nor in this country nothing to stop even national >museums deliberately recruiting people wildly over-qualified in relation >to the salary grade fixed in advance for the vacancy. Not in this country either, Patrick. I decided a long time ago not to enter the federal or state museum system for this very reason. Sorry, Smithsonian people. pay has to be cut to increase incentives for the lowest >paid (to make them work harder) but increased markedly to increase >incentives for the top management and professional levels. Wait a minute...the lowest paid get motivated by less money but the highest paid get motivated by more money? What's the logic behind this? Is it that the highest paid people need to be paid FIRST in order to get them to work harder to live up to their salary level, but the lowest paid people have to work hard before they get paid? Why are the lowest paid people underestimated in this manner? I had heard some terrible things about the rigidity of your class system but this is beyond me. I agree that museum people (at least in the curatorial and programmatic ranks, if not administration) are sadly overworked and underpaid anywhere in the world. But I also agree that we are not in it for the money, and if that makes me a sucker, so be it. Julia Moore Indianapolis Art Center [log in to unmask]