You know, every-so-often, you HAVE to ask questions, don’t you?
Don’t you … ?
“Do you want fries with that?” is a perfectly valid one, for example: although obviously, only in very specific circumstances. (None of which will involve Clint Eastwood saying “Well? DO ya … ?”)
“How did that photo get THAT size,” is another: I wish I knew, I’d be able to do something about it!
And a third … ?
Actually, a third is all about Brentwood and Ongar’s much loved MP, Communities secretary, Eric Pickles.
And I’ve got to admit, the question in question is “HOW MUCH … ?”
Because I’ve got to admit, I’ve just seen this article on The Guardian’s website — there’s a hoop or two to jump through, first though, they don’t make it easy … — and that’s the first thing I thought.
Whatever else one says of the man — and in person, he’s somewhat affable — I’m thinking if he’s paying that sort of money* to one man, for barely a year’s work, I have a couple more questions to ask.
Firstly … ?
“If you’re paying THAT much, Eric, will you be giving the likes of me a jobº?”
And secondly … ?
Secondly, given that Mr P’s noted for giving local councils hell in a bucket for overspends?
Secondly, I’d have to ask this:
“Mr Pickles, how do you justify paying one of your staff members that money: when it’s more than Joanna Killian — Essex County Council Chief Executive — got for the same sort of periodª?”
After all, he DOES encourage councils to spend less: he should SURELY do likewise.
Actually, there’s a thirdly, as well.
“Mr Pickles? Where EXACTLY did that money come from?”
Because if that’s public money, I think we have a right to complain …
* £580, 000, just over half a million, for 16 months: which works out at something like £36, 000 per month. Hell, I’ll work for THAT … !
º I refer my honourable readers to the footnote just above this one! (Actually, Debbi, Nina, I don’t how much that is in Euros or dollars: but it‘s not exactly potato peelings.)
ª Going by this article, she got £289,173 for 2010 to 2011: £385, 564 would be the equivalent figure for the 16-month period. (IE from January 2010 to April of this year. I divided her pay by 12, then multiplied it by 16, to get that figure.)
Keith Tyrer (or Ogg)... Don’t be surprised friend at any wage, either private - public - or (as I found) union. The leader of my union being paid around the £120,000 mark (expenses not included). One can not deny there is no equality or even some sort of parity, but when all said and done (and we are) you either get it (very nice) or you don’t …. what you actually do in the interim is basically now’t at do with it.
ReplyDeleteAccording to an online currency converter and using the figure in the footnote, I got more than $600,000 US. That's not chump change. :)
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