Originally shared by Nicole Simon

Originally shared by Nicole Simon

Just because I make money does not mean that you are entitled to a share of it

I felt very uneasy when I saw the quote of Elisabeth Warren popping up everywhere. You probably saw it somewhere; about the "There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own — nobody."

Dale Franks has put my gut feeling into words better than I can and if you liked the Warren quote and forwarded it, I encourage you to read and and think about it as well.

That’s not the social contract. The social contract is "We maintain civilization because we all benefit from it. And we all have a responsibility to pay for it." Ms. Warren’s version of the social contract boils down to, "You have to pay more for maintaining our society because you can, and we outnumber you, and can force you to do so." That’s not a contract. That’s just extortion by majority. The millionaire’s responsibility is not to "pay forward" any more than any of the rest of us, because he doesn’t benefit any more than the rest of us.
from »"Social Contract". You keep using that phrase. I do not think it means what you think it means.« http://www.qando.net/?p=11678

If society wants millionaires to pay more then they can make it part of society. But in most cases it is about 'I want what he is having' without putting in the work.

Just two examples:
Why is it that creative folk like designer / photographers etc always want to have part in my success (which I put together, I executed, I made happen with the production parts available) and usually claims that it was his or her work that 'made' it successful. Yet none of these folks will pay me if I fail because then it was my own wrong doing.

You can price your services but that is what they are: Services. And what I make out of them is my business. Copyright is a contract between two parties - not a built in way to print money for you. You have the right to set higher prices, I have the right to go some place else.

Second example: If you are employed by somebody, that is your job. You are not part of the owners, not stake or shareholder. With your contract you are offering a service and in exchange you get money for it. You chose to be part of that side of the story. And thought it may seem hurtful to some, you are part of a production process and I as the owner will not overpay you just to make you happy unless there is a reason for me to do so. If you want that and consider yourself to be too valuable for that, great! Make it on your own. Choose a different job.

Employment market pet peeve number two for me: Value of work versus what you cost. I see many people running around offering services based on the fact what they want to earn with no correlation to their skillset. Absolutly their right to do so.

But if you offer a commodity of a service, then I will look for the best value for the buck. And I do have an expectation of how long you will need to finish a job and what quality I get delivered. If you are a professionel you can charge like a professional. But if you are second grade at best, your rates should reflect that. If not, I am going some place else where skillset and quality of delivered work are in balance.