Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Lifeguards, California and the Economy

Yes this is me in 1962 on Staten Island as a lifeguard. We were paid, I believe, $56 per week. Now to California.


The Orange County paper states:


According to a city report on lifeguard pay for the calendar year 2010, of the 14 full-time lifeguards, 13 collected more than $120,000 in total compensation; one lifeguard collected $98,160.65. More than half the lifeguards collected more than $150,000 for 2010 with the two highest-paid collecting $211,451 and $203,481 in total compensation respectively. Even excluding benefits like health care and pension, more than half the lifeguards receive a total salary, including overtime pay, exceeding $100,000. And they also receive an annual allowance of $400 for “Sun Protection.” Many work four days a week, 10 hours a day.

Somehow this has gotten a bit out of whack. In my day we worked Coney Island and Staten Island, had anywhere between 500,000 and a million people per day per weekend and several saves per day. The thought that we would be paid more than a Police Captain was insane.  This is why California has so many problems. Thanks to Greg Mankiw for the lead.