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Public pay too high

Has the average hard-working citizen had enough news regarding public employees reaping decadent bonuses?

Has the average hard-working citizen had enough news regarding public employees (formerly known as public servants, lucky to have a job) reaping decadent amounts of bonuses, severance pay in addition to top dollar wages? (‘Severance totals $371K’, The NEWS, Aug. 5)


It is the private sector that produces the wealth, adds to the GNP and basically provides the wages paid to doctors, teachers, police and government workers.


We all know the system is top heavy and is/has been corrupted by those who have so far been caught like senators Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin.


The entire concept of entitlement is out of balance when, for example, the sick leave policy intended to assist an ill worker becomes a payout scheme at termination time.


Come on now, 120 sick days accumulation reimbursement?


In the past, if sick days weren’t used in one year, so be it, at least you were covered.


There are still positions where the employee gets two weeks vacation after one year, whereas teachers get 11, plus stats, plus those professional development days that are always tacked on to a weekend.


It seems that greed always trumps gratitude for many and this must be factored in when our elected governments set hiring and termination policies, especially concerning overly generous payouts to the already well to do.


Remember the gross payout and pension to the B.C. Ferries CEO after only eight years service?


If we are in fact considered to be civilized, then how about monitoring this excess from these acts of financial violence and channel funding to the less fortunate in a fair manner, as in providing low income housing, which has been promised in this area for decades.


Gord Byers


Parksville