Does the University of Michigan’s New Football Coach Need Food Stamps?
Dean Baker, Huff Post:
It turns out that the taxpayer subsidy to Jim Harbaugh is equal to an awful lot of food stamps, which are a useful reference point here, since Republicans have tried to vilify the program. If we assume that Harbuagh’s salary is made up by $7 million in tax-deductible contributions by rich people, then taxpayers will effectively be paying $2.8 million to subsidize his coaching job. This is equivalent to 20,000 months of food stamps. People who get upset over someone getting food stamps from the government should be very upset about a football coach getting a taxpayer subsidy equal to 20,000 months of food stamps. To be clear, I have nothing against Harbaugh or the University of Michigan, but it is certainly reasonable to ask about the size of the salaries at nonprofits that are being subsidized with our tax dollars.