The wealthy dead

One of the many inconveniences of being dead is that, in the words of the old saying, you can't take it with you - the "it" being wealth.

If the dead still do have some consciousness, a worthy topic by itself in the week of Halloween, it must be doubly galling for them to accumulate money after dying and have no way of spending it. Of course, I am assuming most of the equipment you need for being dead is provided free on-site - wings, halos and harps for the saints, pitchforks for the sinners (plus a TV that plays only WQED pledge drives).

The wealthy dead were the subject of a front-page story in the Post-Gazette this morning under the headline "Gone but Not Forgotten." Among those who continue to earn the big bucks while deceased are Yves Saint Laurent, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley and Pittsburgh's own Andy Warhol. They occupy different positions on the Forbes list of dead celebrities.

If earning power in life is any guide, this is one list I expect not to be on when I go to the Great Newsroom in the Sky. While I am not jealous, I do think this is unfair - not to the dead but the living. We are here working our butts off while all they do is lie about.

That's capitalism for you, a necropolis of inequitable human endeavor, make no bones about it.

 

Posted Oct 28 2009, 05:22 PM by Reg Henry
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Comments

thescarletpumpernickel wrote re: The wealthy dead
on Wed, Oct 28 2009 7:34 PM

"You're worth more dead than alive."

Isn't that what old man Potter told Harry Bailey?

Ironically, isn't that true of most of us?

(There's already a WQED channel that plays Rick Sebak specials over and over and over...Does that qualify as purgatory? At least it's better than cataloging old Marilyn McDevitt Rubin recipes.)

mugsy wrote re: The wealthy dead
on Wed, Oct 28 2009 7:57 PM

Well, I've heard it said that in Boston, as well as many other major cities, the dead actually represent the largest swing vote in many elections. If they're good enough to vote, they're good enough to make a few bucks just like the rest of us.

kevin morris wrote re: The wealthy dead
on Thu, Oct 29 2009 7:13 AM

Hey, i think we have an opportunity to raise taxes on some folks without much resistance other than turning over in their graves.

callsigntourist wrote re: The wealthy dead
on Thu, Oct 29 2009 7:30 AM

kevin morris:

Excellent.  And make sure you call it a flat tax.

kevin morris wrote re: The wealthy dead
on Thu, Oct 29 2009 9:41 AM

callsigntourist, either that or an urnings tax.

Great Halloween subject, Reg!

callsigntourist wrote re: The wealthy dead
on Thu, Oct 29 2009 3:12 PM

kevin morris:

Residual subplot urnings?

kevin morris wrote re: The wealthy dead
on Thu, Oct 29 2009 5:22 PM

I think we should be done now.

my opinion wrote re: The wealthy dead
on Fri, Oct 30 2009 5:24 PM

Kevin some funny lines, thanks.