By KENNETH P. VOGEL,Politico
Obamademics get rich in academia
Academics – long prolific political contributors – were among the biggest donors to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.
And recent disclosures by some of the academics he tapped for top administration posts offer a window into the sometimes lucrative world of big-time academia,suggesting that the stereotypes of rumpled,cash-strapped professors don’t always apply.
It’s not just that the academics selected to help run the government pulled down lofty salaries – though the nine Obamademics whose finances are on file with the Office of Government Ethics earned an average of $321,325 a year from elite universities,plus cushy retirement plans and tens of thousands of dollars more in payments for speaking,consulting and writing in their areas of expertise.
It’s also the perks that really stand out at a time many Americans are struggling to afford the basics. From mortgage deals to car allowances to club memberships and international travel,academia afforded these new public officials access to lifestyles out of reach for the majority of Americans – and likely the majority of professors toiling away at lower-profile schools.