Oh It Would Be Fun To Go Up To The Fifth Floor At City Hall

Tuesday, January 29, 2008 03:45 AM

I think I had better set the record straight again as we near another civic election. I will not be running for Mayor of the city.

I am flattered at all of those kind comments and suggestions, but it just isn’t in me.

Oh I would confess immediately that it would be a hoot to go up to the fifth floor of city hall and have a look around. I can assure you things would be different and I am firmly convinced that a new person right off the street might be the best way to go in the mayor’s chair this fall.

Oh you are told that you need to be on Council to get the experience, what experience, if you have an ounce of common sense and a passion about Prince George that is more than sufficient to carry the mail.

What has been so great about the decisions that have been made affecting the city, are we the envy of Western Canada? I don’t think so.

Now if you didn’t have to do the smoozing that goes on, the cutting ribbons, or that sort of stuff just the plain job on the fifth floor, it would be great to give it a go. It would be worth five bucks just to see the look on the faces on the fifth floor the day I arrived.

I can tell you that the travel budget for the mayor would be reduced to near nothing. The trips to the winter cities, the trips to the Olympics, the trips to china, all nine of them would go. Unless you can show me results and you want a holiday, I believe you should buy your own.

The recent Ice Jam flood that we went through told me a lot about what to expect from city hall. I was not impressed along with several thousand others.

That exactly why I think some new blood on the fifth floor might be the way to go come November, now all we need is one of you bright young people to step forward.

I’m Meisner and that’s one man’s opinion

Previous Story - Next Story

Email |

Print |

Facebook |

Twitter |

Digg |

Del.icio.us

Posted on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 03:45 AM in Views by Ben Meisner

Return to Home

Comments

Posted by: heidi1555 on January 29 2008 7:50 AM

"It would be worth five bucks just to see the look on the faces on the fifth floor the day I arrived."

Yes it totally would be :)

Posted by: giterdun on January 29 2008 8:13 AM

IT WOULD BE WORTH 'FIVE HUNDRED' BUCKS.

Posted by: realitycheck on January 29 2008 8:54 AM

I'd love to see Ben run. He'd get beat so bad it wouldn't even be funny. He knows it and that's why he'll never dare to try.

Posted by: charles on January 29 2008 9:05 AM

A recent article on the Canada.com web site states the salary of our Mayor is approximately 83K a year, and the salary of a City Councillor is approximately 21K a year.

I think the salary for Mayor is reasonable, but I think we should consider raising the salary of a City Councillor to 50K a year. Our City Government is making decisions on matters that affect our lives, and the lives of future generations, so I think it is incumbent on us to attract the best candidates possible to these positions.

In recent years (and decades) with the way our financial system works (having the ability to create money out of thin air and letting our financial institutions loan out this newly created money), money has literally been flowing like water in this country (according to Statistics Canada our M3 money supply has expanded by 48.7% in the last 5 years) and being in government has been a fairly easy job. It now appears that our credit/debt bubble is finally bursting and this bodes for some tough economic times in our future. Governing in tough economic time is much harder than governing in (supposedly) good economic times, and we cannot expect the best slate of candidates possible to run for City Council if they only get paid 21K a year.

If anyone wishes to read an article which describes the process on how we got ourselves into this deep financial doo doo that we now find ourselves in (debt/credit bubble) I strongly recommend people read the following article titled "Keynesian Chickens Coming Home". Please ignor the minor references to gold at the very end of the article. I am not posting this to give anyone investment advice.

http://news.goldseek.com/NelsonHultberg/1201542600.php

Posted by: ontwin on January 29 2008 9:30 AM

Newsflash to Charles...they all work other jobs,so 21K for a hobby isn't so bad now is it??

Posted by: diplomat on January 29 2008 9:41 AM

The mayor is working full-time for the city and his salary is more than 83k a year, councillors are part-time positions, well paid at 21k per annum.

The city manager makes more than 220k annually, so if we are indeed going to face really tough financial times we shouldn't even be thinking about doubling anyone's salary - where is the logic in that idea?

Posted by: Bridge on January 29 2008 10:34 AM

"Our City Government is making decisions on matters that affect our lives, and the lives of future generations, so I think it is incumbent on us to attract the best candidates possible to these positions."

And there in is the problem. Like Ben said, anone with a little common sence can do the job. I remember years ago attending a Municipalities convention. A City manager spoke on how our City works and this is what he said;
It is the function of City council to fullfill the wishes of the tax payer. And in doing so they must turn to the administrative staff at City hall on how a project can be completed and the funds available to complete the project. In other words council is the link beetween those who provide the funds and administration.

Is that how our council functions? If so why would you need to have a council that has administrative capabilities.

Like Ben said, common sence should do the job.

Cheers

Posted by: Lindylou on January 29 2008 11:16 AM

I agree, 21K for city councillors is good.

Posted by: Foo738 on January 29 2008 12:28 PM

All Councillors don't work other jobs; I think Basserman and Gratton don't.

Someone who hasn't served on Council could be Mayor.

We would just have to be careful that the candidate did not represent any special interest group or we would be off in circles again.

I don't think Fifth floor would be upset if Ben walked in; there are some great non-judgmental employees there.

It would be a great campaign if Ben did run; who says winning is everything if you can get your points across to the public.

Sad part of that is not too many citizens are interested in the campaign procedure. Mind you, I think there are some young people out there who could get enthusiastic if somehow they could have their own forum. UNBC is interested but it would be neat if other young people wold get interested. They are pretty smart.

Posted by: bohemian on January 29 2008 12:29 PM

Also remember some of that salary is not taxed, plus they have expense accounts, too, I believe.

Posted by: Death to Socialism on January 29 2008 12:44 PM

What sane person would want that thankless position?

Posted by: diplomat on January 29 2008 1:43 PM

A position is what one makes of it. There is a job description for those positions, I am sure. But that is only the basic foundation.

A person can earn a lot of thanks (if that is important) by simply filling the position so well and so effectively that the one who holds that position gets great satisfaction out of doing a fine job! Those who elected that person will benefit as well if the job is done in an admirable fashion!

Self-inflicted wounds are often the biggest problems. Another one is failure to listen.

Well, without large amounts of common sense nothing much can be accomplished...

Cheers!

Posted by: Death to Socialism on January 29 2008 2:03 PM

Diplomat, you know as well as I do that no matter what you do half the population will hate your guts - it's BC politics. And if you try to stay in the center they ALL hate you.

Posted by: Rockin on January 29 2008 5:32 PM

Congrats to our city leaders....

Holding a office postition is a thankless job at times I'm sure. However I do appreciate the efforts that council does for our community... after all vote them out if you don't think they are hold up to thier end.... My god I love this country that we are able to do that....

Posted by: Harbinger on January 29 2008 6:14 PM

Rubber stamping syndrome notwithstanding.

Posted by: Harbinger on January 29 2008 6:54 PM

Rubber stamping syndrome notwithstanding.

Posted by: Palopu on January 29 2008 7:33 PM

The Mayor gets $83,000.00 of which one third is tax free. In addition there is an expense account, travelling allowance, and a vehicle. In addition when he chaired the regional district board he got an additional $27,000.00 per year. Not bad for a Mayors job.

Out Mayor is the highest paid for Citys of similiar size like Kamloops, Nanaimo, etc; so in effect we should be looking at a reduction in salary rather than an increase.

Bridge has it right the Mayor and Council are a conduit to City Administration who in effect run the City, and rarely if ever accept any responsibility for their decisions. These behind the scenes boys cost us millions of dollars in bad, or vested interest decisions and rarely if ever are called to task.

We can change out the Mayor and Council through elections , but we rarely if ever change out the City Administration.

Posted by: Sean on January 29 2008 7:55 PM

Just because Ben Meisner is a critic, does not mean he has common sense.

I took note of the following quote: "Like Ben said, common sence should do the job" Sence??

If you are calling for common sense, at least spell correctly.

Posted by: diplomat on January 29 2008 8:03 PM

Death to Socialism:"... you know as well as I do that no matter what you do half the population will hate your guts - it's BC politics. And if you try to stay in the center they ALL hate you."

I have never seen a mayor (or any politician) *try to stay in the center!*

So, will somebody please give that novel idea a determined effort and surprise us all?

But, you do have a point - B.C. politics are a more often than not nothing but a mindless blood -*sport* and people seem to like it that way!

Posted by: Chester on January 29 2008 8:05 PM

Mayor makes $83,000 plus and the City Manager makes $220,000? Seems to be quite a spread between the two jobs!

Foo, you suggest we should be careful that candidates for council don't represent any special interest groups. What do you think of the special interest support certain councillors enjoy now? That is where their votes came from and that is who they are expected to represent. You think it should be different?

I would like to know who influences the City Manager? Who influences Intiatives Prince George? And who do they influence? Who does our Mayor influence? Or who influences him? Somebody is making the decisions, but it is rarely the one at the top. The one at the top takes the flack. Chester

Posted by: Foo738 on January 29 2008 8:55 PM

I claim a certain innocence in the belief that elecion to Council should be that decisions would be based on the good for all of the community and not just vested interest groups.

I would welcome transparency in who is backing who instead of all the innuendo's and guessing games.

To me, that would be true democracy.

Posted by: Sean on January 29 2008 8:57 PM

Prince George has enough problems already without Ben Meisner becoming Mayor.

He is an armchair critic and is someone who offers advice, but never shows that he can actually do any better.

With articles such as this latest one, things are clearly very slow in PG.

Posted by: Eagleone on January 29 2008 11:21 PM

I think this was a very worthwhile article. If for no other reason than that it encourages what we want in our elected representatives (open government that 'listens', 'middle-of-the-road' using 'common-sense and knowing who is in charge of making the decisions (elected officials and/or the voters) and who is responsible for making those decisions happen (administration), and most important IMO a candidate that has a 'passion' for the community and representing all the people in the community and not just special vested interest groups). I don't think you ever need a slow news day to be talking about those kinds of values that are and should be expected from our candidates for elected office prior to the start of any campaign. I think it is far better criteria than name recognition, or the us-verse-them politics of special interest governance.

Also, Sean is totally off base IMO about Ben Meisner and his ability to make action of words. Ben does just that without the title and the big pay check as was exampled in his work done during the recent ice jam for example.

It feels like a rant now so I'll stop ;-)

Posted by: Chester on January 30 2008 12:11 AM

This city needs a leader with character, with a vision, with credibility, with values, with integrity, and a desire to make this a better place to live.

A leader that others will respect and follow. A leader who doesn't need to be surrounded by a pack of well intentioned staff who all have an opinion to offer.

Besides leading, a Leaders job is to create other leaders. That would be a true example of a Leader in my opinion. A true Leader does not have to have experience as a Councillor first. True Leaders already know that to do and how to do it. It is my hope that true Leaders will rise up in the coming months and those who are only follow would pull off to the sidelines and make way for other Leaders. Expose each one for who they really are and replace them, if they are not leadership material. Running our city is a serious responsibility and electing the right people is critical to its success.

So, if you have been critical about how this city has been run, you better take a keener interest in the people we have already either elected or hired to run it, or provide some valuable input in the selection or election of future leaders for this city. Chester

Posted by: acrider54 on January 30 2008 6:01 AM

Come on Ben you can do it!

Posted by: metalman on January 30 2008 8:59 AM

Whatta bunch of baloney.
Half of you guys come across as politicians, cut it out! This is a forum for plain folk, common senSe types. Whoops sorry, I thought I was on the Mother Earth News web forum. NonsenCe.
metalman.

Posted by: chilako-pete on January 31 2008 9:25 PM

Those that can, do. Those that can't, criticize.