Senseless economic tragedies

I interrupt the story of PUC acquisition to bring you a pair of breaking news stories of tragic proportions.

First, the morning news has reported that a slew of the world’s billionaires did NOT make the annual Forbes 400 list of richest people. Can you imagine the devastation those also-rans are feeling? Must be a tremendous blow to their egos. Some of these fellas (or gals) must be having trouble choking down their morning bowl of designer Cheerios. I’m certain we will soon see demands that Forbes increases their list to 500. Why should they be immune to inflation?

They could increase the list to many thousands and still not capture Wyoming’s Governor! That’s right-- according to this week’s local news, we have a veritable pauper in the top chair at our capitol. The poor guy draws a salary of only $105,000 a year (plus free rent and a couple other bennies!) This is news because the local journal finds it easier to reprint press releases than to go out and find real news.

It seems to me that $105,000/year isn’t much for a Governor of anything, even Wyoming, given the crap factor in those jobs. But it is still a pretty good chunk of money by Wyoming standards. Most of us living here are not familiar with six digit salaries (unless we count the digits to the right of the decimal point, which I like to do when conversing with my relatives in California. In fact, I even count the decimal point and report an income of being in the low EIGHT digits!)

Back to our Governor.

“Governor Dave” (as he is quaintly referred to) is trying to keep a stiff upper lip, but this “low” salary is apparently causing some problems on the home front. Seems he is having a little trouble making ends meet, what with college tuition for his kids and so forth. As a matter of fact, he reportedly told the local journal that he actually has to depend on his wife’s income to make ends meet. (She is an attorney!)

MY GAWD - can you imagine any other two-income couple having to depend on BOTH incomes to make ends meet? What is the world coming to? Next thing you know, we’ll be hearing about people having to hold down more than one job to scrape by.

Oh. Wait. That’s the way most of us already live.

Sorry Governor Dave, the sympathy level from this corner is low. Good luck to you.