Sound Off — March 14, 2013

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/03/2013 (4852 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Time to do some investigating

The city manager has stated that there are firefighters that are employed at a second job and maybe that is why they miss so many “sick” days. Put on your detective hat and find out! This is a likely a dismissable offence!

And you might just do the same

Regarding the Letter To The Editor in the March 8 paper by Lewis Hopper, “Unions Are Widening Wage Gap.” Of course they are. Everybody knows at least one person who has quit their private-sector employment (often doing something they found more meaningful) to join the government because they just can’t ignore the superior wages and benefits that come with a unionized government job.

We need a Plan B

Regarding a gaming centre. Can we not think of some other way to bring business/tourism to Brandon? Is this the only idea our city leaders have? Whatever happened to having a Plan B? How about thinking outside the box — innovation!

Sick of your whining

Perhaps one day per week you could print only positive Sound Offs because seriously most folks who read the Brandon Sun as well as other discussion forums are sick and tired of the whining about nothing that occurs on a regular basis. Channel all that energy into doing some good for your community and help make Brandon the proud city it once was.

Here we go again!

Our precious fire department in the news again for all the wrong reasons. When are our city councillors and mayor going to get their heads on straight and shake that department up? It’s obvious to the rest of us that it’s dysfunctional. They cost this city far more than they are worth. Privatize the ambulance service, give two-thirds of the firefighters a pink slip, use volunteers to replace them. Those that get axed can continue on with their second jobs as well as work for the private ambulance service.

Do you get paid to sleep?

As the city and Brandon fire union enter arbitration, things like the abuse of sick time will be considered. But I wonder if anyone will consider how many hours a year they are paid to sleep? Firefighters are the only city department, or shift-workers anywhere that I know of, that are provided a bed and encouraged to sleep at night while getting paid. If they work an average of 80 night shifts per year and sleep for an average of four hours per night, the city will pay them almost $10,000 a year to sleep. Over a 30-year career, the taxpayer pays each firefighter $300,000 to sleep. Really!

Please leave perfume at home

All too many times I have gone to a concert or sporting event where I have paid for the seat only to find ladies who have bathed in perfume. I immediately get migraine headaches and it has spoiled my entire evening. I know I am not the only one with this complaint, so ladies, please leave your perfume at home.