The List You Might Have Missed

I've been asked the point of publishing the list of salaries of the Town's Executive team.

There doesn't need to be a point. Provincial legislation requires publication of salaries over $100K.

The town published them. I just thought readers may have missed the list.

The list only tells half the story. Probably a  large part of the money finds its way in taxation to the Provincial and Federal government.

It goes straight out of your pocket ,gets funneled through the town treasury into provincial and federal coffers.It doesn't even get spent in the local economy.Although the  level of affluence is used to rationalise higher spending by the municipality.

If the senior levels  can find a way to tax someone at the poverty level ,imagine what they must be taking from someone in that income bracket.

It was your money. Collectively, you are the employer. Why should you not know these things?

People in the same jobs in other  municipalities and the Region itself,  earn the same and more.

Toronto is surrounded by Regions with salaries are on a par with each other.

One of the things I've noticed over the years, people who earn that kind of money, tend not to be too  concerned about tax hikes.

People who stand to benefit from municipal spending with hand-outs and such, tend not to object
either. In fact, they seem to think taxes should be higher..

It's probably hard for them to imagine what it's like to be live on $14 K a year.

Well how could they?

It stands to reason, if you worked for a company that couldn't stay in business with overheads like that,
The possibility of the company going bust might help to keep you grounded.

Time was  people employed  in  public service were paid less than others. Security of employment was considered to be an  offsetting benefit.

Nowadays, some public service employees have pensions and benefits that make them better off  in retirement than they were while  working.

Politicians at senior levels are grappling with the problem. Grappling is about it.. They are not above mixing into pension and benefit issues for public service employees  with contracts subject to arbitration.

If it means s substantial block of votes at election time, it may not be cheap  but it's definitely better than spending their  own money on campaign expenses.