“The gentleman understands what is moral –the small man understands what is profitable’ – Confucious
That would be my response to the base and disturbing guest editorial by Derek Koel, published in the Gazette’s Aug. 29 edition.
His words - “The town of Port McNeill’s traditionally staunch conservative fiscal attitude resulting in no councillor or mayor pay increases for about 15 years” - somehow his complaint is that he seems to feel lack of pay is preventing talented people from running as part-time politicians?!
A lame old dogma indeed.
How any man can outright mock the admirable fiscal restraint shown over the years by so many well-respected men and women who refused to give themselves pay increases, choosing to serve their fellow men for humble honorariums, and sometimes for nothing at all as the situation demanded, is a source of confusion to all but perhaps the drug-addled.
No doubt the folk who work equally as hard as Volunteer Fire Fighters, Rotary Club Chairmen etc., Minor Hockey Executive types, and the like are also “staunch fiscal conservative types” who are too foolish to demand bigger pay as Koel sees it?
Then he goes on to praise Port Hardy council, who have rarely been so restrained in their desires for pay and perks. Just the differences in taxation levels alone should hint to anyone that in the very least some of this difference in spending and personal pay attitudes has at least had some benevolent effect on the Port McNeill taxpayers, of which he is one.
Then again, Koel has taken papers to run for council and wouldn’t want his “genius for hire” to be under rewarded in the unlikely case that he is indeed elected? Beware, Port McNeill taxpayers! If you pay them the big bucks you are gonna get much better politicians in the minds of Koel and the like. Such well paid failures as Trudeau, Trump, and Christie Clark among many others come to mind. Again - beware Port McNeill taxpayers!
I would wish all North Islanders to know that a decade or so ago I found out by chance that the North Island school board trustees went something like 18 years without a pay raise under such folk as Lynn Skrlac and the like! They just never mentioned it to anyone.
That revelation humbled me. While Koel might not be impressed, I was – MIGHTILY.
You see, I know that every nickel that doesn’t go to honorariums and the like is available for other needs and with an efficient administration - (which it is the duty of we politicos to ensure); then less is demanded of the taxpayer and the more is spent towards the purposes and needs of our common civilization.
You can call me naïve Mr. Koel, but without such faith we risk eventual anarchy and ultimately chaos! I have always deeply admired people who do their work for the love of service to others. Small town politicians can look to others who work hard as volunteers and be thankful if they do have a small honorarium to award them for such.
As a person who has served on many committees, boards, town councils and unions executives etc. I have seen how hard people of all stripes have worked for none or little fiscal reward, though there are occasional small perks here and there.
People like Gerry Furney, Larry Pepper, Lynn Skrlac, Gilbert Popovich and Bill Shepherd inspired a generation to do public service with little regard for pay or benefits. It was simply the right thing to do.
So when you ignorantly, or perhaps in your case stupidly, mock folk who rightly value and respect the taxpayer’s dollar, you do yourself and all of us a great disservice.
The old Biblical principle of ‘Render Honour where Honour is due” still rings true in my heart and I suspect in the vast majority of others.
Port Alice Councillor Bruce Lloyd,
Port Alice
* The views and opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author and do not reflect the views of Black Press or the North Island Gazette. If you have a different opinion, we request you write to us to contribute to the conversation.