Top salaries a concern

April 9, 2013 · 0 Comments

I realize that in this day and age we don’t normally question the salaries and benefits of public sector employees, but the salaries and benefits of the top seven wage earners at King Township literally blow me away.
These seven individuals alone cost the Township close to $888,000 per year. Obviously, the remainder of the Township staff with unpublished salaries takes the grand total well over one million dollars a year.
I recognize that many of these individuals are talented professionals but frankly, their duties and responsibilities do not warrant these kinds of salaries. It is very unlikely they would be earning this kind of remuneration if they were working in similar positions in the private sector.
Every day it seems we have Finance Minister Flaherty telling us Canadians that we are living beyond our means and need to eliminate our debt, live more modestly and be more productive. Great advice! However, I don’t believe he is directing this pompous rhetoric at his fellow public workers as we rarely see evidence of the public service tightening its belt.
Many thousands of people are traveling at 6 a.m. down to the city to work; many will not see home again for another 12 or more hours. People working in the private sector have lost pensions, benefits and salaries over the past few years due to the downturn in the economy. Countless have not seen a pay increase in years. I wonder if that is the case amongst our township employees.
Companies have eliminated staff; those who have managed to hold onto their jobs are doing double, sometimes triple duty. Meanwhile, the public sector has added 11% to its number in a one year period.
Times are tough. But do you think that we could we spread the grief across the board a little more evenly?

Mike Shackleford
Schomberg