Obama's secretary made $95K in 2011

@ehBeth,

ehBeth wrote:

Thomas wrote:
A lot of prestige comes can come from things you can't buy for money---including your job title.

Prestige doesn't help when you're paying rent in the D.C. area. You're definitely not getting a house on that kind of salary.

amen.

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I love Michelle's listing on their tax form under 'Occupation'! I'm stealing that (I'll leave off the 'US' and just put First Lady lol).

We'll probably get audited.

Jill Biden listed 'Teacher' on their form.

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@chai2,

And guess what?

She pays a higher tax rate then he does.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2017977948_obamatax14.html

What happened to the Buffet Rule?

Do as I say; not as I do?

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@Finn dAbuzz,

I'm sure when the Buffet Rule passes he will do as he says. Interestingly, that article completely misses other common taxes that hit secretaries much harder than Presidents. For example, his secretary paid a much higher percentage in Social Security taxes (4.2%) than he did (0.6%).

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@engineer,

At his current salary, I don't think he'd even have been eligible for the Buffett Rule unless he forfeited his deductions, would he?

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@engineer,

But if it's so fair, why must he wait for it to become law. He needs the law to tell him how to be fair?

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@Irishk,

At his salary no, but the Buffet Rule is based on all income, not just salary. Buffet probably isn't paid a salary. For a lot of these rich running dogs, their income consists mostly of investment returns which are subject to the capital gains tax.

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@Finn dAbuzz,

What would you like to see him do?

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@ehBeth,

But the prestige buys money later, with something like that on your resume you could scratch your ass for the rest of your life without being worried about employment.

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@FreeDuck,

Figure out how much he would owe if he had to pay her rate and then send a check to the treasury for that amount.

Now that it's been proven that the funds provided by the Buffet Rule are a relative drop in the bucket, he and his minions have had to shift their argument to the fairness of the matter.

Not a tough pivot to execute of course as this is the president who early on his term said he would approve of a given tax even if slowed the economy as long as it improved fairness.

Axelrod was on TV Sunday morning telling Chris Wallace and views that do one feels that it is fair that millionaires pay less taxes than the average middle class American. This is a convenient strawman because they don't pay less taxes than the middle class, and it's not even what the Buffet Rule is about. Some may pay a lower rate, but even that lower rate amounts to a whole lot more money that the average middle class citizen pays.

Anyone who thinks he may simply have misspoken is mistaken. He knew preciely what he was saying, because he says it repeatedly. He wants people to think millionaires are paying less greenbacks to the government then them. It helps stoke the fires of class warfare.

Obama like to tell his audience that "people like me" don't need to pay less in taxes or to make a lot more. He fired off a scathing attack on Paul Ryan and how incredibly unfair his budget was, and it's all about fairness.

OK, but if you think so Mr. President, put your money where your mouth is and show some leadership. Afterall, how much money does a person need? Surely he doesn't need the amount he would pay the treasury and he doesn't need a law to force him to behave in the very manner he is trying to force on others.

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@Finn dAbuzz,

Finn dAbuzz wrote:

And guess what?

She pays a higher tax rate then he does.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2017977948_obamatax14.html

What happened to the Buffet Rule?

Do as I say; not as I do?

....and guess what?
where do you think I found out how much Anita makes?

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@Robert Gentel,

Robert Gentel wrote:

But the prestige buys money later, with something like that on your resume you could scratch your ass for the rest of your life without being worried about employment.

Didn't we already go over this?
It's a given it's on her resume.
So does that mean she should make less now while she waiting to afford to hire someone to scratch her ass?

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@Finn dAbuzz,

To avoid derailing chai's thread, my response is here.

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@chai2,

chai2 wrote:

But a "prestigious" home?

You yourself printed the link that shows positions for civil service tops out at just over $155K (in the ballpark of what I guesstamated would be a fair pay of $150K).
Why shouldn't the secretary of the president of the united states be making that top wage?

Prestige?
That sounds like a way to underpay someone for their skills, by convincing them that the words in their job title is supposed to be so impressive to others that they shouldn't be concerned that they are not making what they deserve.

While on my job search, I would see ads for Administrative Assistant, even Executive Assistant, that in the description gets around to saying the pay is a laughable $12 to $15 an hour. That's office clerk pay.

The fact is, real administrative assistants, who are called upon to use their judgement, work autonomously, etc. Start at 40K and top out anywhere between 50-55K, in general.
Executive Assistants start more at $50K, and for someone with some years of experience, run more like $50K to $60K to start and go up over $100K
We're not going to settle for less than we're worth, because we know our real title, although unwieldy is more like "Mind Reader/Holder of all Knowlege/Right Arm/Eye of the Hurricane"

What my belief is, is that although she is only getting $95K (yes, only) she's getting a lot more perks, like on site living quarters (she's got to be available 24/7, her bosses needs come before any life she wants to have) transportation, and other necessities.

Honestly, it's hard to fathom how some are thinking $95K for supporting the POTUS is such a fabulous sum, and having the title is "priceless"

Sure it's going to be on her resume, that's a given. What, does that mean "we don't have to pay you top scale because you can put it on your resume"?

A top of the line butler earns $200K, a top of the line private concierge that can make anything happen charges $50 plus an hour, plus expenses.

The presidents personal secretary has her own personal staff, has many EA's do, to perform the everyday tasks, freeing her up for her real work of making her boss look good every moment, in whatever form that takes.

I personally feel that between her wages and perks that would equal $150K plus a year.

Don't be naive, there's a lot of money out there.

Don't you all know that nobody gets rich working government jobs? The politicians parlay their influence into more lucrative activities, but like someone said - even the president makes only a small fraction of what top CEOs of corporations make.

I don't understand what all the noise is about.

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@chai2,

chai2 wrote:

The fact is, real administrative assistants, who are called upon to use their judgement, work autonomously, etc. Start at 40K and top out anywhere between 50-55K, in general.
Executive Assistants start more at $50K, and for someone with some years of experience, run more like $50K to $60K to start and go up over $100K

So she is being paid at the high end of the pay scale? The salary site I quoted earlier was a little lower but still you aren't making your point that she is underpaid.

chai2 wrote:

We're not going to settle for less than we're worth, because we know our real title, although unwieldy is more like "Mind Reader/Holder of all Knowlege/Right Arm/Eye of the Hurricane"

This comes from a fundamental misconception that people are paid what they are worth. People are paid according to how hard it is to replace them. That is why someone whose entire talent is throwing a ball into a small hoop really, really well makes a ton on money while school teachers just get by. I'm absolutely certain the President's executive assistant does an outstanding job (and hence is paid more than those in many professions). I'm also absolutely certain that the administrative assistent who works for our plant manager would also do an outstanding job as well as several other executive assistants I have worked with. While I don't know her salary for sure, I can tell you it is a heck of a lot lower than $95K, likely half of that, and she would jump at taking a job making $95K. I imagine there are lots of others as well.

chai2 wrote:

A top of the line butler earns $200K, a top of the line private concierge that can make anything happen charges $50 plus an hour, plus expenses.

According to a salary website, a top of the line butler makes $70k/year. If that private concierage can stay employed full time, that $50/hr is still "only" $100k/yr and that is for someone who can make anything happen. That is not to denigrate those jobs but to point out that $95K/yr is serious cash. The average household income in the US is more like $60K/yr and that is counting multiple breadwinners. I think we hear stories about sports figures and Internet startups and think six figure salaries are just around the corner for everyone. That is not the case.

chai2 wrote:

Don't be naive, there's a lot of money out there.

True, but people don't just give it away. If the government gave Presidental Exec Assistants five or six times what regular executive assisants make, it would become a political issue eventually.

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@engineer,

have you looked at the pay scale for civil employees in dc yet?
It's been mentioned thrice now.

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@chai2,

You can't just look at the pay scale. You also need to look at the requirements for those pay scales. An exec sec doesn't require a Phd like the top of the civil service pay scale does.

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Obama's secretary made $95K in 2011

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