No because "we" don't pay academics, universities do. It's their decision to hire more professors instead of paying the existing ones more, it's their decision

No because "we" don't pay academics, universities do. It's their decision to hire more professors instead of paying the existing ones more, it's their decision to create siloed departments etc. The system has plenty of money, but universities and grant agencies allocate it very badly despite being mostly staffed by academics and ex academics.