Inside Higher Ed reports on proposals to reduce income disparity at several American colleges: The President and the Paupers.
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Income disparity in higher ed
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Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Income disparity in higher ed
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comments: 6
"Disparity" is of "parity" and the prefix stating its negation. Therefore, based on language as on all the various arguments read in the comments to the referenced article, why not simply counter disparity with parity? All receive the same remuneration, period. Nothing could be more fair in simple numerical terms. The rest of the conversation is just about envy directed at someone earning more than you, or you defending your earning more than someone else. Parity would end the discussion and clear the stage for individuals motivated by something other than money. Why not have custodians and professors and presidents all dine at the same dis-disparity table?
I don’t think there’s envy in noting a great difference (disparity) between highest and lowest salary in an institution. As for one salary fits all, I don’t see how such a proposal would work. I do like the idea of voluntary caps, which would require an element of executive modesty and restraint.
Voluntary caps including the notion of possible modesty and restraint are already there, if generally unused. So much for volunteerism. This is the point, because one is either for or against income disparity, and calling on voluntary restraint indicates your are for disparity because you are not at the bottom of the pay scale. Else you would have the opposite view. A part-time lecturer would most certainly envy you a full time position. Once one argues for disparity, it becomes the old joke about sleeping with someone for ten million dollars, and then when the answer is yes dropping the offer to twenty bucks, because the only thing let is to haggle about price. What is the price of labor, from bottom rung to full professor to president? If you say different values, then it only becomes haggling over how much. Or so it seems, from the bottom looking up.
I’d like to see such caps become more widely used. Unlike you, I think income inequality is a reality: I don’t foresee a world in which all forms of work receive equal compensation. So we have to disagree.
"Unlike you, I think income inequality is a reality: I don’t foresee a world in which all forms of work receive equal compensation. So we have to disagree."
You misunderstand. I agree that income inequality is a reality. And it will sadly remain that way because you "foresee a world in which all forms of work receive equal compensation."
In fact, I look to a time when all forms of work will in fact receive equal compensation. So the last sentence is correct; we disagree.
But then again, you probably earn more than do I. Best wishes.
I don’t think it has anything to do with how much money the observer makes. I know many people who are paid far less than they should be paid for their work. I just don’t see how income equality, the same pay for all work, can be realized in a capitalist economy.
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