The fog of the pandemic has hidden much; protecting the public’s purse

BY STEVEN KASZAB

Whether you live in North America, the Caribbean or Central-South America we taxpayers must be diligent and aware when protecting our futures.

Seems our local and regional governments can afford to give themselves pay raises, but certainly will not vote to give back to taxpayers a financial incentive, or rebate. The Niagara Regional Council’s sunshine list gave several of its top bureaucrat’s hefty pay increases.

The Regions acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Mustafa Hiriji earned $450,420.45 in 2021, a raise of $153,351.28 compared to 2020. The Niagara Chief Administrative Officer Ron Tripp earned $313,001.55 in 2021, an increase of $81,520.48 compared to 2020.

In contrast the City of Toronto, with a population of 2.8 million, only paid its Chief Medical Officer Dr Eileen DeVilla  $321,835.53, while the City of Mississauga with a population of 718,000 paid its C.A.O. Paul Mitcham $284,855.50.

In the last six months, The Niagara Regional Council has increased property taxes, increased user fees, and awarded hefty pay hikes too.

It seems that the taxpayer needs to lock its attention upon their elected officials and public bureaucracy. The medium pay raises in America have risen from 3%-3.5%, the UK from 2.5%-3% and Canada an increase of 2.5% followed by a 2.7% increase in 2023.

The pandemic has acted much like a mass fog event, hiding the many actions of our elected officials and their underlings. We see them carrying out the business of the government and protecting the population, while we do not see their hands going into our pocket books enriching themselves. A mask can be made for less than a dollar, yet our governments have paid as much as five dollars for these. Inflated wages, prices and unconfirmed costs to the public purse cannot be acceptable.

Public officials taking advantage of the public is criminal, unethical and must be stopped. The public purse must be respected and protected at all times. Many of our public officials seem to have forgotten this fact.

Well what was hidden must come into the light, I say!  Taxpayers, live with your eyes wide open, questioning those elected to be fair, transparent and accountable. This fog, which has hidden much from us, has allowed the possible to become the probable.

What has been misappropriated, stolen, mismanaged, over paid? Perhaps the public offices of the Attorney General and Ombudsmen need to become involved, strictly investigating our government of any possible wrongdoing. While this is done, the rats of wrongdoing will surely abandon the public ship. Those who remain most certainly are the public officials we wished to elect and work for us.