Prime Minister needs to talk to Toronto Mayor about his salary (en francais)

Next time they review Parliamentary salaries, Stephen Harper might want to include "His Blondeness", Toronto Mayor David Miller on the committe. It's either that or Ottawa is going to start losing all it's best talent to Toronto. (until they go bankrupt that is).

The rich get richer
At David Miller's city hall, the $100,000 dollar salary club keeps growing, and we keep paying.

In the wee hours before TTC fares rise across the board, the 2005 list of Toronto's top municipal earners -- released by the province last Friday -- shows the TTC's own $100,000-plus managers increased in number by 55% since 2003.

Toronto Public Library officials -- who regularly threaten at budget time to reduce library hours -- boosted their numer of six-figure managers 300% (from 13 to 39) since 2003.

It should also be comforting to city homeowners and transit commuters that Toronto city manager Shirley Hoy was paid $282,894 plus another $7,761.92 in taxable benefits last year -- totalling more than the $288,600 earned by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. TTC Chief General Manager Rick Ducharme came darn close at $260,480 in wages and $13,806.72 in taxable benefits.

The list of those who cashed in with six-figure salaries is 43 pages long. But here's a wee sample: William Falkiner, supervisor of the city-operated Don Valley Golf Course, made $105,051. The manager of the city's needle exchange program, Shaun Hopkins, earned $116,710.

H/T to Sun columnist Sue-Ann Levy who continues to highlight the hypocrisy of the 'poor me' Toronto Mayor.

I wonder if Premier Dalton McGuinty and Finance Minister Dwight Duncan feel any better about that Toronto bailout now, knowing that some city employees are making more than them.

Every time the Province ponies up more cash for Toronto, we all pay for Mayor Miller's inaction.