Editor:
Re: Criticism flows after Metro ‘retirement allowance’ vote, March 30.
It is hard to contain my outrage upon hearing Metro Vancouver board members voted March 23 to award themselves a “retirement allowance.”
Are you kidding me? We are paying these “elected officials” $387 for attending meetings that last four hours or less and $775 for anything over four hours.
During one of these meetings they discussed and voted to give themselves a “retirement allowance ” retroactive to 2007, a cost to taxpayers of $498,000 this year, money that could certainly be better spent elsewhere.
To add insult to injury, they are rationalizing this as “mitigating” having to pay tax on the income they earned serving on this committee. Do we not all pay income tax?
Seven members of the committee voted against; White Rock Mayor Baldwin & Surrey Mayor Hepner voted in favour. Shame on them!
Janice Buchanan, White Rock
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What took place that sordid Friday is not about politicians deserving more, or when and where they voted themselves additional compensation, this is a classic case of politicians having lost sight of acceptable political governance and ethical behaviour.
The very thought of any group of elected public officials proceeding directly to the trough without any kind of prior independent or qualified review and recommendations is highly offensive to the senses.
Tom Zytaruk ‘s column (They’re right, it doesn’t look good on them, March 30) while pointing to this group’s appalling bad judgment, is simply too polite.
The pervasive truth here is that their conduct and poor judgment was shocking and stinks.
Darryl Jones, Surrey
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As a taxpayer and voting resident of White Rock, I am truly disgusted at the simply shameless actions of Mayor Wayne Baldwin in concert with most of the other mayors in the Metro Vancouver Area.
It is simply a slap in the face to taxpayers across the Lower Mainland to grant themselves a retroactive pension going back 11 years. This was done in conjunction with giving themselves a raise at the same time!
To top it all off, there was no discussion nor forewarning, and the item was tucked away hidden at the end of the March 24 Metro Vancouver agenda.
With votes like this and others, it is no wonder the six mayors are not running for re-election, as most of them, if not all, have destroyed any possibility of regaining any credibility.
Oct. 20 cannot come soon enough!
Garry Wolgemuth, White Rock
