We have heard a lot recently that Obama is planning to accept $400,000 — his annual salary as president — for a speech to be given at a Wall Street healthcare conference this September. Elizabeth Warren is “troubled” by it, Bernie Sanders called it “distasteful” and Hillary is probably jealous since the same group paid her only $225,000 for the same service. I would like to call it “inappropriate” but that would imply that I have some idea of what would be appropriate. I have no such idea. Let me float a few ideas below of amounts that might be appropriate and hope that this community can reach some sort of consensus on it and then mount a petition to President Obama to accept no more than that as compensation for his speech.
- $7.25 hourly minimum wage
- $2,700 maximum political contribution (lol) check it out
- $10,345 annual cost of American healthcare check it out
- $15,080 yearly minimum wage ($7.25 x 2080)
- $24,600 poverty line for a family of four check it out
- $225,000 Hillary’s price for the same gig. check it out
Let’s come up with a definition of “appropriate” in this context. Then let’s create a petition that Bernie will sign and Elizabeth will sign.