Orange County, where lifeguards earn $200K per year
Who defends public worker pay? Public workers, mostly, but when it’s all said and done, who are we to sit and say government-paid employees shouldn’t earn a decent living?
Last month, after a report came out saying more than 70,000 Ontario public workers now earn over $100,000 each year, as many people defended the high pay as ripped into it.
This, though? This’ll be tough even for John Q. Civil Service to argue for. According to a new story in the Orange County Register, lifeguards in Newport Beach, Calif., earn a publicly-funded salary of as much as $211,000 per year.
No, this post isn’t meant to rehash the old “do public workers make too much?” argument, but what else can we say? Of the 14 full-time lifeguards working in Orange County, 13 collected more than $120,000 in total compensation (eight of which topped the $150,000 mark), two earned more than $200,000 and only one of the bunch, at $98,160.65, brought home less than $100,000 last year.
Here’s where some might say, Yeah, but it’s the OC. It’s all beach houses and Peter Gallagher out there.
Maybe. Yet the posh Orange County median household income is still only $71,735, below actually what the average Canadian home earns.
Of course, lifeguards are important workers. But are they more so than, say, nurses, who earn between $40,000 and $84,905 in Canada, according to Payscale.com, or paramedics, who appear to max out at about $70,000 annually?
Or, more to that, OC lifeguards may be pressured to look like this, but they probably shouldn’t earn up to four times what Canadian lifeguards (up to $45,327, Payscale says) do.
By Jason Buckland, MSN Money
*Follow Jason on Twitter here.
Posted by: quarmby | May 12, 2021 9:37:03 AM
Almost as good a gig as the Canadian Senate....but of course our senators don't require any skills, other than ass kissing....and the lifeguards actually have to show up for work....
Posted by: Duke Nukem | May 12, 2021 2:32:51 PM
slow day in the news?
Posted by: A | May 12, 2021 6:38:26 PM
I guess that is why the United States is going broke and Ontario with McGuinty running the show.
Posted by: JS | May 12, 2021 11:17:00 PM
Afghanistan has better economic policies than these people. Plus they have betters morals and principles.
Posted by: Chip | May 13, 2021 12:32:08 AM
Wow JS... unhappy in our western democratic country. Feel free to move to Afghanistan and see how your infidel butt deals with muslim morals and principles. Or maybe you're already a muslim. In that case, your plane back "home" leaves in a few hours.
Posted by: Payday loan payday | May 13, 2021 8:50:01 AM
It seems as if Afghanistan has better economic policies than these people. Also, they have good morals and principles as well. Payday loan payday
Posted by: Retired | May 13, 2021 9:28:50 AM
It would appear that civil servants in the US and Canada do not keep up with world news. Greece and Ireland come to mind when giving an example of what happens when extremely high wages and luxurious pension plans along with a low retirement age become the norm. Those countries are border line bankrupt. This can and will ultimately happen here and in the US. In fact we are well on our way.
Posted by: mischief | May 17, 2021 10:29:48 AM
Isnt it odd how people think? If your boss clipped off 10% of your paycheque `by mistake` you would mention it quick enough......if boss did it regularly you would atke action....get a lawyer, seek other employment, take LONG coffee and lunch breaks etc......yet when government wastes our money `by mistake`lots of people shrug.......and dont evne get made and vote.....they say there are no good candidates so why bother......and of course there are no `good` candidates because nobody gets mad and sweeps the swine out! Why not get mad AND GET EVEN......throw the fear of God and an enraged electorate at the politicians who made this mess....VOTE THEM OUT!!!!!
Posted by: Same Day Loans | Jun 30, 2021 1:01:22 AM
I think Afghanistan has better economic policies than these people. In addition, they have good morals and principles also. That is the reason why United States is going broke and Ontario with McGuinty running the show.