Wrong tree

The annual “sunshine list” will be out in early April and no doubt the number of public-sector employees in Ontario making more than $100,000 a year will be longer than ever.
The purpose of the list is noble enough: to provide transparency so taxpayers can see where their hard-earned money is being spent. One drawback, however, is how some salaries are reported, which makes it difficult for local media to track down every person who should be cited—and that’s understandably vexing for those who may feel they are being unfairly singled out.
That’s particularly true in a small town, where everybody knows everybody, making those on the list targets of coffee shop gossip, hushed whispers in the grocery store, and behind-the-back nudges on the sidewalk even though legitimate criticism against the remuneration of a particular position doesn’t not necessarily reflect the competence and character of the individual filling it.
It’s an important distinction to make although the line may seem blurred.
Perhaps most irksome to taxpayers is how our politicians just don’t seem to get it. Last year, for instance, when it was revealed the salary for Fort Frances CAO Mark McCaig had jumped from $120,673.69 in 2008 to $132,486.77 in 2009, Mayor Roy Avis issued a terse statement indicating Mr. McCaig is “supported by mayor and council with the salary that he has.”
Yet just last week, after council agreed to a new collective agreement with the Fort Frances Professional Fire Fighters Association, which included (among other things) a 16 percent wage increase over four years, the town promptly issued a statement saying the deal will prove too costly to the town.
Talk about “balking” up the wrong tree.
Yes, the base salary for a captain with 23 years or more service will jump to $89,554 at the end of 2012 (well up from the $63,108 earned in 2006). But most people probably would agree—given the hefty salaries paid to bureaucrats—it’s money well-spent for someone willing to risk their life to save yours, or a member of your family, or your home or business, perhaps in the middle of the night in minus-40 degree weather.
The same holds true for police officers protecting our community, nurses caring for us when we’re ill, and teachers giving our children a solid foundation for their futures.
More front-line workers are, indeed, cracking the $100,000 mark but the continued disparity is what’s exacerbating taxpayer anger over spiralling public-sector salaries.
Simply put, we want our money spent where it serves us best.