In a thread below devoted to a Canadian Taxpayer Federation project to watchdog excessive spending by politicians, frequent commentor Peter Lowen waxed sarcastic;
What I want is a public service where no one is paid more than $20,000, and you get one pencil a year, and you can’t expense anything more than a happy meal, even if you’re travelling. That would lead to an AWESOME government and great policy outputs. AWESOME.
This inspired me.
I want a public service where the Highways Minister is prohibited from flying, where the Health Minister can only access medical care under an assumed name, the Education Minister must face a class of 15 year olds 2 weeks a year as a substitute teacher, and the Justice Minister has at least two released violent young offenders placed into his personal guardianship at all times.
I want a public service where the Minister of Economic Development and top beaurocrats have mortgages placed on their principal residences as collateral in case government “economic development” projects go bust.
I want a public service where those politicians convicted of fraud and/or theft of tax dollars be sentenced to “house” arrest, paid $20K a year for a 40 hour work week of “community service” and required to support themselves and their families on that income alone – after taxes, CPP and EI are deducted.
That’s what I want.
I want politicians and beaurocrats to treat our tax dollars and our economy like their very financial future and security depended on it. Maybe that way they’d learn to keep their grubby hands off both.
Great vision Kate…I’m thinking that given the choice, politicians you refer to would choose electro-shock treatments and frontal lobotomy’s over granting anything in your want list. Living out the cold clear results of their various stewardships might be much more painful.
If Canadian politics is about anything, it’s about avoiding painful realities.
Yea, in the grander scheme of things, luxury spending by politicians is never at the top of the “political importance” list.
Klein’s government is not immune to it’s accusation. That will not stop me from voting PC. Grander policy moves on…
Nice thought, Kate, but you know it’ll never happen. The answer, of course, is to not give them our money, at least not so much of it.
I can’t think of a service that any government provides me that I couldn’t get for less elsewhere, if it were legal. They should be able to defend our borders and our property, and enforce contracts, for a few percent of our GNP.
Just imagine…
That’s an eloquent and inspirational post, Kate. I don’t think I’ve read a better line than “I want a public service where the Highways Minister is prohibited from flying” — I know what you mean, and so do a lot of other people.
But it’s surprising how many seemingly reasonable people seem to oppose the idea of basic accountability and transparency in the spending of public funds. They always seem to make the case that those who believe in such accountability are out of line, and should examine themselves more carefully, for the purpose of achieving a more correct form. It’s a sort of gentleman’s agreement to play by “corruption-style” rules.
You’d expect such campaigning if you were trading in stolen electronics, but when you hear it done didactically, it just makes you feel dirty.
Accountability for the Anointed
Kate at Small Dead Animals was inspired to write:I want a public service where those politicians convicted of fraud and/or
This sounds like American style populism.
I like it.
Run on that platform.
It’s universal, our Legislators in (liberal)Pennsylvania just made themselves the 2nd highest paid in the U.S., salary with perks add up to approx. $133.000.00 U.S. and believe me, none of them travel second class in this state either.
Mr. Lowen’s wish and Kate’s additions certainly would be welcome here too.
Voters in The United States, as in Canada, seem unable to find enough politicians to put in office at the same time, which could bring these changes about. What other method remains then?
How about politicians only make the average wage of the adult population and public employees raises are predicated on gains in productivity and/or cost reductions?
It is human nature that everyone take advantage of their situation to some extent. What motivation could inspire intelligent people to enter public service? I just think the big problem is leaving governance to politicians when what we really want is to attract service minded intellects not power hungry turd polishers.
I want a public service where it is forbidden by statute for a politician defeated by the electorate to have any access to public funds or be employed by the government in any way for a set period of time after his defeat. No patronage jobs, no lobbying, no grants, no advisory roles, none of that crap. Cape Breton voters did their duty in turfing out Dingwall in 1997, and the SOB just used all his connections to keep living on taxpayer money, only without that pesky bit of accountability to the electorate, ever since.
Am very busy, but I’d say treating the elites as commoners as punishment for stealing our money could be an effective deterrent.
No way would the bureaucrats ever risk their 70G/annum salary for ending up with what those of us avg folk actually make do with as a way of life.
I like the idea, even if sarcastically put.
From the story http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050929/DINGWALL29/TPNational/TopStories
“Such contingency fees violate federal financing contracts and Bioniche repaid the government on Monday.”
Would interest be required on this financing? Having been involved with the CCRA, I know that they do not hesistate to penalize the mere serfs of the country (ie fine + interest).
Great ideas kate…only problem is the politicos would bring up the old argument about needing high salarys to attract the “best” for the job.Well,we’ve seen what the “best” can do in destroying a country,so maybe Joe-Sixpack is the answer.Hey,if the “I surrender” French could do it,why not us? Oh right,this is Canuckistan,land of the sheeple.We are starting to make the French look like warriors…ewwww
Amen, Kate.
Is the President of the Mint restricted to mint-flavoured chewing gum when charging it to the public teat?
Ah, so what you’re talking about here, Kate, is RESPONSIBILITY and ACCOUNTABILITY…I love it!
Unfortunately, those basic life concepts have always had a lot of trouble sticking to the teflon posteriors of politicians and bureaucrats who, through the nature of government, are ALWAYS spending other people’s money and making policy decisions that affect mostly other people.
And the extent to which politicians in a democracy are held accountable by the ballot box is more than offset by the imperative to remain electable which involves, naturally, lavishing citizens’ own money back on the themselves (tho not necessarily the same selves from whence it came). Not to mention pandering to the left-wing ideological fetishes of the mainstream media.
While I naturally agree with your vision, Kate, and can have no doubt about its efficacy if it were ever implemented…the basic problem is that the politicians and bureaucrats aren’t about to change their own rules anytime soon! Especially in the statist, one-party kleptocracy that is modern Canada.
But we’re still allowed to dream, right?….so far!
Seems Peter focussed on a symptom and not the cancer.
Here’s my vision Peter: A free nation where government is kept so small and controllable that they are afaid to double park….one where the millions of 20K$ a year pencil pushers can’t harm us or destroy our lives and families with the stroke of their pencil…. a free nation because it’s free of bureaucrats ( include the court in this ad they have devolved to nothing more than policy enforcement bureaucrats)and the despotism of over regulation. We could stand to downsize all levels by at least 1/3 and repeal thousands of regulatory statutes that compromises charter legal rights ( and there is a lot of unconstitutional law on the books, kids)
Again I sense that the one dimentional partisanism of party politics can’t grasp that freedom vanishes in direct proportion to the expansion of the state. It’s not just about stopping the tax robbery,or unaccountability it’s about the grotesque size and scope of government.
Oh ya While we’re restricting bureacrats to a 20K$ salary extend this to elected members and remove the pension and replace it with a private plan they can spend their salary on like the rest of us. These guys lack public empathy because they have insulated themselves from the crappy laws and economic mistakes they create.
Oh Yeah..forgot…bring back the noose for traitors and define any impropriety with public funds or public trust as treason.
Maybe we can down size government by removing the perks and isolation from the law…..won’t see many of the current crop of political fraud artists and con men looking at government as a free ride for life with their economic and legal immunity removed.
Maybe in this utopia a family can’t be made homeless by bureaucratic terrorism and malicious legislating…..such is the case today in “the greatest country in the world”. Meh!
You forgot to ban all politicians from having a pension plan and force them to contribute and rely on RRSP’s. Lloyd Axworthy was always tickled at that suggestion.
You would sure see some banking and financial industry regulation changes then.
one question why give them 20k a year after taxes cpp, EI
I do income tax for people who support households on less than 20k and they don’t get an exemption.
Unless they retire.
Now what to do for community service?
Work camps on Baffin island I say! Never mind giving them money. Build accommodation or die.
Let them feel like small almost dead animals,,,
I’ll try to relax now.
Are we ever going to get a result from the investigation into Ouellet’s two million expenses at Canada Post?
Mark
Ottawa
Ian in N.S. [8:36am] I’ll go with Ian’s policy idea above. That alone would save us a mountain of our tax money.
Also, if all public servants were issued with one piece of plastic only, and every debit was listed on that member’s expenses page on the web for public scrutiny. That would amount to another mount of our revenues saved. You know that’s right.. eh? TG
Also, a stolen card would be caught sooner.
Speaking of plastic, we had a minister of health here in B.C. McClelland I think. He charged a fun night out with a gal of the night and of course it was picked up because of the card.
Of course it found it’s way into the Vancouver Sun Newspaper. What a dummy. Guess the chaff often does rise to the top. 73s TG
Start with Baby steps, wehave to learn to walk before we can run, to wit:
I recommend that the pension system of the various parliaments be made reasonable, that is, they get a couple of years worth at their pay rate, not a full pension after 6 or 8 years of whatever it is. (And payable at age 65+, thanks, not before)
That and a straight flat tax.
I would never bet on a party that promotes federal small government to win. It would be easily blasted to scare the crap out of people.
Cutting spending or taxes to force spending all but guarantees that the burden of infrastructure will fall to the provinces.
Dingwall’s greed/avarice arises from the strain of human vanity as exemplified by Marcos. Marcos sprung from a governance known as a plutocratic oligarchy— the wealthy rule. AdScam Martin & The Power Cartel are now the Canadian plutocratic oligarchy. One piece of evidence is Robinson’s theft of a ring; another piece of evidence is Dingwall’s lunches on your dime; another is Pettigrew’s chauffeur-scamdal. “More” is the end result of Librano$ avarice. A proposed solution offered by an acquaintance, quote: “Shoot one politician & one from those behind their curtain every Monday morning.”>>>>
Imelda’s possessions up for auction
MANILA, Philippines (AP) � The Philippine government is considering auctioning off former first lady Imelda Marcos� vast collection of shoes and gowns, an official said Thursday>>> canoenews
I like Kate’s wish list, but I’ll settle for a 15% flat income tax, zero sales tax and firing 2/3rds of the seat polishers. Let the surviors keep whatever is left after they fix the roads and the Army.
And could we please have a constitution that limits government instead of limiting citizens? I think that would be nice.
Severation? Dr. Guillotine, where are you?????
Severance package for Dingwall?
By ALEXANDER PANETTA
OTTAWA (CP) – After resigning as head of the Royal Canadian Mint amid controversy, David Dingwall is being considered for a severance package>> cnews
what I would dearly like to see is that every MP is wired with a nonlethal electrical collar(not that I wouldn’t like to see some of those thieving scum fry )during question period or if they are in front of a TV camera. And if asked a direct question and the usual drivel of lies and spin oozes out 20000 volt with a low amperage pow.Ever take a shock off a coil on your car or motorcycle man dosn’t that hurt.Shit now I can’t get the grin off my face heh heh heh heh
Accountability from a politician. Kate you are sending me in to a dream world that I fear I may never recover from. Oh the images you have just provoked in me. Alas I will awaken in the morning to again face the harsh glare of incompetence, corruption, influence peddling,arrogance and on and on and on it goes.
What a Wonderful World
I like the bit about the Education Minister. I suppose I’d just as soon not have a Secretary of Education here. I’m also glad that we don’t have an exact analog to a Health Minister, since that would mean we’d have a full-on Government-provided, tax-…