RE: TW Salaries--Is it me, or are people greedier? (Mild Vent)

["Le Vie, DonaldX S" <donaldx -dot- s -dot- le -dot- vie -at- intel -dot- com>]

The question of what is "fair" is answered by "whatever the market will
bear." Is professional baseball player Alex Rodriguez worth $14,600 an hour
or over $560,000 per week?  We may all say "hell, no" but he's getting it
because that's what the market will bear.

None of us think that the owners of the baseball team that Alex Rodriguez
plays for offered him that much money...he asked for it, he negotiated for
it (with the help of his agent). Rodriguez brings a set of skills with him
that are in demand, and the market apparently thinks they are worth the $252
million or so dollars he's going to be paid.

It's the same with our industry. I don't know about anyone else, but I
didn't acquire the skills, knowledge, and experience I have to save the
whales or the snail darter. It's not a matter of greed..it's a matter of
being compensated at a level that the market will bear. Markets vary
according to industry, geographical location, supply and demand, and skill
sets to name just a few factors--not to mention what I want to do for the
rest of MY life. If John asks for $100K and gets it and you ask for $70K and
get it and you both have equivalent skills and experience, it's because
(perhaps) John has a better idea of what the market will bear, what his
financial needs are based on his present personal circumstances and future
aspirations, and nothing to do with greed. Don't expect employers to be
"fair" and offer you the same as they offered me. 

This raises an interesting question: Who's more greedy? The person who asked
for $100K and got it and is happy, or the person who asked for $70K and got
it, but is angry that someone with the same skills and experience is making
$30K more?

When commenting on salary levels, I think the word "greedy" is sometimes a
euphemism for "I have no idea what the market will accept." Your statement
"how much does it cost to sustain a normal middle class life in DC" is
irrelevant to your notion of "what's fair." What if this person doesn't
subscribe to your idea of "a normal middle class life in DC"? What if this
person wants to retire early, stay at home with  his/her kids, and travel
around the world on a slow-moving tramp steamer?

It's all relative.

Donn Le Vie


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