Via Gawker [1]:
In late February, the City University of New York announced [2] that it had tapped Princeton economist and New York Times blogger Paul Krugman for a distinguished professorship at CUNY’s Graduate Center and its Luxembourg Income Study Center [3], a research arm devoted to studying income patterns and their effect on inequality.
About that. According to a formal offer letter [4] obtained under New York’s Freedom of Information Law, CUNY intends to pay Krugman $225,000, or $25,000 per month (over two semesters), to “play a modest role in our public events” and “contribute to the build-up” of a new “inequality initiative.” It is not clear, and neither CUNY nor Krugman was able to explain, what “contribute to the build-up” entails.
It’s certainly not teaching. “You will not be expected to teach or supervise students,” the letter informs Professor Krugman, who replies [5]: “I admit that I had to read it several times to be clear … it’s remarkably generous.” (After his first year, Krugman will be required to host a single seminar.)
Sooo, basically the esteemed Krugman will get paid $225,000 a year to do … nothing. In fact, it sounds like this “position” will benefit Paul Krugman a hell of a lot more than those whose incomes he supposedly wants to make “more equal.” Sound familiar [6]?
(hat tip [7])