Taxpayers need to know that this isn't just in ICBC, it's across every public sector organization and within the BC government. Under the BC Liberal's, every Ministry and public sector, arms length organization, has become bloated and top heavy with bureaucrats and managers. It's also not just the ballooning of the "upper echelons" these people have also been receiving massive bonuses, "incentives," and other gravy train benefits few of us could ever dream of.
All of this has been occurring against a backdrop of cuts and hiring freezes, contracts ripped up, jobs "outsourced" for workers at the lower levels, the one's who serve the public on a daily basis over a decade.
If Premier Clark wants to demonstrate she really cares about the rot her government created, start telling the public about the bloat in government and start eliminating the many useless managers and bureaucrats that are costing all of us. People wonder why our governments are doing less and less for us and why they have to keep making cuts, it's this kind of "leadership." After a decade in office, the citizens of BC can no longer afford to have the BC Liberals in office.
We should all keep this in mind heading into the May 2013 election as the BC government gets ready to cuts millions, yes, millions, from their operating budget, in the next few months.
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More fallout from potentially steep ICBC severance payouts
VANCOUVER/CKNW (AM980)
Shane Woodford | Email news tips to shane.woodford@corusent.com
11/8/2012
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation
says the BC Government has dropped the ball at ICBC leaving taxpayers
on the hook for millions.
BC spokesperson Jordan Bateman says problem number one is "We need
better negotiators in government we need people who are there standing
up for taxpayers who are grinding down executive compensation deals at
the very beginning when we sign on the Auditor General made reference to
this a few years back in a report maybe moving to fixed term contracts
finding different ways in order to save us this severance money in the
long run." Bateman says on the BC Government's watch ICBC grew too quickly and became top heavy.
"You know there is no doubt long term money will be saved but again
it is money we shouldn't have spent in the first place. the worst part
of this whole story is the ICBC managers looked us in the eye and said
we are going to make all these cuts and the public won't notice, and
service levels won't be reduced, well if the public doesn't notice if
you are cutting these jobs why did we hire them in the first place."
Bateman says people are angry over the golden handshake especially as they pay insurance premiums.
"Our basic rates went up this year you know government takes more and
more money out of ICBC so away from the ratepayers and putting it into
general funds. I mean ICBC has been a problem for a long time media
outlets, watchdogs like us, we kept red flagging it and trying to get
the governments attention it finally took that provincial review to get
the full story and now we are paying the consequences."
While the Premier says the ICBC severance payouts are "ridiculous"
but her government's hands are tied, theNDP are saying the buck stops
with Christy Clark.
ICBC critic Mable Elmore says it isn't just ICBC.
"We have heard this in Community Living BC, in BC Ferries, and many
other crown corporations. The final responsibility rests with the
Premier and it is her responsibility to oversee these areas and I think
that is where we have seen quite frankly a lack of leadership and a lack
of taking responsibility."
When asked if insurance rates could have been reduced if millions in severance wasn't being paid out, Elmore says.
"That is a good question and a fair question given that the Liberals
didn't seem to have an idea what was going on for five years at ICBC and
I have other questions as well in terms of not only severance and
executive compensation. The lack of plans around payments due to bodily
injury claims."
Elmore says the province has been operating ICBC for years with no plan, oversight, or accountability.
Severance payments could cost 26 million dollars for ICBC job cuts to create 29 million in savings through 2013.
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