Ex-Clerk to City:
Well, likely Pierre Page is right in feeling a trifle abused. Who wouldn't, having worked assiduously for the furtherment of the City of Ottawa, his hard work recognized and appreciated, and then being feted as he was, with a going-off party that cost the taxpayer almost $20-grand, and getting the key to the city to boot.
Well, was he given the boot? Did he ask for that party, insist that he would accept nothing less to commemorate his penchant for hard work with scant recompense? (Oh, he did earn a salary? Well put it this way, plenty of people earn big bucks working for the municipality and they don't quite earn it; Mr. Page appears to have earned his.)
So he's pissed off because he was slurred, more of less by the auditor general's report that made public that reception (oops, not a party, no-no - bash, anyway) launched on his behalf. Mind, the auditor-general found no real fault with this costly send-off, but betcha most taxpayers do. We don't forward property taxes to fund employee send-offs...got that?
Most places put up a fund, ask colleagues to donate so a memorable event can be held in recognition of a former colleague's place within their working hierarchy. The public definitely does not pay for such frivolities, even if they are meant to honour an honest and hard-working employee. He earns a salary thereby.
As for that magnanimous hand-over of the key to the city to such a distinguished employee, it wasn't he who asked for it, now, was it? This was yet another cockamamie idea of our estimable mayor, Larry O'Brien whose thought-processes and fumbling in all affairs revolving around municipal matters have been found rather wanting.
Doesn't the buck, all $19,629 of it, stop at the mayor's office? Isn't he the authorizing authority? Isn't he the good fella who assured taxpayers that with him in office the city would be run efficiently, expertly and well within current tax rates? And isn't he the guy whose questionable finagling in buying off a mayoral contender had him facing a criminal investigation? (Lest we forget.)
He's the guy who keeps burdening the taxpayers with one loss after another, from peeved-off contractors ready to proceed with a signed deal for new-age public transit, to bringing Ottawa public transit to its knees through a strike that brought chaos to the city. My feeble mind can't keep up with the messes this guy has led us into, inclusive of the green box, extraneous for all of us sedulously-aware backyard composters of kitchen waste.
Well, clearly, it's a good thing that we've got astute and knowledgeable civil servants like auditor general Alain Lalonde, to point the admonitory finger of blame at the municipality for wasting tax dollars. Oops, Alain Lalonde - isn't that name familiar? Right! He's the guy monitoring spending and accountability at city hall, and who bamboozled city administration into topping off his pension by what, a whopping ten grand?
Can we blame him? After all, it's tough to get along these days on a miserable salary of $208,00, and everyone's got to look out for numero uno, to prepare for those golden retirement years, and what colour's your umbrella? Sorry, didn't mean to shout, just kind of frustrating, y'know?
Pssst! In his defence, Mr. Lalonde frostily informed those who queried the probity of such a self-entitled move by one charged with overseeing the city's sensible use of taxes, that he scrupulously followed all the city's rules and procedures.
Well, was he given the boot? Did he ask for that party, insist that he would accept nothing less to commemorate his penchant for hard work with scant recompense? (Oh, he did earn a salary? Well put it this way, plenty of people earn big bucks working for the municipality and they don't quite earn it; Mr. Page appears to have earned his.)
So he's pissed off because he was slurred, more of less by the auditor general's report that made public that reception (oops, not a party, no-no - bash, anyway) launched on his behalf. Mind, the auditor-general found no real fault with this costly send-off, but betcha most taxpayers do. We don't forward property taxes to fund employee send-offs...got that?
Most places put up a fund, ask colleagues to donate so a memorable event can be held in recognition of a former colleague's place within their working hierarchy. The public definitely does not pay for such frivolities, even if they are meant to honour an honest and hard-working employee. He earns a salary thereby.
As for that magnanimous hand-over of the key to the city to such a distinguished employee, it wasn't he who asked for it, now, was it? This was yet another cockamamie idea of our estimable mayor, Larry O'Brien whose thought-processes and fumbling in all affairs revolving around municipal matters have been found rather wanting.
Doesn't the buck, all $19,629 of it, stop at the mayor's office? Isn't he the authorizing authority? Isn't he the good fella who assured taxpayers that with him in office the city would be run efficiently, expertly and well within current tax rates? And isn't he the guy whose questionable finagling in buying off a mayoral contender had him facing a criminal investigation? (Lest we forget.)
He's the guy who keeps burdening the taxpayers with one loss after another, from peeved-off contractors ready to proceed with a signed deal for new-age public transit, to bringing Ottawa public transit to its knees through a strike that brought chaos to the city. My feeble mind can't keep up with the messes this guy has led us into, inclusive of the green box, extraneous for all of us sedulously-aware backyard composters of kitchen waste.
Well, clearly, it's a good thing that we've got astute and knowledgeable civil servants like auditor general Alain Lalonde, to point the admonitory finger of blame at the municipality for wasting tax dollars. Oops, Alain Lalonde - isn't that name familiar? Right! He's the guy monitoring spending and accountability at city hall, and who bamboozled city administration into topping off his pension by what, a whopping ten grand?
Can we blame him? After all, it's tough to get along these days on a miserable salary of $208,00, and everyone's got to look out for numero uno, to prepare for those golden retirement years, and what colour's your umbrella? Sorry, didn't mean to shout, just kind of frustrating, y'know?
Pssst! In his defence, Mr. Lalonde frostily informed those who queried the probity of such a self-entitled move by one charged with overseeing the city's sensible use of taxes, that he scrupulously followed all the city's rules and procedures.
posted by Pieface @ 5:57 PM
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