30% Say Government Should Limit Pay for Athletes and Movie Stars

Originally posted by elston
This is largely related to jealousy. Government should not be involved with salaries in any way shape or form. I have a hard time that people would even think about this from a government stand point. This is utterly ridiculous and for those who are the 30% are the ones who don't know what's going on.

I don't have a problem with actors, athletes, ceo's or anyone else making a million or even a billion a year BUT DO THEY PAY THEIR TAXES? Do they pay the full 35% or do they cheat the system?!

Its well known that the majority of revenue comes from the middle class, not the wealthy and certainly not the poor. The poor get tax credit while the wealthy invest in all kinds of non-taxable schemes. So you see its not so much a case of jealousy, its more a case of tax evasion....

I think what these people get paid is ridiculous. Yeah they provide a service but do they really need 20 million dollars to do it?! No! Doctors provide a service saving your life and so do police and the teachers who teach all these stars to get where they are. Now why arent these people making millions??? I love the entertainment industry but lately all the stars are so stuck up and money hungry it's sickening.

Limit pay and the highest taxes...oh wait, you forgot they pay a crap load of taxes (which they should)?

A flat base tax sounds logical, but I just do not see how our government could operate without the millionaires chipping their money in too, not that a government failure would be a bad thing at the moment...

Some people are CRAZY about sports. It has been that way for a long time. A universal culture...

BUT, you have a choice on how to spend your money. So, if you do not want them to have your money, do not watch them or go to the games! That simple...they are not TAKING your money.

reply to post by David9176


Amen David!

I'm not a religious person, by any stretch of the imaginiation. However, I've recently come to the (personal) conclusion that if people would go back to the basics ... things would be a heck of a lot better ..

By the basics I mean "The 10 Commandments"

If people would just follow those basic moral rules this world would be a much better place, imo

Yes, really it's not up to the gov't even though I agree that they make too much money for what they do.

The fact is, if you don't like it, don't watch (which is what gives them their money in the first place).

I for one have no interest in sports and little in movies. Every couple months I may go to see a movie if it really piques my interest...but I'm not sure that was such a good idea the last time.

If you don't like Walmart...don't shop there.
If you don't like FOX...don't buy from their advertisers.
If you don't like players' salaries...don't go to sporting events or buy merchandise.

Originally posted by Make Speed Limit 45

Originally posted by ANNED
What many of you are saying is no one should make over 1 million a year.

OK lets limit all lottery winnings to 1 million.

lottery winners did absolutely nothing to deserve over 1 million.
all the did was buy a $1 dollar ticket,

Ok with me. Hell - lets just ban lotteries. Insane that we have all these govt sponsored lotteries.

That money goes towards taxes and locally funded programs, you very questionable person.

reply to post by Make Speed Limit 45


Instead of running to the government to legislate our jealousy toward those who have become successful why don't we limit the salaries of the scum bag politicians that have done everything they could to f*ck up the country.

I think politicians should get paid by commission, just like a car salesman. For every problem they fix they get a nice, crisp, clean, newly printed $100 bill courtesy of the FED.


[edit on 29-3-2009 by LiquidMirage]

reply to post by kinda kurious

Just more combative personal crap.
It seems that's all you are capable of contributing.


There is a way to disagree with people in discussion while staying on topic, and then there is the personal combative crap. That's two different things. Perhaps someday you might learn that ... then again, perhaps not.

Originally posted by Make Speed Limit 45
BS - most wealthy people are useless parasites who don't actually produce anything. They're lawyers, politicians, entertainers, athletes, corp ceos, investment bankers etc.

Those people produce wealth for themselves and for others. They aren't parasites. Parasites are those who produce no wealth.

reply to post by kinda kurious


Get over it. When you get your ass kicked you lose your land.

If we would have kept to that in present day, we would not be in the wars we are in. Or, we would own half of the world.

Myself, stay the hell out of other countries. Protect our boarders and be self sufficient. I don't think being to "global" is good for anyone but the International Bankers.

Now, what the Hell does the Indians have to do with this thread?

Did they get paid to much for thier "Entertainment Casino's"?

$1 million isn't enough for these people?


To tell you the truth, the entertainment industry is what destroyed America.

what doesnt make sense is they make this note that represents gold right?
HEAVY GOLD... Then they make a little piece of plastic to represent the paper money.

Seems to me its too easy to get rich and ignorant.

My cure for all the worlds problems is this.

a functional credit card, and all forms of currency are made from a special blend of Pure LEAD with other proprietary ingredients.

Make that credit card wiegh 50 or 60 pounds, also.. if sombody wants to go out and buy a HumV to look cool make them pay a 1million dollar tax.

Originally posted by Make Speed Limit 45

Thursday, March 26, 2009

While a great deal of public anger is focused at corporate executives these days, Johnny Depp and the Boys of Summer don’t fare much better. Thirty percent (30%) of Americans believe the government should make it illegal to pay movie stars and athletes more than $1 million per year.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 59% oppose government pay limits for film stars and jocks. There is a more support—but not much more--for capping the pay of corporate executives. Thirty-six percent (36%) say the federal government should make it illegal to pay any executive more than $1 million a year. The majority (54%), however, disagree.

Professional golfer Tiger Woods is the highest–paid athlete in America for the fifth year in a row, earning $128 million in 2007, according to Sports Illustrated. Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis, Eddie Murphy, Tom Cruise, John Travolta. Nicolas Cage, Julia Roberts and Will Smith are the highest-paid movie stars, earning $20 million or more per film, according to the website Hollywood.com.

John A. Thain, head of Merrill Lynch, was the highest compensated CEO in 2007, earning nearly $84 million, the New York Times reported. Merrill Lynch, facing insolvency following the collapse of the subprime mortgage market, merged with Bank of America last year. (snip)

www.rasmussenreports.com...

Damn right. Athletes and film stars are useless parasites who don't produce anything.

Well Hey idiot if You don't like the money they are making then don't watch sports or the movies. You know some people are such envious selfish children... Bah bah I can't make 100k a year because I made idiotic decisions my whole life so no one else can even that guy down the road that works 100 hours a week. I personally think a good communist is a dead communist and thats what this country is coming to.

limiting pay for athletes is a terrible idea if you think about it.


why cut the salaries of the individuals who actually sell the tickets? it would only increase the profits of the owners and managers. and granted, athletes do very little for society, maybe provide a distraction now and then, but relative to how much money they bring into the industry, they are actually underpaid. if anything they should get raises while the owners take pay cuts.


now if you're talking about lowering ticket prices and so on, that's something else.

So now government intervention in yet another sector they have absolutely no business in. If you don't like what these people are making then don't support it. Don't go to games or watch them on TV. They get money from the networks that show the games. Don't but T shirts or any logo clothing, stickers etc. The teams get paid for all that stuff and the players pay comes out of it too.
Same with the movie stars. No DVD rentals, no TV.

These people sat down with agents and worked out payment. It's no ones business what they are paid. I don't like paying what I have to when I want to go to a game but I still go because I like the game being played (I'm an NFL junkie). I don't go to movies much but I do rent DVDs. I think they all are overpaid but I'm not their boss so I have no dog in that fight.

Allow governmental intervention here you are opening a door into all the private sector. They could just as easy say any of us make too much and cut our wages or salaries. I guess we give the government that power they are the boss. They can decide what we maker and then tax it too. Yeah, that's what we need to do

It is mind boggling to me how people can keep wanting more and more government control in our lives. I wonder how long it will be until someone asks for the government to tell us how many times we can go to the restroom. "Hold on Mister..Did you pay the carbon tax on that draft beer fart?"

I never would have thought that 30% of the people would actually say something like this. Government is way too big now and 30% thinks we need more to regulate these two industries. I'm sorry but you can't have it both ways. You can't have any freedom with more gov. control.

Maybe we need a law to keep people from asking for more laws

If you have a problem with the ultra rich celebrities and wish to see their pay "capped"...

Then go and steal it from them at gunpoint, like the common thief that you are.

Don't sit behind your percieved moral shield. It will disintegrate under questioning.

This thought stream is based entirely on jelousy. It is childish and ignorant. Because you aren't rich/ famous and you know you never will be, you do the only thing possible to level the playing field... you start demonising those who are rich/famous and attempt to grab their wealth.

It's like a child who doesn't have a toy, so cries until a toy can be taken from another child; and then claiming a moral right to do so because the other child "must have stolen from you in order to own the toy in the first place".

Originally posted by Merriman Weir

Originally posted by elston
This is largely related to jealousy.

Really? That old chestnut?

The truth never changes.

If not jelousy then what other reason could there be for proposing a pay cap? Moral indignance? Ha, save it.

Perhaps in a moral world a nurse would get a million pounds a year while the footballer would be on £100 a week. However this world is far from moral, and it shall never be the workers paradise that you envisage.
No government nor economic system can tame the nature of man. The only recourse is to allow the market to take its path, and for each man to determine his own worth via his actions and career.

[edit on 30-3-2009 by 44soulslayer]

I don't have a problem with celebrities and athlete's making ridiculous sums of money. At least it is based on supply and demand. If people don't want to watch / listen to their product, then they won't be able to demand such a salary. Now, having tax payers foot the bill for new stadiums is a bit hard to swallow when athletes / owners are making such a killing, but that is a different debate.

Now, on the other hand I WHOLEHEARTEDLY support a cap on the pay that our governmental officials receive and I think it should be much less than what they are making now. This would obviously include donations from lobbyists. Especially in light of our current state of the world, these greedy pigs should be the last ones to vote themselves a pay increase. They are doing a terrible job running the country. They don't represent the people and they absolutely do not deserve to live the extravagant lifestyles that they are accustom to.

^ This has nothing to do with jealousy.

reply to post by Karlhungis


I agree entirely Karl.

Government is inherently an anti-market dictatorial monopoly.

It is the only area which should be subject to pay caps! Personally I would love to see a system where each member of congress gets fined 5% of their salary at the end of the year for each time they have violated the constitution.

At that rate, half of the bastards would end up paying the taxpayer!

Originally posted by elston
This is largely related to jealousy. Government should not be involved with salaries in any way shape or form. I have a hard time that people would even think about this from a government stand point. This is utterly ridiculous and for those who are the 30% are the ones who don't know what's going on.

Unfortunately understanding that the PTB in the Whitehouse are now socialist this is, regretably, not ridiculous.
Tax the rich and bleed them off to 'pass the wealth around' as opposed to 'trickle down' wealth.

The knock-on affect can be that the rich and wealthy emigrate as they'll be fed up of being bled white...

I think that all individual fortune above US$1 million should be confiscated.
Nobody needs more than this in his entire life. Nobody needs to have 12 cars in the garage, half dozen real state and hundreds of thousand dollars in useless things.
Idolatry on illiterate and lousy athtletes that earn millions of dollars a year when most people cannot even pay for food is one of the most ridiculous thing in this world. Furthermore, all billions of dollars circulating in sports are more and more being used to money laundering, and nobody, at least in the mean press and government, ever talk about this - maybe because all this circus must be kept in order to keep people dumbly calm and conformed.

It's been said ad nauseum by other people on this thread but it bares repeating because people are thick about it. The United States and EU countries are not socialist countries. They do not operate on each according to their need. That means, unfortunately, that your salary as a nurse, office worker, or some form of unskilled laborer will not warrant you a million dollars a year. If a footballer like Beckham can draw 75,000 people to a stadium to watch him play (even in his less formidable years) why should he not be compensated handsomely? Think of the jobs he and his teammates help create. Vendors, car parkers, janitors, security guards, not to mention the tv personalities and magazine staffs centered around these things. They create more wealth in a season than a nurse creates in a lifetime. All because some 'worthless' athlete can get 75,000 people to come to a stadium on any given day. These socialist arguments sound like sour grapes to me. My argument would be against the management of these teams who artificially inflate ticket prices because they know people are addicted to their product. Why would you want the government any more involved in your economy than they already are? I like my government action the same way I like salt, sparingly and only when it's necessary.