A commentary by a Brentwood Bay resident.
Re: “Good pay will bring us better MLAs,” letter, Dec. 17.
Politics is the only “profession” in the world in which the only qualifications are a big smile, engaging personality and an ability to lie with a straight face.
The rest of the world is not paid handsome salaries without first having the qualifications required of the job.
Money does not attract star athletes, business leaders and successful entrepreneurs. It is they who attract the money.
Money attracts corruption and organized crime. To say that “rich” people just want the power so they can keep their money is very cynical indeed.
Perhaps these people who have generally proven themselves as good at running large enterprises involving large amounts of other people’s money are just wanting to give back to their community as so many of them selflessly do in charitable organizations.
Bill Gates did not set out to make money. He set out to develop the best computer software in the world. As a result he attracted a lot of money. And now in his “retirement” years he runs one of the largest private charitable organizations in the world using much of that money.
Never forget that it was the politicians who introduced the notion that if you want me to be your leader you must pay me more money. So to justify their statement they hired an “independent” committee and paid them handsomely to come up with a “fair” compensation package with no strings attached as to ability nor performance.
And they alone had the power to accept or reject the “recommendations.” In other words, it is they who set their own salaries and outrageous benefits.
Maybe there ought to be a truly independent nominating committee that vets every candidate’s qualifications prior to them being allowed to put their names on the ballot.
Or at least a full disclosure by the candidates regarding their qualifications published on the ballot. Better yet, the choice of “none of the above” on the ballot.
In addition, perhaps there should be legislation that forces a politician to immediately resign if they make statements that are untrue or promises that are impossible to fulfil, or they fail to follow through on promises made, with “changing circumstances” not being an acceptable excuse.
And, just as in most jobs, there ought to be a probationary period, say their first term in office, at something close to the minimum wage.
And finally, rather than pegging their increases to inflation, perhaps they should be pegged to the minimum wage.
But please do not blame the failures of today’s governments on those who built this nation. For it is those two groups that prove my point.
