INCOME INEQUALITY

INCOME INEQUALITY

By Jim “Gymbeaux” Brown, October 29, 2017

FACT:  The Number Two or Backup Quarterback for the New Orleans Saints who may NEVER play even one down for the Saints UNLESS the Number One Quarterback is injured, makes $900,000 a year.  Think about that for just a moment and then apply it to yourself.  How much do you make a year?  What do you do for a living?  Do you think what you do should be worth $900,000 a year?  What makes being a BACKUP Quarterback in the NFL worth $900,000 a year?

Do you know what a public school teacher makes in Louisiana per year?  Would love to know how much you said when you read that question.  My personal guess turned out to be right on the money.  Here it is from the Internet:

Average Elementary School Teacher Yearly Salary in Louisiana.

Elementary School Teachers earn a median salary of $47,460 per year.

Salaries typically start from $40,140 and go up to $60,320.

If I were to use my public educational math skills and compare the two as I did, I discovered that the New Orleans Saints administration could fund the ANNUAL salaries of 14 to as many as 22 teachers A YEAR on what they pay JUST ONE BACKUP quarterback, A YEAR!

What have professional sports figures done to deserve such out of whack incomes?  They can run faster, throw a ball more accurate, sink basketballs, score soccer goals, etc.  Tell me how that improves the lives of the millions upon millions people around the world – I’ll wait. 

Most of these athletes either graduated from universities with degrees in athletics or they didn’t finish at all.  Why?  Because they could run faster, block better, throw more accurately and didn’t need an education to earn the millions they now earn.  Even with their huge salaries, completing a sentence would be a miracle rather than the norm.  Yet when there is something going on in the world, where do the news reporters go for opinions?  When was the last time you saw the national news media interview a school teacher to see what he or she thought?  No, they will instead go to a Hollywood actor or Professional athlete as if these people have some form of intellect far above the “Average Joe” in America.

I am 72 years old and I am NOT a school teacher.  I include this fact because it is important to understand I have been following football, more specifically professional football since Jim Brown played (1950s) for the Cleveland Browns; he was the best that ever played!  That makes me an old timer when it comes to watching professional sports like the New Orleans Saints.  I have followed the Saints since 1967 when they were founded.  This year I have NOT watched a single game.  Why?  Because Roger Godell the National Football League Commissioner had absolutely NO guts, NONE, to do the right thing when Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the National Anthem to protest the way police treat Blacks; at least that is what he ORIGINALLY said.  His story has changed since first taking a knee.  Unfortunately more and more players thought it was the smart thing to do to show solidarity with Kaepernick because they too have since taken to their knees.  I personally find their actions beyond disgusting.  There is no place for political statements during professional sporting events.  Roger Godell should have been fired for mishandling this BEFORE it got out of hand which it has. Right or wrong, I believe the protests are NOT about social injustice but are reflections of their dislike for President Trump.  Showing their disgust for whatever reason is fine BUT NOT DURING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM!

WHERE WILL IT END?  What I would like to ask Roger is what he will do when a player wants to take a knee to show his disgust for abortions?  That too is a social issue, is it not?  What if a player wants to take a knee to demonstrate against Israel? Here’s one: what if players took knees to protest the totally inadequate salaries paid to school teachers? I can find any number of causes both good and bad.  What will good old Roger do then?  Oh, and by the way, Roger makes in excess of 44 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR to screw up like he has.  Or to put that another way, 44 Million Dollars would fund the annual salaries of between 633 and 1000 Louisiana school teachers.  Did I hear someone say INCOME INEQUALITY?  

Here is the second part that truly matters.  I have NOT missed watching professional sports.  In fact I have done so much more with my time.  It proves that my thinking is right on the money, no pun intended.  To Roger Godell and all the owners of professional sports teams especially Tom Benson of the Saints, you have broken Business Rule #1 – DON’T PISS OFF CUSTOMERS!  You have done that and it is my opinion you have sealed your own fate and deserve ever bit of what you will now fail to receive – our money!  Let’s see how valuable a punter is when the seats are empty and the television revenues dwindle. 

So why am I singling out teachers?  Glad you asked.  When you have heart surgery, you can thank a school teacher somewhere in the heart surgeons' history causing him or her to become what he or she has become.  I seriously doubt that your heart surgeon was convinced to enter the medical profession because someone scored a touchdown or punted a football (4.7 Million a year for the New Orleans Saints punter to play a total of maybe 2 minutes per game).

I singled out school teachers because it all starts with teachers in Kindergarten classes and progresses through grade 12. Then some students go to college but NOT ALL go to college.   What happens to those students who choose not to go to college and let’s say are taught by another teacher to become a plumber instead? The next time your toilet backs up, call an NFL kicker to fix it or a quarterback, or better yet a 7’ tall basketball player.

I’m sickened by the term “income inequality” because the people at the top of the income scale have no clue as to what they are talking about or protesting.  Let’s start with redistributing THEIR INCOME.  When we get to that point, the discussion will immediately terminate when the reality of their protest/concern actually sets in.  Wait - you want to redistribute MY income?  Seriously?  I never meant that when I said we need income equality in America.  School teachers will NEVER make 4.7 Million Dollars a year but their product is worth more when you realize they mold the future leaders of our country and world; my children, YOUR children.

For the record, when my toilet backs up I would NOT call a teacher or a NFL punter, I would call a plumber if I could not fix it myself.  Also for the record, I could apply this same logic to Hollywood Actors, Writers, Musicians; Politicians (especially politicians) the list of “types” would be endless.  Parents who care, want the best for their children and that would start with the best education their children could possibly receive.  But what are parents doing about insuring that the teachers they trust to teach their children are teachers of high quality.  To get high quality teachers you have to establish high standards for them and then totally raise the bar in regards to how much these vital positions mean to everyone’s future by paying them what they are worth!  Put another way, you cannot become a brain surgeon if you haven’t learned your ABCs.

Therein folks is your INCOME INEQUALITY!  Sleep on that one overnight, if you can.  Some day in the far distant future, it WILL be different and people WILL be compensated on the IMPORTANCE OF WHAT THEY DO TO SERVE OTHERS.  Sadly I will not see that day and I doubt you will not as well.