Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Let's see - Jobs or Entertainment? - Jonathan Macey: Government Bailouts Feed Wall Street Bonuses - WSJ.com

Jonathan Macey: Government Bailouts Feed Wall Street Bonuses - WSJ.com

Thinking about Wall Street bonuses (are we talking bankers or investment bankers?), the worst feeling is watching a pro football game and hearing about the salaries paid to people who provide entertainment by knocking heads.

Mind you, I'm not contesting the right of people to knock heads (or shins if you think of soccer as the sport), nor am I contesting the public's interest in watching such sporting events.

However, it does strike one as odd that while sports stars provide entertainment, it is the financial resources and the skills of bankers that support the creation of the jobs that pay for the ability of the public to sit back and watch a game. Somehow a relatively small bonus (small in relative terms) to a banker is 'outrageous'; whereas sports stars can righteously command far greater sums. It just seems rather backwards!

And, if that wasn't enough, the latest hullabaloo about the star of American Idol leaving with (per a CNN interview) the hope to move up to be a billion (yes a 'billion') dollar a year entertainer - well, there we go again. Jobs/Entertainment; Entertainment/Jobs??????

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