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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Letter of the Day
Rewarding the wrong ones
Manitoba legislators tabling budget in April 2011. (CP)
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Re: Pay hikes coming for Manitoba MLAs (Sept. 6). It is surprising that the provincial government will be able to find money to pay for a raise for MLAs by 2014 when it was recently reported that the government can't afford to raise the rent allowance for people on social assistance.
The NDP said it was reluctant to raise social-assistance rates because it did not want to upset the public. But now it is OK to upset the average citizen by raising the pay for those who earn over $85,000.
MLAs have a comfortable lifestyle already, while the most needy members of our society have to use their food allowance for rent and often still live in deplorable conditions because the government has no money for them. They have been waiting for a raise for 20 years.
DOLORES MINKUS-HOFLEY
Winnipeg
Reporter Bruce Owen quotes Michael Werier, the province's independent commissioner appointed to decide MLA salaries, allowances and benefits, as saying that salaries "should be a certain level to attract good people, talented people, capable people."
Of course, this message has been heard before, but is anyone questioning his rather unprovable logic? Looking at the elected officials at every level in Canada today, it does not seem to be working that way. In fact, the very opposite might actually be true.
High salaries with oftentimes exorbitant benefits and obscene pensions might just be attracting the greedy, lazy and incompetent. We all know good, talented and capable people in all walks of life, doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc., who are not in their fields for the money but for the challenge and fulfilment of doing a great job.
Perhaps it is time to find and encourage political candidates who truly wish to give back to their community instead of wining the election lotto.
SHANE NESTRUCK
Winnipeg
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 10, 2012 A11
History
Updated on Tuesday, September 11, 2012 at 2:24 PM CDT: adds link
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