[thechat] A balance of opinion. - Iran

deacon b. web at master.gen.in.us
Wed Mar 26 16:26:27 CST 2003


> deacon b. mumbled:
 
> >>But in practice, people get paid more for work that 
> >>makes you dirty, work that makes you sweat, work 
> >>that drives you crazy, work that endangers your life 
> >>or health. 

> "In practice"?  Is this some kind of wierd troll?
 
> On what planet does this happen? Where gold mine 
> miners make more than web developers?  

According to the BLS, the average miner in the US 
makes $49,000 per year in salary, not including 
overtime, bonuses and benefits. 

I can hire web developers for $8 an hour here in 
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where unemployment is 
running fairly low.  

> Where running shoe factory workers make 
> more than stock brokers?  

I don't know of any stockbrokers who are paid a 
wage. If they don't make any sales, they get *zilch*. 

And I don't know of any running shoe factories in the 
US, so you'd have to figure out some sort of 
geographical munge factor.

> Where firemen make more than pro golfers?

Masterlink club services says $29,381 for the 
average golf pro. Latest figures I can find for 
firefighters from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 
1995, which showed a mean of $677/week, which
amounts to $35,204.

> Methinks you (at the very least) left some measure of level of 
> knowledge and skill out of the equation somewhere.

I won't deny that when occupations are licensed, the 
artificial scarcity involved skews the free market in 
trade. Stock brokers are licensed, but that's not a 
factor in *that* comparison. Anyone who can make 
a good living on commission sales of stocks and 
bonds can make a good living selling semi tractors 
or numerical-controlled milling machines. 

 




--

RIP Adam Osborne, 1939-2003
And 23 pounds of thanks!




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