Money, mileage, trust - some election issues

Opinion piece reprinted from the Orono Weekly Times (August 16, 2006 edition) - some things to consider.

"JUST MY OPINION" by Luke Prout, Kendal

Sara Evans recently released a beautiful song about an ex-lover that ran off with another woman, and now wanted Sara to take him back because he realized that she was what he really wanted all along. To sum the song up, the answer is "NO", with a hard driving chorus that goes "Maybe you should have thought about that when you were cheating".

This should be the theme song for the 2006 Clarington Election. Every single member of the Council has a job that most people in the region would die for. Excellent pay for all positions, work hours are basically at the councillors discretion - with the exception of one 3 hour weekly council meeting there are no required hours of work for local councillors. Expenses including gas and meals are reimbursed, and you're invited to all major events. You're paid extra when you sit on additional committees. Your work can make a difference. You're respected, you're a somebody and well paid for it.

Instead of treating this position with the dignity it deserves, the first thing the council does is to give itself a WHOPPING big pay increase. When Mayor Mutton was first elected in 2000 his job paid $79,000. Now he's paid $164,000 per year, or 207% of what he made when he was originally elected. Who else gets this kind of raise? Then, they give themselves a gas mileage allowance that exceeds any comprehension and change the rules so that now they're not reimbursed for mileage driven, but get a flat rate - they don't have to show they drive at all! They get paid even when they're sick now, and this allowance is big enough to make monthly car payments on a BMW, buy gas, AND buy insurance!

The mayor's automatic monthly gas allowance exceeds $1,200! Just for an idea $1,200 divided by the 47cents per km (or worse) the rest of us get means that the mayor must drive over 2,500 km per month in Clarington, or roughly the distance to Florida. Add trips to Russia and China (with an entourage) at the tax payer's expense. How about a reserved street parking spot for the "Mayor"? Millions are spent on expensive outside consultants. Meanwhile the local taxes have gone through the roof to fund these excesses. Mine are up over a thousand dollars.

On a moral level we have criminal charges against the mayor during this term of office. I wrote some recent letters to the Orono Weekly Times relating to Councillor Robinson's use of farm plates on the same vehicle that he argues he needs for council and gets the huge gas allowance on. No good reply yet. I still have NOT received any facts on the money stolen from the Bowmanville Arena other than "it's under control" (ask your councillor about that - it's a perfect example of council's belief the taxpayer is inherently stupid).

The recent shouting down of Mrs. Racansky in her scheduled ten minutes of presentation to councillors about the tax increase was so ridiculous (and televised) that any councillor in that room that did not lift a hand to stop the mayor's juvenile tirade should have resigned by the end of the week if they had any dignity (none stopped him) Sitting on your hands when the people who elected you are abused; that badly indicates cowardice or ineptitude.

In spite of this, most of the current councillors are singing one of two tunes: The first is my favourite: "Look at my track record". OK. Based on their track record, the Town is heading for serious financial difficulties if we are stupid enough to elect the current crowd. Is it actually possible that the current council thinks 200% raises and these tax increases are normal? The second tune is even stupider: "There have been mistakes - but give us a chance to fix it by re-electing us" Does anyone actually fall for this?

I think "REVENGE" is the right word. You want to be re-elected? NO. Maybe you should have thought about that when you were cheating.

(Permission to reprint from author)