After golfer Phil Mickelson complained about California’s high taxes and threatened to leave the state and make “drastic changes” to his career, a Syracuse University professor told Mickelson to stop whining because he is lucky to be able to pay high taxes.
Len Burman, a tax professor at Syracuse University, said: “Please stop whining and give thanks for being able to earn a fabulous living playing a game and selling golf clubs (even after tax). 99.999% of people would never have that option, no matter how hard they worked on their swing.”
Burman continued:
Really? Mr. Mickelson, do you understand that the typical American would have to work about 75 years to earn that much money before tax?
Sir, you get paid astonishing amounts of money for playing golf-directly through the purses you win at tournaments and indirectly through all the endorsement deals that come with golf success.
“Do you have any idea how lucky you are?,” Burman asked.
Mickelson, like many in California, emphasized on Sunday that the state’s high taxes may push his family to leave the state.