HomeMy WebLinkAboutLakeshore Advance, 2012-03-28, Page 4Sunshine tLJst Jumps 11%
Lynda Hillman-Rapley
Provincial legislation requires that
the earnings of public sector employ-
ees who make $100,000 or more must
be posted and the 2011 so-called
"Sunshine List" shows the number of
public sector employees earning tnore
than $100,000 shot up another 11 per
cent in 2010, a sizable jump that put
the total number of high -earning civil
servants at 71,478.
'Wm Mitchell, the head of Ontario
Power Generation, topped the list
with a salary of $1.325 million. David
Johnston, now Canada's Governor
General, was paid $1,057 million in
salary and bonuses as president and
vice-chancellor of the University of
Waterloo, Ontario's salary disclosure
law was put in place in 1996, as a
transparency measure to guard
against runaway public -sector sala-
ries. Adjusted to today's dollars, the
original threshold would he about
$132,000, officials said, and would
wipe out three quarters of the names
00 the list.
Nevertheless, McGuinty said he has
no intentions of raising the entry level.
"We're not changing the thresh-
old," he told reporters. "It's already
been set. We're not going to tinker
with that"
About 1.2 million people are
employed in Ontario's public sector.
Close to home the list includes estima-
tors, legislators, munidpal employees
and hospital personnel. Some of the
numbers listed below do not include
taxable benefits.
Premier Dalton McGuinty -
$208,974.00; MPP Mara Van Bom-
n el-Parliancntary Assistant, Agricul-
ture, Food & Rural Affairs
- $133,217.04; MPP Carol Mitchell -
Minister, Agriculture, Food & Rural
Affairs - $164,359.(19; CU) Gary Swit-
zer topped the list for the Erie St. Clair
Local 1 health Integration Network at
$248,708.
South I luron 1 Iospital Association:
Debra Hunt- President/Chief Execu-
tive Officer/Chief Nursing Executive -
$103,664.68.
Bluewater Area Runily Health 11,arn
- Dr. Michael Iiurley - Lead Physician
-$325,705.18.
Grand Bend Area Community
Health Centre Inc. - Glen Bartlett
Executive Director -$120,207.75; Dr.
Laura Daly - $138,907.02; I)r, Peter
l'nglert - $246,478.11; Dr. Michael
Hammond - $246,478.11; Dr. William
O'Connor - $246,478.11; Dr. Deborah
Waters -$246,078.11.
The list of Ltunbton Kent District
School Board employees earning
$100,000 or more grew slightly in 2010
to 112, up from 100 tie previous yt'ar.
"Our salaries are pretty computable
with the other positions in the 70
lxxaids across Ontario," said education
director Jim Costello, The so called
"sunshine list," which provides the
name and salary of every I.KI)SB
employee earning at or above
$100,000, includes all five superin-
tendents, as well as former and cur-
rent education directors Gayle Stucke
and Costello.
The list also names 53 elementary
Wednesday, April 6, 2011 • Lakeshore Advance 13
school principals, 14 secondary school
principals, a number of vice -princi-
pals and secondary school vice -prin-
cipals, and three teachers.
"In some cases, we have teachers
who work for summer school and do
some additional work for us, and
sometimes that bumps them over the
$100,000 mark," said Costello, point-
ing to two names on the list noted as
'Secondary'ieacher/Marker; as well
as one elementary teacher.
"We recognize it's a time of restraint,
and tithes are tough for a lot of folks,
but it's demanding work, and they're
well paid, well educated positions."
Some of the top earners include:
(including salary and taxable benefits)
- Jim Costello, director of education -
$179, 780.83; Gayle Stucke, director of
education - $155,105.33; Ron Andru-
chow, superintendent of business -
$153,125.82; Joy Badder, superintend-
ent of education - $153,125.82; I )avid
1)oc'y, superintendent of education -
$15i3,1'25.64; Bert Phills, superintend-
ent of e'dtucation - $148,546.44; Michael
Risk Management Program needs support, says ag leader
CONTINUED FROM > PAGE 12
that, and they'll be twice as reluctant to lis-
ten to farmers the next time we come ask-
ing for something"
Risk management is tui insurance pro-
gnun for Ontatio agticultund producers in
hog, cattle, sheep, veal, mains and oilseeds
sectors. In•lude'el in the Mauch 29 provin-
cial budget was a self-directed RMP for
the edible horticulture sector. (Farmers
buy into the voluntary program through
premiums and would receive a payout if
the price of their commodity should fall
below a set support price determined by
the government. It's currently a two-way
program between tanners and the prov-
ince. So fu;; the federal argument against
providing provincial transfers for cost of
production risk management lies in its
support for the twistability program that's
based on margins, Stevens said. 1le
acknowledged that sone details still need
to be ironed out as each sector works to
finalize their respective programs.
"(one of the concerns that has been
expressed is the premiums," he said.
"There's potential claw back on the risk
management program because of agrist-
ability, and there could be two fees."
l le said pork producers are looking at
paying only one premium that's based on
the net value of their risk management
payout after twistability claw back.
'Ihe fanners' argument for permanent
risk management would be bolstered if
enrolment is high and stays consistent
over the years.
Stevens doesn't want to see a repeat of
low enrolment that came in the second
year of the RMi' for Ontario grains and
oilseeds producers. After the prices of
those commodities dropped to a record
low in 2005 and 2006, the province in 2007
pledged its support for a three-year pilot
project to offset those losses. Enrolment
was hl*x in the first year. Stevens said, but
many farmers dropped out during the
second and third years when
market prices began to rise
again. When producers drop
out of the program, "that takes
away our argument for making
it a permanent program. 'that's
partly why it took this long to
get it," he added.
Jack Kroes believes risk man-
agement can benefit Ontario
farmels for long-term income
stability, lie operates a family
hog farm west of Clinton and
knows first-hand how tickle
the industry can he. From
2006-2009, he lost money
Ie'caust' cx)st of production was
too high. He said 2010 was a
break-even year. A stable, cost
prtxduction insurance program
that protects farmers when
their commodity prices dip is
attractive, he said.
"For sure I'll be going in on
it, because 1 know things are
reasonably quite well right now
in the pork industry, but we
know what could happen a few
years down the road," Kroes
said. "It really hurts to see so
many farmers exiting the
industry; a lot of times it's no
iV1.1((1 ',t I
t -LOO .'111.••
%If 1% f N111:1
, n,,ut f ti
\f•tt
t•3
I\\f \101:1 (11%.,(INf •11 ,,,, ,, hn,f,ee rf,•r 4„,,
235-0363
fault of their own.”
Risk management will
also help small family
farms stay afloat during
tough times. 'the chances
of industrial farms filling
the vacuum left by small
farms rises when it
becomes too expensive
to produce. 'That's not
what Iluron consumers
want (0 see in their back-
yards, according; to
Kroes.
Gllfoyle, superintendent of education
- $131,664.17; and County CA() Larry
Adams - 162,247.20; David Carey -
Treasurer & Deputy Chief Administra-
tive Officer - $140,729.25; County of
Lambton - Ronald Van Borne Chief
Administrative Officer
- $160,485.96; John Innes - General
Manager, Financial Services/Treas-
urer - $119,610,25; James Kutyba
- General Manager, Infrastructure &
Development - $136,492.99; George
Mallay - General Manager, Sarnia
Lambton Economic Partnership
- $111,341.66.
Municipality of Lambton Shores
- John Byrne - Chief Administrative
Officer -$144,492.08; Municipality
of Bluewater - Lori Wolfe -Chief
Administrative Officer
-$120,199.70; Municipality of South
t luron - Roy 1 Eardy - Chief Adminis-
trative Officer -$113,006,38/
Find the full list including county,
education, jtldicituy, etc., on the web
site: http://www.fln.gov.on.ca/en/
publications/salarydisclosure/2011 /
"Christian farmers is
strong on family farms,
and if von don't have cost
production, farms are just
going to keep getting
larger and larger. And
that's not what the public
wants... They would
rather see family -sued
farms running their oper-
ations," he said.
1 le agrees with Stevens
that the majority of farmers
need to think long-term
and sign up for risk man-
agement in order for it to
survive. Pilot and ad-hoc
programs aren't sustaina-
ble, he added.
"As producers, we dl)I't't
like these ad-hoc programs
that throw money out to
put out a fire," he said.
"That's not what we as
farmers want. We want
long-term support that we
can count on, so it's banka-
ble for the tuttun;'
Gardening with Native Plants Workshop
Presented by the (.rand Bend Community
Foundation Environment Committee
Matey wildlife species are losing habitat at an ever-increasing rate, most often as a result
of human activity. We can heli) by creating a wildlife habitat on our own properties and
throughout our communities. By planting native plants, we can create balanced, sell -
sustaining, low maintenance micro -environments that support birds, butterflies and a
water variety oI wildlife species.
WHEN: April It), 20 I I , t) a.m. to noon
WHERE: Grand Bend Community I lc alth ('entre Community Room
PROGRAM:
Native Plant Gardening; - Larry Cornelis, Naturalized 1.andscaping Specialist
Composting -- Nelson 1,apurtee, Gardener cxtraordinaire
('ase study: The (;rand Bend Community' Garden 1iayley 1larrttord, Owner,
Earthly Designs
Grand Bend's Unique Flora -- lan Jean, Forestry and Land Stewardship
Specialist, Ausahle Bayfield Conservation Authority
COST: $15 per person, including coffee and treats.
CONTACT: Register by April 13. Contact Frieda Dobson at the Grand Bend
Community Foundation at gbcf(aThay.net or by phone (519) 238-2190