Keeping up with the Joneses

 

Ever wonder why our esteemed council always looks at other cities to see how they can spend more or claim their worth more?  Yet, they never look at them and say….oh so you can save money by doing that, or, wow their citizens seem happy.

Our council has a bad case of the Jones’.  Always wanting what the neighbour has but not wanting to put in the hours or the effort to achieve it.  As of late they have been talking about a pay increase.  So they do what they always do, form a committee to review the situation.  Then as always the committee needs more time to what they were tasked to do within a time limit.  But we’ll over look that.  Then the council will grant them more time so as to avoid an election question if they voted for a raise.  By voting for the raise after the election they have four years for the population to forget about it.  Now make no mistake they’ll vote a raise now that there is no Board of Control.  They’ll come up with reasons such as we have more of a work load now, we have to go to more meetings and committees, sit on more boards, etc etc.  First up, raise.  Second up, full time pay.  Of course if one is working full time then one must have full time staff and support.  Per chance will the support staff be made up of the wonderful people who form these citizens groups and committees?  The same committees that need more time, more money, more this or that.

Without the Board of Control the city will save over $600,000 over the next four years.  What ever shall we do with that money….oh wait we can use it to top up our salaries of the new council.  Every time there is an opportunity for restraint or saving the horseshoe passes by.  The provincial uploading money for Social Services that is not needed?  Oh we spent that next year.  If our council can not restrain themselves for their own personal income how can we expect them to restrain for the city budget?

How often have we read the paper and stated they get paid what ?  for doing what? and shook our heads.  With over 250 100k members on city staff and a spending plan that makes no sense to the regular citizens, how can we allow this to happen for the next four years?  Especially when the council members are going to make up the ‘Executive Committee”.

It’s time to realize that the Jones’ worked hard and performed well to have what they have.  Perhaps we should expect the same of our council.

October 25th vote Bob Howard and help stop this one upmanship.