Editor, The News:
Re: Most on council don’t want wage increase (The News, March 7).
Coun. Al Hogarth, well at least thank you for being honest – it’s all about the money.
It is obvious that you do not get it – we, the taxpayers (also known as your employer) are not in a position to give you a raise, especially when the best you can claim is that: “I think we’ve done a good job.”
Where I worked, doing a good job was required just keep your job.
To earn a raise you had to excel on a consistent basis, and even then, if the company was not doing well, no one received a raise.
And where do you get off with this idea of asking staff to make a recommendation for council on whether or not to have a raise?
The District of Maple Ridge staff are not dolts. They can figure out that if they recommend council receives a raise, then council will see fit to support staff receiving a raise.
That is part of what is wrong with municipal government costs increasing at a faster rate than any other level of government. There is no oversight (an auditor general), much less control.
Few of you treat our money (the taxpayers) with an respect.
It is like an ATM that some mysterious ‘Money Fairy’ keeps filling up – it is not.
Enough with the whining about the long hours, extra work and lost opportunities.
Doing more for the same or less pay has been the reality for years.
Either find another job with more pay or get on with the work.
To my knowledge, no one, and certainly not the residents of Maple Ridge, held a gun to your head and made you stand for council time after time. You chose to run for council.
You have been caught and should resign as you ran in last November’s election on the false pretense of wanting to serve the community. You were in it for the money.
John Kelly
Maple Ridge