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Any time a east coast union tries to get wage parity with the west coast, we are always turned down for several reasons. How did the city manage to sneak this one by? I’m sure federal and provincial employees would like to hire the same arms length review committee. —Ex-pat
This article appears in Oct 21-27, 2010.
18 Comments
But they’re entitled to it. They work so hard for the betterment of HRM and it’s citizens………………………………………………………………….sorry I had to go and puke.
Inflation only affects city councils. Haven’t you heard?
as i said in another post o.p., they get a raise simply because they are in a position to give it to themselves, and they okay it. get the picture here, how politics work.
I’m glad that as a government we live up to the mantra of “responsible government”. Lately we have been hearing in the news that the municipality is broke, needing to raise property taxes and cut services in order to pay the bills… voting a themselves a pay raise seems a little arrogant to me, but what do I know, I’m not a pig feeding at the government trough.
And read this: http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1208380…
Among the gems from that article: Kelly thinks that if city council froze their pay, that voters would be cynical about it…and that therefore, for that reason, it’s wrong for him and the councillors to freeze their pay. And he’s got the balls to call such a move disingenuous. What’s actually disingenuous is using an “arm’s length review committee” to deliver automatic annual pay rises…politicians use systems like that so they can lie and say it wasn’t *their* idea to get a salary hike. What incredible crap that man Kelly spews.
And I see in that article that they disinterred a useful academic mouthpiece for the council’s side of the issue: Novack. Of course he’s all for it; he helped bring the current system in. A couple of rich quotes from that flack:
” what the hell’s the difference what they’re paid?”
and
“Ultimately, that’s what the ballot box is about.” (when Novack was asked if voters are getting good value for their money).
His first response was arrogant and his second was stupid. As if voters really have any effective power at all.
Then there is the argument – we need to offer these saleries in order to attract the qualified personnel.
Tell that to Todd & Carol Basset (top officials for the Salvation Army), together their combined compensation includes basic living allowances and grants totaling $64,210.00 and housing valued at $34,116.00.
For two individuals the total compensation is approximately $98,326.00.
TTFN – how’s that for a couple of Christian cunts?
*salaries – oops
yea can you imagine working at a real job that was in the red and asking for an unmerited raise hmmm.. yea that would fly …. out the door along with your sorry ass 🙂
yeah, lets see where studdering Pete sees himself in the next election…
It’s TOTALLY to offset the costs of having to pay for parking like the rest of us public now.
$6k parking fee? Geez, I’m glad I don’t have to park downtown now.
The Browless Bumbler-Mumbler needs to be replaced by a Mastercraft socket wrench and city council needs to be limited to two wharf rats. Then something might get done around this city.
i dont mind bitching,but to bring up the fact the mayor stutters is very low and common
Any person who tells you they are in the Government to serve people is a FUCKING LIAR.
There is no way to sugar coat that. They may at first ,when they initially join a party etc. & simply be so damn naive, or stund, that they truely believe that at that time… & just keep it as their mantra from then on.
That’s what it is.
People that are going into service to the ‘people’ & make a change for the better …change the way its done they tells us… then…. they get elected …. after the victory party ,they sit down & a shit load of Perks, & money gets dumped on them & somewhere IMO right about that time they realise “they” are people… & they need to help themselves…I..aaa. I mean people.
WHich is why we are all doomed to an endless loop of this same old, same old. Unless somehow we regain control of how we are governed & how much power elected representitives are allowed to hold . THis so called arms length review board is BS.
The simple & fairest method is that no elected official can get a raise any larger than the smallest increase granted to the employees of any Union of Government workers.
This will ensure that if a raise doesn’t happen in the working man/woman’s world…it doesn’t happen in theirs either.
Secondly in the real world you don’t just hand out raises based on comparison to something else, like this place in another part of this vast country is doing it, & its the same size.
What kind of criteria is that ?
Thats all you need….without looking at if it can be afforded. If it is a climate of budget restraint, & the budget has no room or you’re over budget, then the simple answer is there can be no raise for anyone, because we don’t have the money to pay for it unless we raise taxes.
I’ve got no problem with people in Government doing well, but with the amount of debt we have we need our government to start paying down the debt . Which is going to hurt, a lot.
But its got to be done.
One way to show the ‘people’ they purportedly serve, is that they make a motion all raises going back past the last one be rescinded, at the next council meeting (don’t hold your breath) . I’d pay attention to that. It would be refreshing to say the least !
IF the 50 years or so I’ve been around I’ve heard all kinds of empty promises to helping poor disadvantaged by government, I say empty because there seems to be even more povety now than before and the only thing that seems bigger & different is the size of the deficit & every level of Government wants more taxes. Their only creative solution for any problem, is more tax money. Never a thought for restraint, never a plan on how to get to a target to not balance the budget, balance & pay down the debt as opposed to simply servicing the interest! ! ! is ever really explained to us ( probably because they don’t really know either)
Right fucking on, More. After four decades of watching politics and government on every level, here’s the reality – once they get to the trough, they don’t look up from feeding until they’re forced to. Then the next group of pigs step up and take their places. That’s the reality. Oh, a few things get done, lip service as it were but utlimately there’s no real accountability.
I spend 12 hrs a day in a machine shop for roughly $25000 a year and these shitheads (Kelley included) sit on their collective asses and essentially mandate their own pay raises? Fuck them.
Y’all gonna get sued!
bring it the fuck on, would make editorial reading for c.n.n.