It is NOT $35,000 for just a Plaque

In the Fitzhugh on October 8th you reported correctly that two councillors had commented that it was to cost $35,000 for a plaque.  Unfortunately their remarks were inappropriate and consequently you have misled the public.

The actual cost of LEED certification is $60,000.  The architect who is doing the drawings and specifications is donating his time and $25,000 towards the $60,000, hence the cost of $35,000 to be paid by the Municipality.   

LEED  is not a plaque.  It is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.  What Council wants for the citizens of Jasper is a building which has been designed and built to high standards which will be efficient and economical to operate. The additional cost is for an independent review  and approval of the design and specifications and an independent audit of construction to ensure that it has been built in accordance with the drawings and specifications. 

Without all the independent review, inspections and audits one cannot be sure that one is getting what was asked for.

This had been explained in detail and debated by council earlier and they were fully aware of what they were voting for.  Perhaps the reporter who had attended earlier meetings had forgotten all this or was looking for a good “Quote of the Week”.  Please be responsible. You are privy to information by attendance at meetings that most of the public are unable to attend.

 John G. Ogilvy, P. Eng.,
Jasper, AB

Protect Jasper’s workers

(In response to the Bonus or Bogus article in Thursday Oct 8th’s paper)

I would like to thank Amy for putting into words what so many of us are thinking every year when summer comes to an end. She’s so right; employers should not make promises they can’t keep, and they should be more responsible when dealing with their employees. We somewhat transient, foreign, but usually ending up long-term workers are indeed the grease in the wheels in this town, and we get treated like we’re something filthy that should be looked at sideways.

I can’t count the number of good people I know that have been oh-so-conveniently fired from jobs and evicted from staff accommodation for things that in the real world would only require a written warning. And there must be three such written warnings from an employer to an employee before any firing can legally take place. As a whole, we are paid just above minimum wage for most, offered poor staff accommodation (basements with no windows, houses with no heating or vents, four people to a room in bunk beds, etc.), charged extraordinarily high prices for rent, and have to pay for groceries and bills on top of that in a town where it cost $3 for a loaf of bread! It’s no wonder you may have some disgruntled, not so eager to work employees, who have to get a second job just to survive, never mind save money to go back to school or leave! But you still can’t fire them for nothing because you don’t think you can keep paying them.

This town would be nothing, and I repeat, NOTHING, if we were not here to hold the entire inner workings up and functioning. Can you imagine if 500 of us, the servers, reception, cooks, retail associates, cashiers, housekeepers, walked out on the job at this moment, or even worse, in the height of summer? Jasper would collapse entirely, and THEN what would you do? Does it really have to get to that before some large business owner snaps out of it and realizes just how important we are, and that we deserve better? There is also this degrading attitude that we are a dime a dozen, and easily replaceable, but no matter who we are replaced with, we all want the same things; a decent job and an employer that we know can support us in every way.

I know I am not alone on this. We are all together and fighting. We work hard at what we do and are loyal and reliable, and still end up struggling for what’s right and legal. For those employers that do treat us well, that not only pay the bonuses but give us raises, that have decent housing for us, that praise us on a job well done and have staff or local discounts, that give us the much needed understanding and treasure our presence and assistance; I commend you and your efforts from the bottom of my heart. For those other owners and employers that do not blink an eye at our disgusting living and working situation that you’ve caused, what is your excuse for the way you treat us?

Let’s hear it...

 Lydia Harrison-Lucy, concerned resident,
Jasper, AB

Reality check on cabinet pay cuts

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is clarifying mis-leading reports on the size of the premier and cabinet pay cuts.

Contrary to some reports, the premier’s total pay cut is not 15 per cent, but rather 5.4 per cent when you factor in total salary including the tax-free portion. Similarly, the cabinet pay cut is not 10 per cent, but 3.2 per cent.

While it’s tough to applaud a premier and cabinet that gave themselves a 30 per cent pay hike last year for giving back a mere fraction of it, it certainly is a start.

We would like to see the Premier, his cabinet, and all MLAs reverse their entire pay hike from last summer. While the total dollar amount isn’t going to make or break the budget, it would send a more genuine signal than the announcement made earlier today.

The CTF is also calling on the all-party Special Standing Committee on Members’ Services to immediately convene a meeting and vote to reduce the pay for all MLAs, the speaker and opposition leaders. As of right now, both the speaker and the leader of the official opposition are earning more than cabinet ministers.

Every backbench MLA got a very significant pay hike last year, as did the speaker and opposition leaders, thanks to a 9-2 vote by the all-party Special Standing Committee on Members’ Services. The committee must hold an immediate meeting and, at the very least, give back 5.4 per cent as the premier has done.

Ultimately, every government employee - including all MLAs - must get on board with pay reductions to help balance the budget. Last night’s speech and today’s announcement are baby steps in the right direction.

 Scott Hennig,
Canadian Taxpayer’s federation