Thursday, December 1, 2011

UC Pay Raises

The state of California is in an uproar over the latest pay raises being handed out to certain high-level University of California officials. Last night, radio talk jocks John and Ken (KFI 640 am) were all over the news howling in outrage over the huge raises across the UC system. Below is the Orange County Register report this morning, which focuses on UC Irvine.

http://taxdollars.ocregister.com/2011/11/30/big-pay-raises-for-uc-execs-including-irvines-2/143471/

Of course, the students who have taken to protesting high tuition costs will be happy to hear this news. It will give them more fodder to protest. As for me, I am torn. On the one hand, I am a free market capitalist who begrudges nobody for making a lot of money as long as it is done legally. On the other hand, if money is so tight within the UC system, it seems difficult to justify these huge raises, right?



"Uhhhh........yeaaaah."

The university, of course, says that large salaries are necessary to attract the "best" talent. Were we talking about professors, I could produce a long list of names of UC professors who are anything but the best talent.  As for the people mentioned, I have no idea.

Anyway, it will be fun to watch the protests. As for me, in the interest of full disclosure, I also received a pay raise this quarter from UC Irvine. I now get three bucks an hour more for my part-time teaching gig. That'll cover a pint at happy hour at the Anthill Pub.


"Drinks for the House!"
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1 comment:

  1. Siarlys JenkinsDecember 1, 2011 at 2:15 PM

    "Were we talking about professors, I could produce a long list of names of UC professors who are anything but the best talent."

    Not unlike the fabulous bonuses paid to attract "the best talent" to Wall Street firms that nearly plunged our economy into Great Depression 2.0, and seem to have learned nothing from the experience.

    What about capping EVERYONE at $100,000 a year, max, and then allowing some modest bonuses for genuine extraordinary contributions? Jaime Escalante, the Los Angeles teacher who got Garfield High School students through advanced calculus, would be a good example of someone who deserved a little extra. A bank CEO who kept the place solvent, didn't have any massive CDS losses on his watch, turned a modest profit for shareholders, might also. Are there any such left?

    As for university professors... maybe the one who has five students who each found a cure for a form of cancer within the first five years? Social science professors need not apply, unless their student returned the USA to full employment with a balanced budget.

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