Fast Eddie Getting Rich!

[Instigator]

Fast Eddie is filling up his bank account faster than he he can take it away from Windsor's workers!

The Scab has reported in an article by Doug Schmidt titled Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis among Ontario's best-paid mayors some intersting figures and it starts off like this:

Windsor is home to one of the highest-paid mayors in Ontario, with Eddie Francis's income last year even besting that of David Miller in Toronto, a city with a budget 30 times the size of Windsor's.

Adding up all his local sources of public income, Mayor Eddie Francis made $179,021.50 in 2009.

Now that seems like a sweet deal. Play take away from the residents and workers, talk big talk, and cash in! And Eddie makes no apologies.

Only Mississauga's Mayor Hazel McCallion seems to raking in more cash at $186,010.53

Let's go further around the horn:

• Toronto Mayor David Miller: $168,083.72
• London Mayor Anne Marie DiCecco-Best: $124,555.86
• Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger: $168,161.19
• Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien: $165,455

Talking about other public officials the article states:

Francis's 2009 public earnings eclipsed those of both Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan (L -- Windsor-Tecumseh) and Economic Development and Trade Minister Sandra Pupatello (L -- Windsor West), each of whom received $165,851 in salary plus $284.85 in benefits.

MP Brian Masse (NDP -- Windsor West) and MP Joe Comartin (NDP -- Windsor-Tecumseh) lagged even further behind, each earning $157,731 (although MPs get additional perks like $25,500 in expenses and dozens of free airline tickets).

Who needs Child Care, who needs Summer Recreation, who needs Public Services? Apparently not Windsor or our Kids!

So what's up with that?

[Mamasmurf]

Well, it takes great skill to demonize the working class, divide a community and rake social services over the coals all while talking politics out of both sides of your mouth.  Add to that his skill with the mute button in council...now that is a true display of inspired leadership. He ought to be properly compensated given these tremendous contributions don't ya think? 

[WindsorLive!]

Well my take on it, which is extremely biased, is that there is such a disconnection between the "Establishment" and those it has been entrusted to serve. Since the City of Windsor is a corporation and The Mayor as the CEO has, along with his hench(wo)men, ultimate authority and power, suffering will continue in the name of fiscal responsibility.

The Establishment, led by Fast Eddie, is completely arrogant and out of touch with reality. This is yet another example of the smoke and mirrors politics and self serving policies the residents of this city have endured for decades. When you have under educated population that has the feeling of entitlement and they have been conditioned to look at those on social assistance as lazy and undeserving it is very easy to cut social programs. The general public are hypnotized by this propaganda and even as these cuts begin to seriously impact their own lives they willingly follow the status quo and are being led to slaughter. It begs me to question why would a city in distress allow one person to have so much authority over so many public/private institutions that affect so many? Why, when so many things are being stripped away from those with the least to give, does the "Establishment" continue to target those most vulnerable?

How many budgets can one person juggle, most of which are at odds with each other, before the bubble bursts? Can anyone convince me that with the vast number of unemployed professionals, from various walks of life, sectors and industries, that Eddie Francis is the only man for the job. Is he really that powerful and who does he answer to?

Eddie Francis keeps promising us that we are going through short term pain for long term gain. Unfortunately he knows no such pain. This is a great example of how the controlling upper class keeps control over the ever growing lower class. For those who still believe you are "middle" class take some notes, they are not done yet. If you are not cashing in right now, you are not part of the economic recovery, you are the reason the wealthy are recovering. The disabled, sick and poor are tapped out, who do you really think is next and how long will it take for you to fall?

If the plans this Mayor and City Council are so solid and the future of our City is so bright why is there such urgency to strip away such basic human rights as dignity and respect, from the residents in need. If there are buckets of money headed our way why can't we, as a community, extend some to the ones in need? At the very least, don't keep taking more away. This is like rubbing salt in the wounds just to feed the ego of those who enjoy their own success far too much. Something is very wrong with this picture. But what do I know...