"During the same time, the real pay of the average American worker increased by about 19 percent."

[Earth_First]

Current figures prepared by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts show federal judicial pay -- adjusted for inflation -- declined approximately 25 percent from 1969 to 2006. During the same time, the real pay of the average American worker increased by about 19 percent.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/01/scotus.review

Is that so?

Let's even go so far as to say it were factual. The increase in 'real pay' of the average American worker was completely negated due to the same increase in inflation on 'staple' goods.

By the way; the salary of the a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: $202,900

http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscourtsystem/a/chiefduties.htm

[bunkerbuster1]

1. "Average" anything should set off a big-ass flashing warning siren

Average wages are pretty meaningless, given that exponentially exploding CEO and top-tier director salaries will increase average wages.

Median wages are what tend to matter.

[Earth_First]

2. "Median wages are what tend to matter."

You are correct.

[bunkerbuster1]

8. In other words: A Rising Tide does NOT lift all boats.

In fact, the Republican-configured tide is designed not to do so. It's been that way throughout the past half century.

[blondeatlast]

11. Precisely--averages mean nothing in this case. Thanks for hitting that

point in the first response! :applause:

[Canuckistanian]

12. I'd say the term "worker" needs to be defined as well

Would you call a top neurosurgeon, a derivatives trader or an NBA player a "worker"?

[bunkerbuster1]

13. Income is income.

Wages are wages, if you choose to count everything taken in as "wages." So, sure.

[Johonny]

14. or an NBA player a "worker"?

"The hell I don't. LISTEN KID. I've been hearing that crap ever since I was at UCLA. I'm out there busting my buns every night. Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes."

[Canuckistanian]

15. LOL

I got that.

[ixion]

3. 'real' wages have been on the decline since the 70's

so I find that statistic highly suspect.

[Recursion]

4. "Real" means "adjusted for inflation"

I'm dubious about the claim that real wages of the average worker increased in that time, although different ways of calculating inflation make it conceivable.

[Captain Hilts]

5. If you count the folks at the top. Real wages have actually DECLINED for...

men without college degrees in the years since the early 70s.

But I've no doubt that judges salaries have declined. Bill Clinton got the same salary as Richard Nixon got, so you do the math. So, I can believe something is similar for federal judges.

[closeupready]

6. Useless statistic - "real pay of the average American worker". When CEO's make 500x the pay of

the lowest paid employee, or whatever obscene factor it is now (and I'm not making up the huge disparity, as it's a statistic I recall from WSJ articles), you realize that any statistic about the pay of the "average" American worker is skewed by the enormous pay package of those on the top tier.

So yes, when you add inflation on staple goods like food and gas, the reality is that people are not making 19 percent more.

[Captain Hilts]

7. Men without college degrees have seen the biggest decline in real wages. nt

[Clark2008]

9. Does that 19 percent include "bennies?"

Because, if it does, that means only that real, take-home wages have declined, while employers are paying more for health care insurance, which is considered "wages" in many of these surveys.

[closeupready]

10. And actually, even on that score, many places have diminished benefit packages, as a means of helpin

helping to offset the increase in health insurance premiums.