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This is better than many U.S. states, where the highest-earning public employee is a football coach. But let's also consider that in private industry, a great

This is better than many U.S. states, where the highest-earning public employee is a football coach. But let's also consider that in private industry, a great many people in finance make more money than almost every professor. In almost every major sport, a backup professional athlete makes more money than the U.S. general in charge of security and of every military asset and operation in the entire Mideast. How many professions make more than doctors who save lives daily? Than teachers? The issue is that the current labor marketplace does not allocate resources to those who provide the most benefit to society. EDIT: Added the last 2 paragraphs

prklmn 8y ago
I'd love to hear your rationale on that.
- forapurpose 8y ago
  > I'd love to hear your rationale on that. I'm not sure what you are asking for: Evidence for the third paragraph? That's in the first two paragraphs. My economic theory of why the labor market works out that way?
  - prklmn 8y ago
    Saw your comment before the edit. I think you’d have a difficult time convincing just about anyone that a publicly employed loan shark debt collector adds more value to society than a highly paid football coach.
    - forapurpose 8y ago
      Ah, that makes sense. Well, I'd argue that the football coach adds zero to society - someone else could do the job and society would be unchanged. A more productive football coach only increases demand for productive football coaches. But some people produce even less that that ...
phd514 8y ago
Largely agree with your second two paragraphs, but even as someone who couldn't care less about football, I think it's hard to make the case that a predatory loan collector provides more benefit to society than a football coach.
ikeboy 8y ago
Government hiring is not a labor marketplace, wages are standardized
TheCoelacanth 8y ago
I have to disagree. Someone getting paid a lot for unproductive work (football coach) is much better than someone who makes a lot through court-enforced theft (this guy).

prklmn 8y ago

I'd love to hear your rationale on that.

forapurpose 8y ago
> I'd love to hear your rationale on that. I'm not sure what you are asking for: Evidence for the third paragraph? That's in the first two paragraphs. My economic theory of why the labor market works out that way?
- prklmn 8y ago
  Saw your comment before the edit. I think you’d have a difficult time convincing just about anyone that a publicly employed loan shark debt collector adds more value to society than a highly paid football coach.
  - forapurpose 8y ago
    Ah, that makes sense. Well, I'd argue that the football coach adds zero to society - someone else could do the job and society would be unchanged. A more productive football coach only increases demand for productive football coaches. But some people produce even less that that ...

phd514 8y ago

Largely agree with your second two paragraphs, but even as someone who couldn't care less about football, I think it's hard to make the case that a predatory loan collector provides more benefit to society than a football coach.

ikeboy 8y ago

Government hiring is not a labor marketplace, wages are standardized

TheCoelacanth 8y ago

I have to disagree. Someone getting paid a lot for unproductive work (football coach) is much better than someone who makes a lot through court-enforced theft (this guy).