Salary Cap For Actors?! Most Americans Polled Say Yes!

[Brian Damage]

Call it the A-Rod tax.

One in three Americans believe the government should make it illegal to pay athletes and movie stars more than $1 million per year, according to a new poll.

A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey released Thursday found that 30 percent favor government pay limits for jocks and film stars.

There is more support for capping the pay of corporate executives - with 36 percent saying the federal government should make it illegal to pay any company exec more than $1 million a year.

Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez, who has admitted to using steriods, is the highest-paid baseball player in the major leagues, pocketing an annual paycheck of $32 million.

Golfer Tiger Woods is the highest-paid athlete in the country for the fifth year in a row, earning a staggering $128 million in 2007.

Movie stars Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis, Eddie Murphy, Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Julia Roberts and Will Smith are the highest-paid movie stars, earning upwards of $20 million or more per flick, according to Hollywood.com.

On the corporate side, John Thain, head of Merrill Lynch, was the highest compensated CEO in 2007, earning nearly $84 million.

Merrill Lynch, which went bankrupt following the collapse of the subprime mortgage market, merged with Bank of America last year.

The poll found that women favor limiting the earnings of athletes and film stars more than men.

Thirty-five percent of women said the feds should put a $1 million cap on their annual salaries, compared to just 25 percent of men.

Higher-income Americans were more opposed to setting a $1 million limit on executives than those who earn less.

The survey also found that 50 percent of those who earn under $20,000 a year favored a government-imposed limit on executive pay versus just 15 percent of those who earn more than $100,000 per year.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/03272009...ete_161629.htm

[Mr. Television]

I think they're paid way too much but I don't think the Government should get involved. This is a Democracy and these people should get what they can get.

[comedyfreak]

If the Stupid moronic CEO's can make millions, plus get bonuses for sinking a company, then the actors should be able to make millions. At least they entertain us.

[robyrob]

i don't think it is right for corporate executives to get multimillion dollar bonuses for companies that lose money or cost the tax payers money, but a salary cap isn't really the right idea either; it would be simpler to just have a higher income tax bracket to penalize people making those ridiculously large incomes or reduce the number of loopholes that let them get out of paying those taxes.

[catlover79]

^ BINGO!!

[MickeyMac]

I think actors, sports figures, and these CEO's make way more money than they need, but the government should not be involved in this. How about fixing the economy instead.

[Janice]

Originally Posted by Clint Eastwood Fan

I think they're paid way too much but I don't think the Government should get involved. This is a Democracy and these people should get what they can get.

[Marvo301]

Originally Posted by robyrob

i don't think it is right for corporate executives to get multimillion dollar bonuses for companies that lose money or cost the tax payers money, but a salary cap isn't really the right idea either; it would be simpler to just have a higher income tax bracket to penalize people making those ridiculously large incomes or reduce the number of loopholes that let them get out of paying those taxes.