Below is a letter to the editor of the Manawatu Standard, it
wasn’t published: Nothing new with that for the paper has the right to publish
or not publish: I thought the subject was important so I put out a more
strongly worded blog on the subject: Firstly the letter:
Editor MS
“This is an open letter to Candidates
standing for more than one position in the local body elections.
“Life must be really tough for sitting Councillors who are now bidding for spots on the Mid-Central Health Board as
well as the PNCC or other local body positions.
It would appear that you simply are
not busy enough with your council duties and that you have heaps of spare time
to make a few bucks more by latching onto the salary availability with the
Health Board.
You are all aware of the hard times that
face many of our citizens as they struggle to pay the mortgage, ever increasing
rate bills, the power bill, and the increasing education charges that now
exist.
Times are tough but you would think
that councillor’s 34 to 41 thousand dollar salary would be ample compensation
for a maximum of around 12 to twenty hours per week. Remember that if you are
over sixty five you also receive national superannuation ranging from 24
thousand to 29 thousand per year. You may also have full or part time
employment at various income levels”.
I and others await your answer so we can
make public your response.
Peter Wheeler”
The above
letter was based on an item in a Wheelers Corner 33 dated 18th
August 2016 which was as follows: This
is an open letter to Candidates standing for more than one position in the
local body elections.
“This
week the subject is ‘doubling up’, what does it indicate and why is it taking
place. Is it simply greed? Or is it some fundamental belief pattern that
indicates wonderful community spirit.
The
final paragraph in this item offers a way of proving that financial gain is not
the main purpose, have a read and decide which could apply to your candidate
choice before casting your vote. Is your choice a saint or a greedy job
applicant?
“Life
must be really tough for sitting councillors who are now bidding for spots on
the Mid-Central Health Board as well as the PNCC or other local body positions.
It
would appear that you simply are not busy enough with your council duties and
that you have heaps of spare time to make a few bucks more by latching onto the
salary availability with the Health Board.
You
are all aware of the hard times that face many of our citizens as they struggle
to pay the mortgage, ever increasing rate bills, the power bill, and the
increasing education charges that now exist.
Times
are tough but you would think that councillor’s 34 to 41 thousand dollar salary
would be ample compensation for a maximum of around 12 to twenty hours per
week. Remember that if you are over sixty five you also receive national
superannuation ranging from 24 thousand to 29 thousand per year. You may also have
full or part time employment at various income levels”.
To
voters:
As
voters it’s important to consider various factors in deciding to whom to give
your vote. It’s what I call ‘intelligent choice’. Just imagine you’re a manager
and are appointing or hiring new staff when you vote…because that is exactly
what you are doing.
Firstly
you could consider skills, then you might consider past performance you might
also consider gender balance. There are of course heaps of skills and other factors,
some will have higher priorities from your individual perspectives and that’s
as it should be.
The
following individuals are standing for two positions this year in our region,
Adrian
Broad, Vaughan Dennison, Martin Egan, Lew Findlay, Duncan McCann, Karen Naylor,
and lastly Michael Feyen
are all vying for two appointments this election cycle. I have not included
Mayor and Councillor because only one position can be taken up.
The
natural question we should all ask is: are they doing so because they actually
have something to offer the community DHB or simply to increase their tax payer
funded incomes?
If we
now consider the skills required for the Mid Central Hospital Board, who
amongst the above have the various skills required?
Only
one to my mind fits the bill, and that is Karen
Naylor who has a nursing background. So I’d vote for her for that role but
not for council.
The
DHB’s are according to most Medical Association representatives, absolutely
full of highly paid [some would say over paid] managerial people who clearly
lack the medical knowledge to actually advance the medical processes needed in this
day and age.
In
fact they, in the main, suggest and I would agree that the District Health
Boards are nothing more than rubber stamps for the Minister of Health. A clear
example, governments wanted user pays…MCH Board agrees and introduces massive +parking
charges at the PN public hospital.
When
was the last time you read about just exactly what the Board of the MCH
actually said or did or even does? How long have you been waiting to see a
specialist?
We
need also to remember that Councillors and HB members receive automatic
increases in salary based on the recommendations of the higher salaries
Commission. When was the last time they [Councillors or Hospital Board members]
rejected these automatic yearly increases.
Double
dipping from the public purse is in New Zealand legal; in fact it has been
developed into an art form by many individuals. The question for those who are
standing for two or more positions this election is obvious; will you, if
elected, turn down the lowest salary and still do the job? You need as well ask
yourself the question, am I doing this for the money? If you answer yes to the
first question publicly you will have answered the second question
automatically.
I
and others await your answer so we can make public your response”.
The MS produced this report, have a read and see what you
think…I made an error in suggesting that their take home pay was around 34 to 41 thousand dollars, the MS stated: Those who succeed on both
could collect upwards of $59,874 a year in remuneration…
Here is a ref to an earlier blog on the local body PN
elections: http://wheelerscornernz.blogspot.co.nz/2016/08/local-election-report-comment.html
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