Salary question buried deep in online survey
Re: “Victoria councillors seek taxpayers’ support for 50% pay hike,” Nov. 15.
I have attended a number of council meetings and it is clear that council’s interventionist approach is the direct cause of the number of hours they put in each week. If they would only define clear rules and let the real city employees do their jobs — without continual interference — council positions would be truly part-time, as intended.
Second, maybe we need a ward system so councillors could focus their seemingly boundless energy for meddling in absolutely every issue on a smaller geography.
Third, the only valid justification for any salary increase is a benchmarking exercise that compares salaries of people in similar jobs in similar-sized communities across the province and/or country. Coun. Ben Isitt’s self-serving proposal to justify a salary increase for part-time positions by way of a comparison with full-time-position salaries is utterly illogical.
Fourth, the city claims it has put online an easily accessible survey to solicit feedback from citizens about the proposal. In fact, the single question related to this issue is buried deep inside the large survey requesting citizen feedback on the complete 2020 budget, so one has to wade through many time-consuming questions to get to the single one that has most citizens up in arms.
Fifth — the chutzpah of Isitt et al. turning down a proposal for a couple of obviously needed additional police officers while at the same time requesting huge salary increases for themselves is beyond belief.
I sincerely hope that voters will remember this sorry episode at the next election.
Jamie Kyles
Victoria
Being on council a labour of love
I have owned a small business for more than 27 years. I work hard and consider myself successful. I have to generate enough income to pay for my living expenses, medical and dental and save for my retirement, since I have no pension. It’s not easy, but it’s my choice and I love it.
Likewise, I assume the current Victoria councillors entered public service because of a desire to serve, not the money.
Ben Isitt has been on council since 2011. He left a higher-paying associate professor position at the University of Victoria. Obviously, he was willing to take lower pay to serve the people.
Jeremy Loveday says the low pay does not encourage young people to go into civic politics, yet there he is, elected under the age of 30. Mayor Lisa Helps is the youngest mayor ever for Victoria. Councillors Sarah Potts and Sharmarke Dubow and former councillor Laurel Collins were all elected under the age of 40.
It’s safe to say that civic politics attracts the young — it’s a great political leap pad, as Collins just proved.
I have often considered running for council and I have never considered the salary as a deterrent. I would consider representing the people of Victoria an honour and privilege, and, as with running my small business, a labour of love.
Kristiane Baskerville
Victoria
Split the difference on standard vs. daylight
Re: “Mind-bending debate on time-changing strains ties between Weaver and Horgan,” Nov. 21.
It sounds like whatever we decide to do about this time-change thingie, someone/no-one/everyone is going to be inconvenienced/dissatisfied/stressed/missing out, etc. So maybe we should just set the change at the half hour between standard and daylight time and leave it there. That way, everyone has something to be happy/unhappy about.
Sharon Wetselaar
Victoria
If you don’t like fossil fuel, don’t use it
Almost every day, someone writes vilifying Alberta and the use of fossil fuel.
The best way to put a company or product out of business is to stop using their product.
People who feel strongly about this should stop using the fuel that they complain about. Sell your gasoline-fuelled car and do not think of an electric, because they are made with hydrocarbons. No more flying vacations.
Shut off your natural-gas furnace and get rid of your clothes that are made with hydrocarbons and everything plastic thing in your house.
I challenge people to list all the things that we would find difficult if not impossible to live without that are made with hydrocarbons, or stop being hypocritical.
Wes Heinrichs
Duncan
Alberta, Newfoundland not the only oil producers
Re: “Climate change, regional tensions among new cabinet’s priorities,” Nov. 21.
A Canadian Press article about the new federal cabinet, including Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Regan, said that Newfoundland and Labrador is the only province other than Alberta that produces oil.
In fact, B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario also produce oil, as do the Northwest Territories and Yukon.
Michael Gatens
Victoria
Sleep experts spoke ‘loudly and clearly,’ too
Re: “Mind-bending debate on time-changing strains ties between Weaver and Horgan,” Les Leyne column, Nov. 21.
Andrew Weaver is correct — the timing of the time-change question was slanted in favour of daylight time.
Last summer’s survey regarding the possibility of B.C. joining the three western states in adopting permanent daylight time was skewed and undemocratic.
There was no mail-out: anyone who does not have access to a computer had no opportunity to weigh in.
The survey itself was set up to provide the government a rubber stamp: there was no option for permanent standard time and no comments box.
Yet Premier John Horgan claims: “The people of British Columbia have spoken and their collective voice has come through loudly and clearly.”
We see and hear daily from scientists and sleep experts who say “loudly and clearly” that permanent daylight time is not a healthy choice.
Why did they and others who favour permanent standard time not have a voice?
Jennifer MacLeod
Victoria
Stop monkeying around: Just cull the deer
Re: “Reduce clashes with deer by slowing down,” letter, Nov. 15.
Our urban deer did not simply wander into town because we’ve built houses in rural areas. Their numbers have multiplied within the urban area because we keep dogs on leashes, shoot invading cougars and plant a wonderful variety of plants that deer love to eat.
No wonder their numbers are up. The herd at Uplands golf course has multiplied from seven or eight deer 15 years ago to nearly 50 now. The 42-deer increase did not walk in from rural Saanich. It’s a homegrown increase.
It is nonsense to state that culls do not work. If Oak Bay had not culled 11 deer several years ago, there would be even more deer in Oak Bay today.
Culls result in an immediate reduction in numbers. Those who don’t like the idea of a planned deer cull seem to be quite OK with 400 deer carcases a year now ending up in our Hartland Road dump.
I’d rather see a well-planned and significant cull and the meat inspected, processed and put to good use as a food source.
I am not a biologist, but I am willing to bet that our residential neighbourhoods are now supporting a larger deer population than any forested area would support. Let’s stop monkeying around managing the deer issue and start really solving it. It is solvable.
Chris Foord
Oak Bay
Money should be going to policing
Victoria council has it all wrong. We, the citizens, the taxpayers, the homeowners, the workers, want to feel safe.
We value and trust our police. Money for this, money for that, but no money for policing.
Fifty per cent pay raises requested for council members, but no more money for policing.
Let’s buy a several-thousand-dollar ping-pong table for Humboldt Street. Let’s continue to invest in bike lanes. Let’s pay money for bicycle counters in three locations.
Let’s continue to spend money everywhere and anywhere, as long as it’s not for policing.
What is the minimum police staffing requirement to protect our city? Is that minimum being met?
I fear not.
I want to feel safe in a city I live and work in. I do not.
Dewane Ollech
Victoria
Was pollution considered when turf selected?
Re: “Sports field’s plastic strands ‘all over the place,’ ” Nov. 21.
My granddaughter graduated in 2016 from Oak Bay High School, where she had an excellent biology teacher. When I mentioned to her the article in the paper about the artificial turf fibres polluting Bowker Creek, she said: “I knew it!”
Apparently, the effects of plastic pollution had been discussed in her biology class, as she took part in a study of the Bowker Creek Restoration Project.
It makes me wonder how thoroughly all facts were considered when the decision was made to use artificial turf.
Shirley Giske
Victoria
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