An article in Investor's Business Daily suggests that CEO pay control and minimum wage hike will spiral a slippery slope. What an interesting concept to think that CEO's like former Bob Nardelli of Home Depot would some how find it difficult to live off $2 million vs. $210 million (which is what he took home when he left). Many economists and big corporations believe that the most productive among us should earn the most. While I follow the philosophy that an "honest day's work deserves an honest days pay", I don't subscribe to the propaganda used in determining the worth of ones labor. For example, what school you went to or what family you belong to. Unfortunately, each individual does not have access to the right connections and opportunities. Capitalism is structured like that. It operates under the assumption that there will be winners and losers. This is problematic because the wealth distribution in America is unbalanced and the playing field is polluted with corporate bureaucracy. I understand this all so well because I have worked for major legal corporations for over twenty years.
You may be asking yourself "if you are aware of these short comings, why practice law"? As I near the completion of my undergraduate studies, I have pondered that question often. But the reality is that I don't plan to practice in a major corporate structure like I am in now. Attending the right schools and making the right grades would easily put me over the $150,000 mark coming right out of law school. However, my passion is not to defend major corporations and have millions in stock options. I lend more towards the nonprofit sector (advocacy work) and public policy. Since I don't plan to work in a major law firm does this suggest that nonprofit work is not productive? Because America relies on a market economy to pay CEO's $210 million a year, society has let teaching and advocacy jobs suffer, causing the future of our children to deteriorate. Markets don't determine salaries people do. So don't believe the hype!
© 2007, Janet Thomson [All Rights Reserved.]
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