Politicians are always bitching about overpaid CEOs and corporate executives. Congress even passed legislation to penalize corporations that pay their management enormous salaries, which led to the advent of stock options, which gave incentive to executives to artificially inflate the stock price. But when it comes to paying government officials, turnabout is not always fair play.

Washington D.C. city officials are looking to hire a new superintendent for their government schools, and they are prepared to pay him over $600,000 in salary and benefits. This is in spite of the fact that the cash strapped D.C. schools just laid off more than 500 employees, including 285 teachers. The amount is also about twice what superintendents make in nearby Virginia and Maryland.

When it comes to private people spending private money to pay an executive of a private company, the government feels the need to step in and influence how much they pay. But when the shoe is on the other foot and the government is spending public money to pay a public official, price is no object.