pay those who watch over our children, watch over our safety, watch our health, help provide us with what we need, a living wage. Just what does this say about us as a nation? WTF are we thinking? Is it a wonder a lot of people around the world have no respect for us?

6 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:07 AM

    At least Angelina and Brad give some of their money to charities.

    Missing from either list are the CEOs of major corporations who, I think, are more grossly overpaid than celebrities. Nothing burns me up like reading about layoffs and outsourcing while at the same time the CEOs are drawing in tens of millions in salary and stock options.

    That's what happens in a free economy. Anything else is called "communism".

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous4:04 PM

    Think, who's thinking - just wanting to have fun is the order of the day and they provide it. Supply and demand. This country...I'm down-hearted.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Celebrities/filthy rich people giving money to charities is wonderful--I just would like to know how much they give as a percentage of their income compared to the percentage that 'normal' people give. A hundred dollars to me is significant--to a millionaire, pocket change. If the rest of us give till it hurts, then we shouldn't praise the rich if they don't do the same.

    I agree about CEOs, etc. I never understood how they could get huge bonuses while closing plants and laying off workers.

    And I also understand how we need and pay for our entertainment. (Hey, I am obsessed with hockey and the players make MUCH more than my husband, so...) It just upsets me that we don't pay a premium salary to those who teach our children--they are our FUTURE for crying out loud--or those who provide our food and health care. It just seems as if our priorities need to be adjusted--MINE as well as other people's.

    ReplyDelete
  4. wow. The sheriff and the fire chief sadden me the most. They are out making the world safe for us. They should make what Dr. Phil makes...they would actually earn it!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. ann(ie): I'm in total agreement.

    ReplyDelete

Disquis

Being In a Funk

I'm still having a bit of a funk going on in my life. To be expected, I guess. But, it REALLY is affecting me to see my best friend ...