What's a high salary in these United States?

I've worked for extended periods in two fields - journalism/financial journalism and academe - so I know the attitudes and values of these cultures perhaps the best, and it never ceases to amaze me how views on income differ in these United States.

You make how much money?

On the university campus I attended for graduate study, the University of Connecticut, most academics, staff and a good portion of the students would view a $500,000 annual salary as a lot of money. In fact, if a tenure-track professor made that much, there'd probably be protests and accusations of greed and a misallocation of resources.

Conversely, in the private sector, particularly among Fortune 500 companies, a $500,000 salary for an executive is often viewed as low or inadequate - and this in the same country as the above university!

Point: As with other economic issues, the United States is divided over what a high salary is, and until Americans can arrive at a consensus, look for income tax policy changes to experience rough-sledding. It takes a supermajority - 60% support or better - to support a federal income tax policy, and right now, the nation is only in the argument review stage.

Financial Editor Joseph Lazzaro is writing a book on the U.S. presidency and the U.S. economy.