More Capping

Another voice in my crusade (such as it is) to stop paying exorbitant salaries to everyone on the government dole.

In the hubbub surrounding President Obama’s decision to cap salaries of commercial-bank CEOs at $500,000 (if they receive future federal funds), the salaries of college and university presidents have been flying under the radar. Some reconsideration is due, particularly because substantial taxpayer dollars go into their services, with more funds coming via the stimulus package. State and federal taxpayers subsidize public universities substantially, but even private schools benefit from things like tax-subsidized student loans and tax-funded faculty research...

The 184 public research universities [in The Chronicle of Higher Education's survey of college and university presidents’ compensation packages] had 59 presidents whose 2007-2008 compensation packages were worth more than $500,000. The average for this $500,000-plus club was $654,000... Of the 32 research-intensive private universities, 31 had 2006-2007 presidential compensation packages worth more than $500,000, the average being $895,000.

HT: Alex Tabarrok, Marginal Revolution.