Category Archives: The Issues

MLA gold diggers.

So our MLA’s are once again trying to chow down deeper from the public trough. This time they have concocted a very clever scheme to cover their posteriors with the public. We now have a “independent” triumvirate appointed to apply whitewash to the MLA’s quest for salary increases.

Two points to keep in mind about this so-called independent review. The first is that they are chosen by the government, not through a random or “blind” selection process. I do not see anyone on the review that is known as being anti-raise to represent the “they are already overpaid” point of view. Why am I not surprised? Second, where is the ordinary citizen represented on this committee or is the salary issue “to complex” for them to understand.

Salary raises should be earned by accomplishment. Have you needed medical services lately? Health care system crisis; growing homelessness and poverty; people being squeezed out of homeownership due to astronomical prices; a growing crisis of affordable housing – people who even with full time employment who cannot afford housing; the list goes on and on. Address or better yet come up with innovative solutions to these issues THEN talk to me about deserving a pay raise.

I see nothing from ANY of our provincial politicians that suggests they deserve or are worthy of a pay raise.

If they find it to tough to live on their $83,000, perks and benefits let them do what many of those whose tax dollars pay their salary are forced to do when faced with needing extra money – get a second job. Wal-Mart, McDonalds are always looking for people which would both put them in up close and personal contact with the citizens and deliver to them a reminded/sharp lesson on real life for the non-privileged politician.

Banned and Forbidden in Abbotsford.

Free Speech, citizen’s right to access information in city records and the right to hear or express dissenting views seem to have been added to the long list of things, such as fun, forbidden in Abbotsford.

Apparently City Hall and Council are continuing their assault on these rights. It looks as though the Post’s behaving like a newspaper rather than a cheering section for the City has upset city hall and city politicos. Once upon a time not long ago those unfortunate souls who did not receive the Post delivered to their homes could drop by some of Abbotsford’s city facilities and pickup their copy of the Post. Nevermore.

The Post it seems has become publication non grata on city property. Their crimes: not unquestioningly accepting decrees for city hall or council as from on high; daring to ask questions about city claims; to present both sides of questions and the argument; to – GASP! – disagree in print with city positions. These crimes may also serve to explain the appearance and long stay of a stop work order on the new home of the Post.

It was objectionable enough when the city trampled on the free speech rights of those who disagreed with them during their plan A high pressure sales campaign. It was and is worse that the city continues to deny citizens access to information contained within city records. But city behaviour towards the Post is behaviour well beyond acceptable.

It is time city staff and council respect citizen’s rights: of speech and access to all information concerning the way the city conducts business. They need either to begin respecting the citizens of Abbotsford and their rights or resign.

Re: Hope they paid own way – Regina Dalton

Tsk, Tsk, Tsk. Regina, why would you be surprised by Abbotsford City Hall happily squandering a few thousand dollars on a pointless trip to enjoy the ECHL all-star festivities? Having demonstrated their willingness and ability to cost taxpayers millions, a few thousand more is just chump change – with taxpayers as the chumps paying the bills.

Your time might better be spent putting together a primer on how to use that new-fangled, ultramodern communications device the telephone. It seems that nobody at Abbotsford City Hall knows how to use a telephone. Otherwise they could have called the ECHL offices and gotten all the information about local ownership and the one month timeframe at the cost of a few dollars on the long distance phone bill.

Admittedly, while an efficient method of finding out the needed information, a phone call isn’t nearly as much fun as a boondoggle … I mean fact-finding trip on the taxpayer’s tab. Which brings up the question of exactly how many trips were made and at what cost for other fact-finding taxpayer funded vacations on or for Plan A?

No doubt the ECHL management was suitably impressed by representatives of Abbotsford City Hall arriving unprepared, having failed to have done their homework on the ECHL management, ownership and franchise requirements/structure. They were undoubtedly as impressed with Abbotsford City Hall as I and a growing number of other taxpayers are.