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Vancouver Off-Topic / Current EventsThe off-topic forum for Vancouver, funnies, non-auto centered discussions, WORK SAFE. While the rules are more relaxed here, there are still rules. Please refer to sticky thread in this forum.
Instead of more taxes to the public, why don't they get creative and try things like a lottery. $5 scratch and win that could win you monthly passes, fare books and of course monetary prizes.
Most people who take transit make under 100K, so of course they go into shock when they see translink executives salaries. That is reasonable for a company this size, and a lot cheaper compared to industry as they have no stock options.
Translink is also audited by KPMG I believe. Aside from the compass disaster, I think translink is well run given their restraints
If translink was not forced to service unprofitable routes they would be raking in profits.
Also I think Vancouver should raise its property taxes.. it is one of the cheapest in the lower mainland.
Not excessive? So its fine getting these "perks" by asking the public for more money through taxes and then what if they won the vote? Higher bonuses? No thanks. I voted for what i think its right and i'm glad it won. And btw, i take transit everyday.
I don't know if you know how much money an exec level job makes.
$500K for a CEO of a organization with an operating budget of $1.6B which runs the most effective transportation system in Canada and one of the best in North America is not an unreasonable amount.
I'm not advocating million dollar salaries but considering what I make as a middle manager in a tech company and what I know others a level or two up from me make I can't at all say these Translink guys are overpaid.
Audits are not the same as being held publicly held accountable to a similar level as other crown corporations such as BC Hydro and ICBC.
You expect a bunch of accountants to be able to tell you that Translink is being operated efficiently and that decisions are being made properly? All they look at are the numbers and give opinions on stretching out amortization rates.
^ You're talking about 2 different things. Audits ensure that money is accounted for and that there are no irregularities with respect to expenditures.
In terms of efficiency and the "correct decisions", well those are up for debate. But whose should determine how efficient decisions are made? Technocrats, experts, etc who understand public transit? Or the general public who don't have the expertise, the experience, nor the resources?
You could hire an "efficiency" expert or some sort of ombudsperson, but those would cost more money and add more red tape to an already bloated public organization.
I don't know if you know how much money at exec level jobs make.
$500K for a CEO of a organization with an operating budget of $1.6B which runs the most effective transportation system in Canada and one of the best in North America is not an unreasonable amount.
I'm not advocating million dollar salaries but considering what I make as a middle manager in a tech company and what I know others a level or two up from me make I can't at all say these Translink guys are overpaid.
I offered to take on the CEO job for a piddly $60k/year, but they didn't want me. I mean sure, I have zero experience for the job, but I'm a people person and I don't hate riding the bus, and I'd be a helluva lot cheaper than even the middle management. I mean, the salary is all that matters when it comes to a CEO, right? At least that's the impression I get from threads like this - experience, skill, knowledge, none of that matters as long as you get someone cheap.
Lost out on the BC Ferries CEO position too... same issue. Stupid bean counters.
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Originally Posted by Godzira
Does anyone know how many to a signature?
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Originally Posted by Brianrietta
Not a sebberry post goes by where I don't frown and think to myself "so..?"
^ You're talking about 2 different things. Audits ensure that money is accounted for and that there are no irregularities with respect to expenditures.
In terms of efficiency and the "correct decisions", well those are up for debate. But whose should determine how efficient decisions are made? Technocrats, experts, etc who understand public transit? Or the general public who don't have the expertise, the experience, nor the resources?
You could hire an "efficiency" expert or some sort of ombudsperson, but those would cost more money and add more red tape to an already bloated public organization.
Totally agree with you. For BCHydro and ICBC (and perhaps even BC Ferries), there are public hearings on spending prudency as well as expansion plans - semi-judicial process with advocacy groups representing certain segments of the population (hiring experts to push their points across, etc.). it totally adds a layer of bureaucracy and added expenditures; but I think it's necessary so ensure that things are out in the open for these monopolistic crown corporations - transparency and accountability. FortisBC is also subject to the same public hearing process.
BTW: The Mayors were right when they said that a No vote was a Yes vote for more air pollution. Gregor Robertson has way more power than we imagined, he is raining down his wrath on all of us for the No vote.
We are getting the air pollution we deserve, not the air pollution we need!
Totally agree with you. For BCHydro and ICBC (and perhaps even BC Ferries), there are public hearings on spending prudency as well as expansion plans - semi-judicial process with advocacy groups representing certain segments of the population (hiring experts to push their points across, etc.). it totally adds a layer of bureaucracy and added expenditures; but I think it's necessary so ensure that things are out in the open for these monopolistic crown corporations - transparency and accountability. FortisBC is also subject to the same public hearing process.
Public hearings are one of those ideas that is well-intended, but one that is not so great in practice. The problem is that most people don't have the interest nor time to attend one, so what you end up getting is special interest groups who have the time to attend these things. Why should the interests of these groups prevail over those of the general public?
It's important for a public organization to be in touch with its clients, but I would argue there are far more effective ways to achieve this. For starters, senior executives should ride the system on a weekly basis. Second, Translink needs to beef up its social media/analytics team. Hire a bunch of pimply-faced, fresh out of university grads at 30K/year with benefits and have them do social media monitoring and analysis.
It's important for a public organization to be in touch with its clients, but I would argue there are far more effective ways to achieve this. For starters, senior executives should ride the system on a weekly basis.
Funny thing is, I've been hearing this (and agreed with this) for decades... yet now we have a CEO, Doug Allen, who DOES do this... and nobody talks about it. Instead, he gets shit on for arriving to an impromptu presser in a vehicle, then leaving again in the same vehicle, as if he didn't have a hundred other places to be.
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Originally Posted by Godzira
Does anyone know how many to a signature?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brianrietta
Not a sebberry post goes by where I don't frown and think to myself "so..?"
He should get on Twitter/Instagram and promote himself doing it. Eventually, the media will pick up on it. He will of course have to deal with the trolls, but such are the responsibilities of being in public life.
One CKNW reporter actually did a "ride-along" with him on the bus one morning, just after he started... so the media do know about it, just nobody makes a big deal over it. Would be great if he (or the next CEO) were to institute a rule that all execs must ride the system at least one day a month (once a week would be even better), although that would probably cause an issue with most of their contracts.
But yeah, if he was on Twitter and tweeted something from his ride every time, it would certainly gain some visibility.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Godzira
Does anyone know how many to a signature?
..
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brianrietta
Not a sebberry post goes by where I don't frown and think to myself "so..?"
turns out standing up to translink worked and they magically found 125-million dollars!
Quote:
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The fact TransLink managed to come up with its 125-million dollar share has those behind the “No” campaign during the transportation plebiscite saying, “I told you so.”
TransLink will sell some land to contribute its first phase share.
Mayors wanted a new 0.5 per cent sales tax to pay the TransLink share of the ten year transit plan, but voters didn’t agree.
Jordan Bateman, BC director of the Canadian Taxpayer Federation was the spokesperson for the no campaign.
He says he knew TransLink could find savings.
“If we had just passed that sales tax like the mayors wanted, Translink didn’t have to do anything – they just would’ve bloated. They didn’t have to put in a single dollar of assets to help pay for anything. But now, we sent a message: go back and look at your own operations. Magically they found 125 million dollars worth of land that they don’t seem to need.”
Bateman says there’s likely more savings to be found within TransLink’s operations to pay for future phases.
The transportation plebiscite’s “No” campaign says it feels validated today, it says TransLink has proven it can fund its share without a sales tax.
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