This makes me ill, and is totally out of control. At the very least, I hope these numbers are inclusive of the costs of all benefits (e.g. health insurance) - but even with that its outrageous.
I knew a very dedicated and very good internist who would start rounding on his patients in extended care facilities and in the hospital by 6:30 am every morning, then spend a long day seeing patients in his office, followed by tons of paperwork etc. He did this for many years, and then developed metastatic colon cancer. He worked until 1 week before he died. He did not live in an extravagant home (it was nice, but not a mansion), and did not live a flamboyant lifestyle. Still, with all that work he didn’t clear a whole lot each year (malpractice insurance, office staff, office space, administrative costs, etc. etc.), and when he died it was only by selling the practice that his wife was able to guarantee a comfortable retirement.
However, as a doctor the left will say he was overpaid, while they scream about how we spend too much money on war ships and fighter jets and not enough on teachers.
In Illinois those teachers got a job when they were 22 and retired when they were 55 with 35 years of service( thats because they get lots of vacation and sick days while only working 180 actual days each year.) And even though they spent their whole life never getting a promotion with tenure there was no threat of losing their job. Illinois teachers get pensions that go up 3% a year, pay state taxes and get free health care for life.
While they will never admit it. Every single Illinois teacher who retires with 30 years of teaching is a multi-millionaire. Thats because their pension is a guaranteed annuity that is worth millions. But governments never count that when figuring net worth.