# Richmond Times-Dispatch, for shame

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richmond-times-dispatch-for-shame/557834>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [October 20, 2010, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richmond-times-dispatch-for-shame/557834 "2010-10-20T23:39:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2010, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richmond-times-dispatch-for-shame/557834/61 "2010-10-24T23:57:34Z")

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> [@monstro](#):
>
> I agree with everything you’ve said except for the last paragraph. Sorry, but people do have hang-ups about their salary and it’s completely understandable. I am currently the lowest paid professional in my department, despite having an advanced degree and glowing performance evaluations. People have always assumed that I make more than I do because of that and my job duties. Now suddenly they realize I don’t even rate on the totem pole.
> 
> My job is to coordinate assessors in regional offices (I’m in central headquarters). I have no authority over them–we all understand this–but my recommendations are supposed to mean something. But most of the people who I herd like cats make ten to twenty-thousand dollars more than I do. Unless they were really busybodied, none of them knew that before this week. If I were one of them, I’d laugh and say, “Why should I listen to this twerp? If she actually had clout over there [central office], she’d be making more money!”
> 
> Another point: many of my engineer coworkers have to work with private-sector counterparts to get stuff done. A coworker of mine said that a few of his private-sector buds kept calling him apologetically, saying things like ,“Hey man, I didn’t know it was that bad over there!” He admitted to being embarrassed. Or, imagine being an inspector, who has the authority to shut down a facility for violations, and having the owner of the facility try to take you down a peg by calling out your pitiful salary in front of everyone. Or having to audit staff at a regional office and having them say the same thing to you. It is potentially embarrassing if you are in a position of authority. Money = power in most people’s eyes.

That last paragraph was directed towards attitudes like yours. No, I’m not attacking you despite how that sounds, but I do not like the fact that, like you said, money equals power. I think if everyone’s salary was posted, it would be one step towards a society in which money does not equal power in most people’s eyes.

To me, as someone who grew up poor and currently lives modestly below my means, I just can’t understand it, nor do I want to understand it. I know my staff at work makes less than me, but I don’t give a damn. They make less because they are hired to do different things. I know a management secretary for one of the big bosses makes loads more than I do despite not doing as much as I do, but that is what management secretaries make. I judge them on how they work, not how much they make. Why shouldn’t I listen to people who make less than me? Their job is just a part of my department as mine, so if they have a suggestion, or an occasional order, I’ll do it. Hell, I even ask my employees for input when I make their performance evaluations so they can suggest things I may have forgotten. Salary, to me, is mostly beyond a person’s control. You worked longer here than I have, then you make more. It’s not a big deal, I’ve even posted my own salary here before

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