Why do politicans get paid so much?

conorhal

The Backwards Man wrote: »

They don't get paid that much when you think of what the likes of Pat Kenny and Wayne Rooney earn.

I wouldn't do Kenny's job for double the money he's getting, and neither would you.

Yes I bloody would!
My first act would be to hire a helper monkey as a special advisor on 90 grand p.a. to throw darts at my 'policy initative dartboard', and I'd still be twice the politician that Enda is.

The reason that politicians get so much cha ching is that they set their own pay rates. If we could all set our own pay rates and determine what we could expense, I doubt that many would condider themselves worth less then they currently get.

timetogo

Here's a salary survey for 2014.

http://www.morganmckinley.ie/sites/morganmckinley.ie/files/3325%20Salary%20Guide%202014%2029.01.14%20Web%20final%20%287.5mb%29.pdf

CEOs range from 160K to 280K.

It's hard to say how much somebody else should get paid. I know people who are on €100K and work damn hard and probably do the same hours as the Taoiseach. But they wouldn't have the same responsibilities as the Taoiseach and have a much better standard in their private lives. So how much is it worth to give up your privacy for the few years that you'd be a politician?

It's easy to criticise other people in their jobs. How many people reading this think their boss is an idiot. How many of you reading this have people thinking that you're a idiot:)
Somebody elses job is always frequently done by an idiot. Until you get it, and then you're it.

evo2000

BoJack Horseman wrote: »

That's a shame



I don't really care what he gets paid.
I don't take too much issue with the rate as it is.

I certainly don't buy into this SF/quasi-communist bull that everyone should be as poor as the average.

If you dont care why are you commenting here then ?

timetogo

conorhal wrote: »

Yes I bloody would!
My first act would be to hire a helper monkey as a special advisor on 90 grand p.a. to throw darts at my 'policy initative dartboard', and I'd still be twice the politician that Enda is.

I don't think we need to worry about you getting the job.

BoJack Horseman

conorhal wrote: »

The reason that politicians get so much cha ching is that they set their own pay rates.

Pretty much all CEOs do though (subject to shareholder approval).

I wonder how many companies with a turnover of €160bn & 4.6million customers would have a CEO on €185k?

evo2000

timetogo wrote: »

Here's a salary survey for 2014.

http://www.morganmckinley.ie/sites/morganmckinley.ie/files/3325%20Salary%20Guide%202014%2029.01.14%20Web%20final%20%287.5mb%29.pdf

CEOs range from 160K to 280K.

It's hard to say how much somebody else should get paid. I know people who are on €100K and work damn hard and probably do the same hours as the Taoiseach. But they wouldn't have the same responsibilities as the Taoiseach and have a much better standard in their private lives. So how much is it worth to give up your privacy for the few years that you'd be a politician?

It's easy to criticise other people in their jobs. How many people reading this think their boss is an idiot. How many of you reading this have people thinking that you're a idiot:)
Somebody elses job is always frequently done by an idiot. Until you get it and then everybody thinks you're an idiot.

If your going into the job of representing your country and your only concern is how much your getting compensated for the job, then i think its the wrong job for you!

BoJack Horseman

evo2000 wrote: »

If you dont care why are you commenting here then ?

So, you think the taoiseach is overpaid.

Yet you haven't the foggiest what he should be paid & you can't think of a tougher job.

What on earth are you complaining about then?

Anger for its own sake?
Pointless.

timetogo

evo2000 wrote: »

If your going into the job of representing your country and your only concern is how much your getting compensated for the job, then i think its the wrong job for you!

Agreed. What's that got to do with the Taoiseach earning €200K?

awec

evo2000 wrote: »

If your going into the job of representing your country and your only concern is how much your getting compensated for the job, then i think its the wrong job for you!

The job is to run the country more than represent it - that's the job of An Uachtaráin. The job also has a lot of "addons", many of which really suck.

It's completely right to expect compensation for this.

Would you like it if every time you opened your mouth there was a chance you'd end up on the front pages tomorrow?

evo2000

timetogo wrote: »

Here's a salary survey for 2014.

http://www.morganmckinley.ie/sites/morganmckinley.ie/files/3325%20Salary%20Guide%202014%2029.01.14%20Web%20final%20%287.5mb%29.pdf

CEOs range from 160K to 280K.

It's hard to say how much somebody else should get paid. I know people who are on €100K and work damn hard and probably do the same hours as the Taoiseach. But they wouldn't have the same responsibilities as the Taoiseach and have a much better standard in their private lives. So how much is it worth to give up your privacy for the few years that you'd be a politician?

It's easy to criticise other people in their jobs. How many people reading this think their boss is an idiot. How many of you reading this have people thinking that you're a idiot:)
Somebody elses job is always frequently done by an idiot. Until you get it and then everybody thinks you're an idiot.

If your going into the job of representing your country and your only concern is how much your getting compensated for the job, then i think its the wrong job for you!

conorhal

BoJack Horseman wrote: »

Pretty much all CEOs do though (subject to shareholder approval).

I wonder how many companies with a turnover of €160bn & 4.6million customers would have a CEO on €185k?

Pretty much the reason why since 1978, CEO pay at American firms has risen 725 percent, more than 127 times faster then average workers over the same time period. I'm not saying that CEO's shouldn't be payed more, what I am saying is that people that set their own pay rate rarely low ball themselves and frequently overestimate their value.
As for politicians, there is a public service element to their job that is not incumbant on the CEO of a corporations and I'm assuming that they're hired and renumerated fon the basis of their qualifications for the job that are probably more specific then, gombeeen primary school teacher with a daddy in politics.

Lapin

The Backwards Man wrote: »

They don't get paid that much when you think of what the likes of Pat Kenny and Wayne Rooney earn.

Strange comparison.

Wayne Rooney makes more in a fortnight than Pat Kenny makes in a year.

evo2000

awec wrote: »

The job is to run the country more than represent it - that's the job of An Uachtaráin. The job also has a lot of "addons", many of which really suck.

It's completely right to expect compensation for this.

Would you like it if every time you opened your mouth there was a chance you'd end up on the front pages tomorrow?

Yet we fly the taosieach off to america and the likes every year, im not sayin dont pay em.. pay em a decent wage but 200 k is abit too much! i think "running the country" is abit of an overstatement aswell, its hardly the one man show the way yer makin it out to be..

awec

evo2000 wrote: »

Yet we fly the taosieach off to america and the likes every year, im not sayin dont pay em.. pay em a decent wage but 200 k is abit too much! i think "running the country" is abit of an overstatement aswell, its hardly the one man show the way yer makin it out to be..

He doesn't go over for the craic like...

Leslie91

Politicians & Judiciary in Ireland are overpaid...

But it's not the salaries that are the be all and end all.

It's the pensions.

Get elected and it's a golden ticket to forever wealth. Become a Minister and you've won the Lotto many times over.....

And you don't even have to wait until u are 66 (soon to be 68) like the rest of us.

Feckin disgrace.

Davarus Walrus

BoJack Horseman wrote: »

So, you think the taoiseach is overpaid.

Yet you haven't the foggiest what he should be paid & you can't think of a tougher job.

What on earth are you complaining about then?

Anger for its own sake?
Pointless.

The Internet has provided a platform for cranks and blowhards to spew their impotent rage without fear of consequence. I'd have much more confidence in the integrity of politicians who do an extremely difficult job, as opposed to the usual 'want everything, pay for nothing' brigade.

BoJack Horseman

Leslie91 wrote: »

And you don't even have to wait until u are 66 (soon to be 68) like the rest of us.

That's the kicker.
If people get a good pension, fine.
But it should be paid at retirement, not straight away.

Thets the main thing I would change.

evo2000

Davarus Walrus wrote: »

The Internet has provided a platform for cranks and blowhards to spew their impotent rage without fear of consequence. I'd have much more confidence in the integrity of politicians who do an extremely difficult job, as opposed to the usual 'want everything, pay for nothing' brigade.

I have plenty of ideas as to what they should be paid and what they do, your more playing the man than the ball tho, you are in essence what you desribed in your own post!

BoJack Horseman

evo2000 wrote: »

I have plenty of ideas as to what they should be paid

They are?.....

.....

evo2000

BoJack Horseman wrote: »

So, you think the taoiseach is overpaid.

Yet you haven't the foggiest what he should be paid & you can't think of a tougher job.

What on earth are you complaining about then?

Anger for its own sake?
Pointless.

You openly admitted to not caring about the subject being discussed yet you seem to think i should go into extreme detail to appease you.. so yes discussing it with you would be pointless.

BoJack Horseman

evo2000 wrote: »

You openly admitted to not caring about the subject being discussed yet you seem to think i should go into extreme detail to appease you.. so yes discussing it with you would be pointless.

You can tell the whole class though, you don't even need to address me.

evo2000

BoJack Horseman wrote: »

They are?.....

.....

50 quid a few pints and a packet of crisps along witha bag of chips for the walk home.

evo2000

BoJack Horseman wrote: »

You can tell the whole class though, you don't even need to address me.

I dont need to address the class most seem to be able to come up with there own conclusions, i just need to address the slow one

Sierra Oscar

Leslie91 wrote: »

And you don't even have to wait until u are 66 (soon to be 68) like the rest of us.

Yes they do. That was changed ages ago. New TD's who entered the Dáil from 2004 onwards cant get a pension until they reach retirement age. It was changed for serving Ministers too.

Leslie91

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

Yes they do. That was changed ages ago. New TD's who entered the Dáil from 2004 onwards cant get a pension until they reach retirement age. It was changed for serving Ministers too.

While those who were elected before that date become entitled to a pension once they reach 50 years of age.

Sierra Oscar

Leslie91 wrote: »

While those who were elected before that date become entitled to a pension once they reach 50 years of age.

Yep, but at least it has been changed. The majority of TD's in the current Dáil were elected from 2004 onwards.

smash

BoJack Horseman wrote: »

Its €94k after tax.
Its high, but he's the leader of a nation ffs.

Consultant makes proposal > Minister reviews it > Sometimes Enda has the power to say yes or no.

Ah, government leadership. Tis tough. :pac:

timetogo

smash wrote: »

Consultant makes proposal > Minister reviews it > Sometimes Enda has the power to say yes or no.

Ah, government leadership. Tis tough. :pac:

Why do you bother posting that? Do you really believe that's all the Taoiseach or minister does? (That's a serious question by the way).

smash

timetogo wrote: »

Do you really believe that's all the Taoiseach or minister does?

God no. They spend a lot of their time perfecting their lies too.

mloc123

How much does a TD get paid? About the same as somebody in a management level job... which is basically what they are doing.