As IF Times

link Fraud case targets grants awarded by President Obama’s friend – Chicago Sun-Times.

 When little Johnny or little Suzy are asked what they want to be when they grow up, it’s likely they will give the usual expected responses.  For boys, it’s policeman, fireman, doctor etc.  For girls, it may be nurse, teacher or lawyer.  For the really starry eyed, sports star or entertainment personality will also be options.  How quaint that sounds.  Kids these days have no idea where the big money is made.  The really precocious youngsters may aspire to be investment bankers or hedge fund managers, but nobody really knows what those jobs entail at that age.  Come to think of it, it’s not really clear to me what they do and I’m almost an adult.  According to MSN.com, the list of top 10 paying careers are as follows:

 But apparently, the really high paying jobs aren’t even on the radar for most kids.  Let’s take the example of Mr. Whittaker, the person mentioned in the linked article.  His job is “executive vice president for strategic affiliations and associate dean for community-based research” – a job which pays $670,833, at least in 2009.  Now in 2011, 3 years later with COLA it’s probably a few ticks higher.  Hey, inflation affects the rich too!  Why are the teachers of today not prepping their kids for these kinds of jobs?  What kind of schooling qualifies someone to be eligible for a nearly $700,000 a year public service job?  If you read the title of his job again, it says ” associate dean”.  I’m guessing the real dean gets paid a few ticks more. The President of the United States is paid a nominal $400,000 a year.  Of course that doesn’t include a modest expense account and living allowance.   But  a person who is an assistant dean for strategic affilliations makes almost 75% more than the President.

 Makes you wonder though, would it be possible to get someone to do this obviously important job for a slightly lower salary, say $500,000? or $400,000? Or perhaps even $200,000 without materially affecting the tasks at hand?  At some point, you’d have to think that many other competent people who are also experts in “strategic affiliations and community based research” would be eligible to fill the post, saving the taxpayers some serious dough.

 Ah, but the requisite item on their resume would have to include friendship with certain politicians.  For this reason, courses should be offered at all stages of children’s education to include “friendship of potential politicians” – how to identify them, how to maintain contact and how to capitalize on them.  Clearly, this has more bearing on earning potential than a genuine skill set.  Once you gain access to this circle of people, their future livelihoods are ensured.  They will not be subject to the vagaries of the business cycle nor of any supply and demand dynamics.  Once they are in the sufficiently connected circle, it’s only a matter of finding a bank large enough to hold their regular hefty deposits. 

 This is hardly a partisan observation since this dynamic has been going on since somebody invented the idea of government.   But in this time when there are those expressing the need to have fairness in the tax system, where the “rich” have to pay more in taxes to support the infrastructure to support the  less affluent, it’s a jarring affront to common sense.  On the other hand, if you follow the logic of those in office now, why not make everyone a high paid civil servant and then hit them all with a higher tax rate?  As usual, the elegantly simple solutions are the best.