“You get what you pay for.”  It’s a well worn cliché in capitalistic societies, for a very good reason.  It is usually true.

If you hire a cheap lawyer, mechanic or tattoo artist, they are disproportionately likely to do a worse job than a more expensive lawyer, mechanic or tattoo artist.  Not always, but often.

Therefore, what are we to make of this:  The median annual income of someone over 25 years old who has a bachelor’s degree and a full-time job is $56,078 per year, but duly elected members of the Minnesota legislature are paid only $31,141 per year. Continue reading →