I Should Have Listened to New York Magazine

This morning, I came across this entry in NY Mag's Daily Intel column:

"If You Thought Last Week’s Story About New York’s Middle Class Was Depressing…
Then you definitely shouldn't read yesterday's Times story about how the government-mandated $500,000 executive salary simply isn't enough to live on here in the city. Seriously, don't read it if you value your sanity."

Did I listen? No. I clicked on the link to the New York Times piece and found this:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/08/fashion/08halfmill.html?_r=2

I warn you. Clicking on the above link will cause severe annoyance, disgust and anger. But what is it about telling people they can't do something that only makes them want to do it more? That's how I clicked.

I have MANY problems with this article. First of all, as a journalist, who the hell is this guy writing for? As a writer, not just a journalist, but a writer, you have an audience. You're supposed to be writing TO that audience. This guy is writing an article about how it's impossible to live in New York City on under 500K a year when 85% of the people who read this article are making much much less than that. And he thinks, what? The middle class, blue-collar worker reading the Times on the subway on the way to work is going to read this and go, "Hey, ya know what? These wealthy Upper East Siders really are having a tough go of it." Yeah, I don't think so.

Second of all, the things that are listed in this article as "necessary" expenses are laughable, at best. Ok, the private school thing, I get. People are intense about their private schools in New York and when parents lose their jobs or get a pay cut, I understand doing everything possible to keep the child's life as normal as possible. I'll even give him the overpriced tutor he lists as a "necessary" expense. Here are the other "expenses" he lists:

- Two vacations a year: A winter trip to the sun, and a spring trip to the ski slopes.
- Summer house in South Hampton
- A private chauffeur
- Personal trainer
- Formal gowns for charity galas (at least three different ones, because you can't wear the same one twice... obvi)
- Nanny/Housekeeper
- Restaurants, Dry Cleaning, Shopping

I don't even know where to begin. Vacations? Cut it back to one a year if you absolutely HAVE to go, you idiot. If times are tough, things like vacations sometimes aren't an option. Get over it. Summer house in South Hampton? Sell it! Trust me, I understand the need to get away from the city on the weekends, I do, but rent a fucking beach house you douchebag. Ok, maybe selling the summer home would be too big of a life adjustment. Rent it out for extra income. It IS possible to rent it out to people who make just as much money as you do so you can make sure they'll take care of it accordingly. Private chauffeur? Give. Me. A. Break. Even brokers, traders, CIO's, and chief market strategists take the subway. Get with it. It's there for a reason. Or take a cab if you have to, I think you'll find they're moderately priced compared to a suit-wearing chauffeur named Toby. Personal trainer? You're already at the gym, just do it yourself. Stop being so dependent. Formal gowns? Cut it down to one charity event a year. There ya go! One dress, one event, that's like... a $15,000 savings! Miracles of miracles! Nanny/Housekeeper? That I kind of understand too. It's a New York thing. Just cut back on their hours. I belive there was a much more sensible article in the Times a while back about how nannies and housekeepers were feeling the pinch because their wealthy bosses had to cut back hours. Try that. Restaurants, dry cleaning, and shopping? That's a given. Just do it less. Less is more people, less is more.

Please tell me I'm not the only one completely disgusted by some New York Times writer, who, by the way, does NOT make 500K a year, trying to get sympathy for rich financial bosses of banks and financial institutions they drove into the ground themselves. I know how bad the financial world is right now, I work at CNBC. I'm not sure I agree with salary caps either. But I do know that someone, even a salary capped CIO/CEO of a company, can make it in this city on way less than 500K a year. I do it every damn day. I know families of 4 that do it on less than that too.

So, to the New York Times and Allen Salkin, I say... You, my friends, are just plain stupid.