Pay commensurate with workload

So the topic has come up twice with two different examples over the past few days of how some people get paid so much, while others barely get paid.

The first example I came across was professional athletes (football, in particular was noted) who complain when they don't get paid more than a couple million dollars. I understand that this career is hard on the body and is generally short-lived, but what they make in one year many people can make last the rest of their life. Why squabble over a million dollars when we are still very obviously in a recession? That money could be better spent elsewhere. Examples include schools, homeless shelters, charities that benefit the homeless, and employing displaced workers.

The second example was politicians (named were the salaries of those in the Senate and House.) How can these people, in good conscience, make more than twice the AVERAGE salary? I think their pay should be commensurate to their constituents. Again, I understand that this may be a short-lived career, but there are career politicians. I would imagine that this job includes a lot of problem solving skills, but so does a law enforcement job. And law enforcement professionals have to make life and death decisions in a split second while politicians take years to pass a law.

I wish I had any of these people's salary for just one year. I would have my bills paid off and most likely have a reasonable savings. Instead I will continue to sit here in my office making split second decisions regarding deliveries and whether a plant will have to close because I can't get their parts to them in time, while they lose millions of dollars every minute they are not running. Too bad I don't make the low end of the national average salary scale.