Sneaky grab at city hall

It isn’t so much the amount of money that offends — although whether Toronto city councillors deserve the 12.25 per cent pay hike over four years they recently voted themselves remains debatable. And it isn’t that the public has great expectations regarding the ethics of municipal politicians. The squalid lies and profiteering revealed by the MFP computer leasing inquiry, and a cronyism and nepotism scandal at Toronto City Hall, leave people with few illusions about elected officials. What outrages is that, despite those scandals, and Mayor David Miller’s “ new broom” promises of change, a majority of councillors had the gall to sneak their latest pay hike past city residents with virtually no public debate. Under salary rules approved in 2000, councillors were already pocketing pay raises pegged to the Toronto Consumer Price Index. But keeping pace with inflation evidently wasn’t good enough for them. When council was called upon, in September, to ratify a new contract with Local 79, of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Councillor Howard Moscoe amended the motion so that the union’s pay hikes would extend to politicians. Some councillors now say they voted without realizing what they were passing. That’s some excuse.

After his tactic was exposed, Moscoe declared: “ I’m not in the slightest bit embarrassed.”

That, precisely, is the problem. Most Torontonians, even if they had the gall to try to sneak a pay raise past their employer, would at least have the decency to be embarrassed on being caught out. A two- thirds majority of council is required to reverse this sneakiness. Mayor Miller should get busy, muster the votes and revisit this matter. If he doesn’t, city residents will have no choice but to pay. They will have a choice, however, a year from now on election day.

Perhaps Moscoe will be embarrassed then.