A Question of Priorities

In a recent post, Linda, over at Are We There Yet?, wrote about a recent press conference with the basketball coach at the University of Connecticut (UConn) that ended up with the coach telling a member of the press to “shut up” when questioned about his salary. In her post, Linda said the following:

Being as how I have no great interest in sports whatsoever, I generally don’t blog about them in any way, shape, or form however there has been a story in the news here in Connecticut recently that I just have to weigh my two cents in on as the whole thing just frosts my pumpkin to no end for the simple reason that it shows just how completely and totally screwed up our priorities are becoming in this country of ours.Are We There Yet??: Rudeness Should Equal Reprimand, Feb 2009

Linda went on to describe the incident and questioned why the coach was not reprimanded for his rude response to the reporter, pointing out that his reaction was unprofessional and did not reflect well on his employer. She also questioned how the huge salary paid to the coach could be justified when his peers in state government doing essential jobs are paid a mere fraction of what he makes in salary. That portion of her post triggered a hot button with me, and I left a comment that was long and rambling. I repeat that comment in this post and expand on it.

My Comment (additions to my original comment bolded)

Generally, as a society, we have lost the ability to hold a discussion with people whose viewpoint differs from our own. In fact, in cases like this, there is no such thing as an open mind.

There are a couple of issues here, and I apologize in advance, because you’ve pushed a button and I might get a little verbose. The first issue is that of the salary quoted for the coach who is a state employee. It says a lot about the priorities of UConn and the state of Connecticut. He  justifies it by saying that he brings over $12M a year into the institution. But a tenured professor can bring amounts approaching that level into the institution in the form of research grants, but they will be paid a fraction of what the coach makes. In addition, they actually have to teach classes, conduct research, attract students, publish papers and juggle a huge workload all at the same time. Which position is more important to the institution? The sports junkies who agree with the coach’s statements would ignore the tenured professor and argue that the successful basketball program is essential to the institution.

The second issue is the inequality of salaries in general in this country. What makes a corporate CEO worth $20M or $30M a year, when the average employee makes $50K to $80K? Who is more vital to the survival of the corporation? How about when the CEO is effectively fired and walks away with millions of dollars in severance packages. This is what so many in this country are so upset with right now.

There has always been an element of class envy that has existed in the U.S. Up until recently, it was something that ran just under the surface and was something that caused minor conflict. With the huge decline in the economy it is becoming a major issue. Mainly because not only are the poor getting poorer, but in numbers that are unprecedented in our history, the middle class is being wiped out. There will soon be no middle class, just the rich and the poor.

I would not question only the salaries of CEOs and university basketball coaches, but also the salaries of most major sports figures and most Hollywood personalities. I can’t help but wonder how we got to this point  where we are willing to reward the people who entertain us with riches that , in times past, would have been reserved for royalty. Is our amusement so important that we are willing to  pay more for  a few laughs than we are willing to pay for a cure for cancer? Because that is essentially what we are doing. The amount spent on  leisure activities is  much more than spent on research to cure serious diseases.

Recently  NASCAR,  which I follow as a fan, has been  discussing the effects of the economic downturn and what it means to that sport. With over one thousand jobs linked to the sport being lost in the Charlotte area alone, the impact has been great. Some of the biggest stars have lamented that fact with long faces and concerned voices in interview after interview. Yet, with only a couple of exceptions, I haven’t heard them offer to forego their multi-million dollar salaries to save the jobs of some of those affected. How serious do we take their expressions of concern?

Much is being done in government to address the serious economic situation in the United States. It will take time to see if what is being done will make a difference and turn the economy around. Even if everything goes perfectly, we have been warned that things will get worse before they get better. In the meantime, I hope that we can begin to challenge our priorities, as a society. If we don’t, I fear that we will find ourselves back at this juncture at another time in the future. Because at the root of all of this, greed plays a huge roll.

When I was growing up, an oft quoted saying was “money is the root of all evil.” The actual quote comes from the Bible and the book of Timothy: “For the love of money is the root of all evil.” (Timothy, 6:10) There is nothing wrong with money, and in fact it is necessary in modern commerce. But when every decision and every motivation is based on monetary value trouble awaits.

Sorry, again, for the rant. But the incident you blogged about is one of the main symptoms of a much more serious problem in this country. But the solution is going to be very complex and not easily addressed.

Thanks to Linda

I would like to thank Linda for encouraging me to share my comment as a complete post. (You too, Mimi Pencilskirt.) I don’t have answers for this situation, and there are certainly those who would classify me as a knee jerk liberal based on my viewpoint. I grew up with nothing, and for most of my adult life I’ve been a member of the middle class. Some of my feelings can certainly be attributed to envy, I admit. But there is also an overriding yearning for true justice. I can’t understand the ability of some to stand idly by while others suffer. I guess it’s my idealism…or maybe naivete…coming out.

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