Raise the Hammer

I'm not sure about this. The chief of staff to the mayor, were she someone doing a good job and properly massaging the mayor's communications, is a vital position. Mayors are in the top 2 percent, sure - they also lead billion dollar organizations - or rather the city manager does, and they're paid a pittance of what comparative positions are in the private sector.

In contrast, the bulk of workers that make up the middle class of the public sector are extravagantly paid in comparison to what similarly educated and skilled positions would be making in the private sector. Check out police, fire, and teachers: all start at twice your living wage and work up to quadruple. Go to the sunshine list and you'll see that police and fire and school board management dominate the list, with most at management levels surpassing Chapman.

Yet try to even hint at cutting a benefit these workers have, and see what happened to David Miller, a progressive, and see who's in power now.

Over to you, A Smith...


Hamilton police salaries (firefighters are very similar)

Constable 3rd Class (start of 2nd year)
2008 $57,055.00

Constable 2nd Class (start of 3rd year)
2008 $64,662.00

Constable 1st Class (start of 4th year)
2008 $76,073.00

Senior Constable (8-16 years)
2008 $78,355.00

Senior Constable (17-22 years)
2008 $80,638.00

Senior Constable (23+ years)
2008 $82,920.00

Hamilton teacher salaries

2 46,310 48,970 53,143 56,183
3 48,585 51,435 55,991 59,216
4 50,861 53,901 58,840 62,259
5 53,143 56,372 61,690 65,294
6 55,425 58,840 64,540 68,328
7 57,701 61,309 67,382 71,362
8 59,984 63,773 70,226 74,399
9 62,259 66,240 73,072 77,441
10 64,540 68,709 75,922 80,479
11 69,849 74,025 83,521 89,214