Urr, you don't 'get it' indy...

TV hosts are paid by lumbering their excessive and inexcusable existence onto the cost of 'product' bought by the dimwits who watch them, and others who do not, ever.

But of course, the TV stations only exist because they are regulated by public servants. They wouldn't last two minutes in a 'free market' without state protection, any more than the ABC would without direct public funding, of course.

Most workplaces run on a heirachy, that's why they can be so poorly run.

But then again, someone has to take decisions, and I doubt that Rudd would let his junior admin officer write the DFAT policy, although he clearly does let the Australian Christian Lobby write a lot of ALP policy these days.

Yes, the cop and Dr. analogy you use is an echo of my garbo and Dr. one.

Society puts different values on jobs, we agree.

But you have not explained why you single out higher level public servants, when so many of us could so easily be questioned about our view that we have a 'right' to be paid x, while others are called bludgers and get SFA.

We could set the trades rate as the 100% figure, as was attempted years ago, and have people defined as 'more' and 'less' than a tradie and paid in incremental % above and below that rate.

Lets notionally pay the tradie $100k a year, for a 38 hr 5 day week, and work up and down from that basis.

How much for a gormless TV host/or 'weather girl'?

How much for a base grade admin worker in DFAT?

How much for a PM?

How much for a boofhead that plays League?

TBC and CJ have pretty much said it all in response to this thread.

If we were all paid our worth - defined by what we contribute then nurses, aged care workers, teachers, researchers, cleaners, garbage men are pretty low paid.

But how does one define worth?

The problem does not start and end with pay rates, more there are too many layers of government and too many senior servants at the expense of those delivering the services.

A fairly new initiative was to pay senior public servants bonuses for meeting efficiency dividends,for innovation or successful change management.

Sounds good in theory, other than the fact that public servants should not be paid bonuses IMO just for doing their job properly. The problem with these bonuses is that often wheels are reinvented over and over to ensure 'innovation' is reflected in their areas, when often the constant changes cause disruption and many times the end result is to go back to the way that actually 'worked'.

I have seen this in extremes a couple of times in my APS life. The other is the reduction of staff to meet new budget targets which creates greater inefficiency but is defined as efficiency purely in terms of money savings. The fact that the services no longer deliver as planned to those who pay taxes for those services is not considered in this equation.

The funniest situation was during a meeting one day when the newish manager keen to prove his worth, in the midst of constant changes to processes, cuts to staff and growing delays and backlogs, announced that the best way to do X was to do blah blah. We all sat stunned as he talked about his 'new initiative' as though he had just thought of it when the process was exactly the same as the original one we used prior to his changes. There is nothing wrong with change if it produces better results but not when it is based on intangible objectives in pursuit of bonuses, or to receive kudos when it is not deserved.

CJ Morgan,
I don't know about you but I'm starting to get embarrassed by this sillyness.
Yes I am employed by taxpayers & I am pulling my weight. You say i should get into private employment ? No problem, just tell your Labour mates to lift the restrictions on private enterprise in remote areas & I'll be on my way. Also tell your mates in the EPA to allow people to make a living.
Also, I'm not griping at my bosses. I'm griping at higher ranking collegues. You say you're not a Public Servant ? C'mon, how else could you afford a computer or are you in an internet cafe. as for me being not at work, well, you ever heard of hurting oneself at work & having a few days off. Maybe, just maybe you may have heard once that some people have actually finished work by the time you wake up & start dreaming.

individual, you ought to be embarrassed. So much public whingeing is definitely not a good look.

So you're having a sickie due to an injury at work? Given the size of the chip you're lugging around on your shoulder, that's hardly surprising.

BTW - computer's aren't very expensive these days. Even a small businessman like me can afford one.

Hi Individual

In case you did not know CJ in previous posts declared that he was a university lecturer which I assume was also paid for by the public purse. It also explains his leftist ideologies. No doubt his superannuation from uni days is helping him enjoy life and good luck to him.

Thank you runner, you've just confirmed what I have always suspected. Makes me feel better to know that I'm dealing with what I thought was dealing with. cheers.