All Star America

While I was doing some poking around for ideas and what not for my “Common Sense in America” article I was lead to a whole other topic that once again exhibits the total lack of good sense in America.

Don’t get me wrong I am a very patriotic citizen of “These United States”. As such I feel that it is my patriotic duty to speak up when I see a problem.

This time though it is not the American Government that I feel is creating the trouble. It is the American Citizens.

This particular problem deals with the value we place on the entertainment industry as a whole. I have seen so often people are willing to pay $1800.00 to $28.000 to buy “Super Bowl Packages” or about $70.00 a pop just to see a regular game, and then complain if they have to pay a $20.00 a year increase in school taxes. We pay $20.00 dollars a person to go see the newest movie out, but complain at the $20.00 co-pay we pay at the Dr. office.

The end result of our willingness to pay ridicules amounts of money to be entertained rather than be cared for and educated can be seen in the overwhelming discrepancies of the salaries earned by Actors and Athletes, compared to Doctors, Teachers, and Police Officers.

Tiger Woods  earned $110,000,000.00 during the past 12 months. Though I am not certain of the break-down this figure includes, winnings, endorsment deals, and produt sales.

Will Smith Hollywood's best-paid actor, banked an estimated $80,000,000.00 in earned income last year. I said earned income not to be confused with investment income. This is what he actually got paid.

Ben Roethlisberger was the top-paid football player of 2008; earning a salary of $27,701,920.00. $25 million was a sign on bonus.

Notice how many places there are before the decimal point. We are talking 8 and 9 figure salaries here.  I am not saying that these people are not talented and do not work hard for their money just like the rest of us but lets face it these people are not shopping at “Target”.  Very few of these dollars are being returned to the American economic system.

While on the other hand the “Should be All Star Americans”, who live and work and spend in our communities have a much different story to tell.

Neurosurgeons, doctors who are among the top paid medical professionals, earn about $500,000.00 a year.

California teachers are maxing out in some districts at $91,000.00 California is the highest paying state in America.

The highest-paid 10 percent of “Police Officers” earned an average of $72,450 a year.

Notice the five and six figure incomes for our protectors, educators and caregivers.

These figures are startling evidence of Americans wastefulness. It is shockingly apparent that a multitude of Americans place more value on being entertained than building our country.

Yes Tiger Woods is extremely talented, as are Will Smith and Ben Roethlisberger, but lets face it none of them are going to cure cancer, inspire the next Albert Einstein, or protect you while you sleep tonight.

The entertainment industry can support the kind of earnings you see here because we give them the money. We pay their salaries as we do Teachers, Doctors and Police Officers. As you can see we are not doing a very good job at prioritizing our spending.

Absolutely. Stop wasting the money. Invest the money in your family instead.

Spend time with your kids, play ball, ride bikes, visit the zoo, help with homework, teach them, love them, care for them, re-instill family values.