Pay MPs what they’re worth

To the Editor:
I find it disgusting that while millions of Canadians are suffering financially, MP’s are approaching $200k salaries, $500k expense accounts and a pension that pays out 75 per cent on only 15 years work. It stinks.
Their pension also attracts high yearly interest at rates never seen in the market place, guaranteeing them a very cushy payout at our expense. I had to work for 40 years to get a 50 per cent pension (I count myself lucky) and last year I got no increase because it was deemed that commodity prices hadn’t risen! It stinks.
Whatever happened to them representing and being representative of the ordinary Canadian? This excess has been on the table for discussion and review for 20 years, yet they haven’t let anyone near their goldmine – yet look how quick they can think and act on everyone else’s retirement age and payment. It stinks.
They keep trying to tell us that we can live on $500 a month pension while rewarding themselves with $7,000 + a month for a third of the effort. It stinks.
If they can cut services to schools and hospitals but can’t affect their pensions – then they are only in the job for themselves. It stinks.
How about rewarding those who have worked all their life, contributed their taxes and been a good citizen rather than wasting money on stupid government schemes to help three-legged horses get back into racing, studies into why lobsters turn red and giving thieves and drug addicts a holiday because life has been unfair to them? It stinks.
Their priority should be to not tax any earnings under $12,000, minimum pension of $1,000 per month, remove welfare and other payments to those who don’t want to work and give them a reasonably paid government job.
Make sure tax deductions don’t start to reduce for the over- rich (if you paid 40 per cent on $60k, why do millionaires pay three per cent on $12 million?).
Stop all payments going outside of Canada until all Canadians are above the poverty line and every Canadian child is off street living.
Stop all big bonuses and golden handshakes to executives who can’t prove it is absolutely necessary and/or make them share that bonus with the employees who have actually done the labour.
Stop playing softly on criminals and giving them better housing, food, warmth and health care than our pensioners and veterans.
Remove taxes from all essentials and government services (a tax on tax), funded from removal of high government waste – we all see it being done on a daily routine.
Start to pay MPs what they are worth – maybe as much as $100k with a $25k expense account and a $1 for $1 pension contribution (who in Canada wouldn’t wish to be on this?).
These suggestions are just common sense but are obviously not a priority of these so called “Representatives of the People”!
I’ll eat my hat to any MP who volunteers to stand up for the above and actually puts it into practice.
Mark Shepherd
Pictou