re: How much should a Supreme Court Justice's Salary Be?

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In one sense, yes. Their responsibilities and reach and budgets are vast. But the fact that you could strip the salaries away altogether and still have people lining up to spend $500m to get the job suggests otherwise.

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I don't really think this is entirely true.

I mean, yes, you get people lining up for the job. But, are you getting the RIGHT people lining up for it? For regular jobs, there are TWO factors to whether a Salary is the right one. 1)Does it attract candidates for the job and 2)Are they GOOD candidates.

I've talked about the salary problem for congress and the President for probably 15 years. To paraphrase a longer argument.

Imagine you weren't electing people for those jobs. Instead, imagine you were running job listings for them. What knowledge skills and abilities would you hope the applicants have? I know that when I think about the KSAs, it's a damned impressive list that I'd like to see and a ridiculously diverse skill set.

Oh, but now imagine that in your job listing, on top of that, you wrote the caveat. "Oh, and if you apply, everyone in your family is fair game to have their lives turned inside out going back as far as the eye can see. If your husband got a DUI 30 years ago, THAT will be news. If your daughters party like normal college kids, THAT will be news. People will call your kids ugly, people will drag your sister, mother, father, uncle, and even long time friends through the mud. All for the salary of $XXXX.

I will submit to you that we have a LOT of people in this country who COMFORTABLY meet the skill set you'd write. Unfortunately, most of those people make MORE than the stated salary AND, they're completely anonymous. At best, they're mildly well known in their local communities. Their kids aren't fodder for TMZ. No one will bring up that they were mean kids in high school 40 fricking years ago. None of that.

I submit to you that yeah, we get a long line of people. People who are clearly motivated due to the POWER involved. People who frankly, must kinda not even like their families or at least not like them enough to spare them the bull shite. And, we get a lot of people(just look at congress) who frankly, wouldn't qualify for HALF that salary doing any regular jobs in the world.

So yeah, it's $200+K plus power. You're going to get people lining up. Unfortunately, it also comes with enough bull shite that you aren't getting the RIGHT people lining up.

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That said, you shouldn't have to use money to entice an attorney to leave private practice and those that would only switch for a high salary probably aren't those who should be on the bench anyway.

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Sigh. This is a painfully stupid way to look at it.

Do you want talent or not?

Sheesh.

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Sigh. This is a painfully stupid way to look at it.

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I actually disagree in this case. Principle is far and away the most important characteristic of a SC Justice. These are the arbiters of our rights as human beings.

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I don't really think this is entirely true.

I mean, yes, you get people lining up for the job. But, are you getting the RIGHT people lining up for it? For regular jobs, there are TWO factors to whether a Salary is the right one. 1)Does it attract candidates for the job and 2)Are they GOOD candidates.

I've talked about the salary problem for congress and the President for probably 15 years. To paraphrase a longer argument.

Imagine you weren't electing people for those jobs. Instead, imagine you were running job listings for them. What knowledge skills and abilities would you hope the applicants have? I know that when I think about the KSAs, it's a damned impressive list that I'd like to see and a ridiculously diverse skill set.

Oh, but now imagine that in your job listing, on top of that, you wrote the caveat. "Oh, and if you apply, everyone in your family is fair game to have their lives turned inside out going back as far as the eye can see. If your husband got a DUI 30 years ago, THAT will be news. If your daughters party like normal college kids, THAT will be news. People will call your kids ugly, people will drag your sister, mother, father, uncle, and even long time friends through the mud. All for the salary of $XXXX.

I will submit to you that we have a LOT of people in this country who COMFORTABLY meet the skill set you'd write. Unfortunately, most of those people make MORE than the stated salary AND, they're completely anonymous. At best, they're mildly well known in their local communities. Their kids aren't fodder for TMZ. No one will bring up that they were mean kids in high school 40 fricking years ago. None of that.

I submit to you that yeah, we get a long line of people. People who are clearly motivated due to the POWER involved. People who frankly, must kinda not even like their families or at least not like them enough to spare them the bull shite. And, we get a lot of people(just look at congress) who frankly, wouldn't qualify for HALF that salary doing any regular jobs in the world.

So yeah, it's $200+K plus power. You're going to get people lining up. Unfortunately, it also comes with enough bull shite that you aren't getting the RIGHT people lining up.

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You raise some interesting points. Don't know that there's anyway to separate power from megalomania, though. Maybe we could strengthen privacy laws, but people who won't expose their families for $400K aren't going to do it for $1M or $2M. And people who would do it for $400K will do it for free.

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Not to put too fine a point on it, but when the POTUS is awarded salary at a fraction of the income of several people on this board, I'd say that salary is just a bit low. I don't give a damn if the recipient is Obama, Carter, Nixon, or Trump. IMO the job and our national capacity warrant at least $1M/HOR seat, $2M/Senate or SCOTUS seat, and $4M for the POTUS.

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Yep.

I literally was just part of a meeting where the top dog in the room made more than any soul in congress or the Senate and he's pushing Oval office money. An immensely talented businessman and here's the best part. He's not even really a somebody in the overall corporation. If he went to a meeting of their top executives, I doubt they'd recognize him and put a name with the face.

What general is making 300k?

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What general is making 300k?

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A 4-Star makes base pay, better than $17K per month depending on time in service. $20K isn't uncommon.

Their housing allowance, assuming they're married is $2178. They also get BAS of about $370.

For the guys with $20K base pay, that's $270K.

Keeping in mind that of that pay, the BAH and the BAS isn't taxable. Hence, a bit over $30K isn't taxed. In their bracket, that effectively means it's like earning more another 10+K.

Get's pretty damned close and SOME 4 Stars have base pay of $20,500.

I suppose I could've just posted a one sentence quip instead.

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There ain't many 4 star generals brah

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I simply answered the question. I didnt say their were a bunch