August 31, 2007
White House Press Secretary Tony Snow Resigns
Famed jazz flute player Tony Snow will step down as White House Press Secretary on Sept. 14, adding one more bleeding gash to the already hemorrhaging patient known as the Bush Administration. CNN is reporting that Snow, who makes $168,000 as the White House spokesman, says he is leaving for financial reasons, reiterating that he took a significant pay cut to take the position over a year ago in April 2006.
It's an awfully weird rationale to be jumping from the sinking ship, especially for Snow, who has the best, most legitimate reason to step down of anyone in the administration. Doesn't "I need to focus on my health since I'm being treated for cancer" have a more understandable ring to it than "my family requires a luxury lifestyle that cannot be supported by a mere $168,000 a year for a rather brief and fixed period of time" -- and if it's medical bills Snow is dealing with, he certainly doesn't mention it. Rather, he expects us to believe that his kids' future college tuition requires him to bring home more bacon, which is alarmingly offensive to the millions of American families currently sending their kids to college with far, far, far less than $168,000 a year to work with.
The good news is that by mid-September, the traffic on 15th street NW should ease considerably, since no one will actually be working in the White House anymore. Oh wait, we guess Dana Perino, who will replace Snow, will still be around, which should be exciting news to male news junkies on Facebook.
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It's more complicated then the sheer salary amount. If you're living a lifestyle at a certain level (and have a mortgage, bill payments, etc. to match), then you can't just drop salary for very long, regardless of what kind of income level you're talking about. I'm sure his medical problems also contributed to his financial situation, and a guy like him would rather use money as an excuse rather than looking like he's just another bailout as we get closer to the election and making the President look bad.
All I have to say is: The kid who started that group went to Duke. Let's all take a moment to remember the Ignition video...
Didn't he announce this a few weeks ago, and say he'd be leaving in mid-September? Why is it news again just because he finally set the exact date?
honesty...I like it!
"Aqualung!!!"
--Ron Burgundy
Didn't White House Chief of Staff Bolten issue some rule that if you don't officially resign by Labor Day, then you are committed to to the end of the term? That might explain the timing of this. Of course, I'm not sure how that rule could be enforced. What are they going to do, fire someone who leaves in October after they have already left ("I quit! No, you're fired!")? Threaten them with a bad letter or recommendation? Put it in their "permanent record?"
As for Snow's "I can't afford to work here anymore" I expect nothing less from a guy who was (politics aside) a pretty terrible press secretary than to botch his own resignation announcement. Bring back Marlin Fitzwater or Mike McCurry.
Given her increased responsibilities, I hope Dana Perino won't neglect her dog, Henry the Viszla. He’s a good dog.
OMG! Everybody please join the Dana Perino group on Facebook. Rumor has it that Dana actually reads it. Show her some love!!
Actually, I think that traffic will be lighter on 15th Street NW due to the fact that no traffic will be allowed on that street ever again. After all, the Terra-ists are at War with Us!
If you want your kids to go to first tier schools without being seriously burdened by debt, $168,000 a year is not enough to do it.
comment 10 - What? I only have 24k total in debt after going to gtown, and my mother only made 60k a year. Of course that means doing silly things like using hand-me-down laptops and working 60-70 hours a week during the summer, but not exactly the impossibility you make it out to be...
I don't care what lifestyle he is used to.. for someone in that position to complain about salary shows extreme indifference and/or ignorance of the conditions that many Americans live in.
Latrell Sprewell understands.
comment 11 - were you an only child? Scholarships? Grants? Or did you earn $40k per summer?
First tier schools in expensive cities generally tell parents each student will need $40-50K a year total for tuition and living expenses.
So, you'd need $160k - $200k for each child for each 4 year degree. Sure, people *below* a certain income level get good grants, and people *above* a certain income level can drop that kind of money without flinching. But there is a big group of people in between.
I don't know the age of Tony Snow's kids, but he has three. Depending on their ages, they may well be in college during overlapping years.
And I'm sorry, but $168,000 salary is not that much for DC. Half the good law firms in DC pay first year attorneys $160,000 now - so Tony Snow is getting paid at the level of an entry level attorney at a decent firm. By contrast, I'm sure he made much more as a radio and tv show host before becoming Press Secretary.
I found his kid's ages as 10, 11, and 14. That means they will overlap during college, which as most kids who've been through this know, is a big strain on family finances.
> don't care what lifestyle he is used to.. for someone in that position to complain about salary shows extreme indifference and/or ignorance of the conditions that many Americans live in.
[12] Posted by: Politburo | August 31, 2007 4:03 PM
No it doesn't, you silly commie. He doesn't have to make his personal career and financial decisions out of consideration for the "conditions that many Americans live in." Why would such conditions be of any consequence is evaluating his own situation?
Maybe he didn't want to say "Hey I think I'm dying and only have a few years to earn enough money to provide for my family after I'm gone."
---Maybe he didn't want to say "Hey I think I'm dying and only have a few years to earn enough money to provide for my family after I'm gone."---
I think that's basically it.
How can ya'll talk about salaries on this comment thread when it's obviously time to talk about how FABULOUS it's going to be with DANA PERINO behind that podium on the REGULAR! C'mon peoples! It's DANA PERINO. Who CARES that Tony Snow is leaving, as long as the patron saint of DIVANESS takes over. DP 4evs!
"I don't care what lifestyle he is used to.. for someone in that position to complain about salary shows extreme indifference and/or ignorance of the conditions that many Americans live in."
The key word in that statement is "shows". It's key because 99% of the US population, upon hearing 168K isn't good enough for Snow, will choose to think he's an elitist prick rather than think they are failing themselves and their families. It was a clueless comment to make. Particularly for a "Press Secretary".