No, I want to be an Indian Chief, an Aboriginal leader.
Check this out from today's National Post:
Chief Glenn Hudson and the four band councillors of the Peguis First Nation were paid between $206,000 and $311,000 each in compensation last year. That means that for managing the affairs of their community of 7,200 people, 200 kilometres north of Winnipeg, each of them received more than former Manitoba premier Gary Doer, who last year earned $154,000. One councillor, Glennis Sutherland, collected $310,731, twice Mr. Doer's pay for running an entire province.
To make matters worse, the chief's and councillors' remuneration was, of course, tax-free, making it the equivalent of between $295,000 and $440,000 in taxable, off-reserve income.
Cake, that is a lot of cake. And steak and travel and scotch and money. Lots of money. "One popular perk for many band councils is paid trips for council retreats in Las Vegas, Florida or other warm-winter locales."
"This is all especially appalling give the high rates of poverty and unemployment on most reserves. Peguis's unemployment rate, for example, is at least four times that of the Manitoba average, all while the chief and councillors live in large homes and travel extensively on band funds."
Politicians have a reputation, unfounded in many cases, for being overpaid while under serving their constituents. In the above case it is crystal clear that the leaders of the Peguis First Nation are truly both overpaid and under serving.
Still, nice work if you can get it.
WFDS
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