Moronmeter.com

Ok, that’s not really what the report said.

What it did report is that 30% of the people polled in a national telephone survey said they “believe the government should make it illegal to pay movie stars and athletes more than $1 million per year.”

Thankfully, 59% are against such an idea.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I think many ‘movie stars’ and professional athletes are overpaid  – there are a lot of bad actors and losing teams out there, but that doesn’t mean I want the government to start setting pay scales or salary caps.

Let the market work it out.

Sure, there will be crappy actors who keep making money, but that’s how it goes.  And yes, Detroit might possibly stink up the cellar in football… or baseball… or both again this year.  But there are people doing crappy work all over the place – you just hope you don’t get stuck with one painting your house.

Sooner or later, the real movie scripts will dry up for the bad actor, who will start appearing in made-for-TV movies that skip TV and go straight to the bargain DVD rack at Wal-Mart.  After enough seasons of mediocrity, the athlete will get traded for $20 concession allowance and a Sausage Race t-shirt.

My biggest problem with the results of the poll is that many of that 30% probably vote.  What kind of society are we moving towards when a full 30% of the people think they have the right to impose a limit on how much a person can legally earn?

How long before these Robin Hoods just turn to the power of Congress’ robbin’ hoodlums?  A more frightening thought… have we already arrived at that point?

In the end, though, this survey is just a brilliant example of life imitating Scrappleface.  Scott Ott hit it pretty close to the mark earlier in the week (before the Rasmussen report came out) with this piece of satire, Obama to Limit Pay for Wall Street, NFL, NBA, MLB.  I especially like his last paragraph:

The proposal would exempt most Hollywood stars and popular recording artists, he said, “since much of their money is already returned to the people in the form of contributions to the Democrat party and its candidates.”

Link Roundup:

Rasmussen Reports™: The Most Comprehensive Public Opinion Data Anywhere.

Obama to Limit Pay for Wall Street, NFL, NBA, MLB.

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