Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Another Example of Socialist Ignorance

University of Connecticut Men's Basketball Coach, Jim Calhoun, got into a heated exchange with a socialist activist at the press conference following Coach Calhoun's 799th career win. What should have been a celebratory occasion turned noticeably sour when a Connecticut activist (who I won't dignify by mentioning his name) questioned the fact that Calhoun is earning a salary of about $1.5 million. The Socialist (who inexplicably got a press pass) commandeered the occasion to interrogate Calhoun about how much he was paid and whether it was appropriate given the states current budget shortfall.

Calhoun responded to the inquisition joking at first that he would "Not [give] a dime back," When The Socialist would persisted Calhoun became upset angrily explaining that his basketball program brought in over 12 million in revenue to the university. Since the exchange the media has characteristically focused on criticizing Calhoun's angry response, rather than the ignorance displayed by the young socialist product of Connecticut's educational institutions.

Lets do the math on this equation to see if Calhoun or the young socialist has the better point:

Calhoun's Salary: 1.5 million a yr
Calhoun's contribution to the state of Connecticut: over 12 million directly (who knows how much more in indirect earnings)

So 12 million -1.5 million makes Calhouns net contribution 10.5 million.

If you ask me, this probably makes Coach Calhoun Connecticut's most productive employee. I highly doubt anyone else brings in anything close, especially in this economy. Now compare him to all the politicians on the state payroll, who do nothing but sqaunder billions of the state dollars. Hmmm . . . as Dick Vitale said, Coach Calhoun is underpaid if anything.

The most recent development came when the Governor of Connecticut, Jodi Rell had the nerve to call Calhoun's response "embarrasing." No Governor, your state spending is embarrassing, your budget deficit is embarrassing, and your job performance is embarrassing. (Rell is a Republican whose fiscal conservatism led to a budget surplus early in her tenure, which has since been squandered by abandoning her fiscal principles.) I have reached the end of my rope. I will no longer sit back and watch the earners and producers of our society be demonized for their success. I will not refrain from calling out the politicians and public figures who capitulate to socialist rhetoric and distort reality for the sake of personal ambition.

Calhoun's basketball program turned a huge profit last year, how many other people had similar success with their organizations? I think Calhoun deserves a huge bonus as the lone bright spot in Connecticut, rather than shameless self-promoting criticisms and confrontations.

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