Bill for Community Conversation
In March the officials of the Columbia Shuswap Regional District {CSRD} organized a series of meetings, namely a Community Conversation concerning the Bush Creek East Wildfire. The meetings were divided into four in-person meetings, two virtual sessions, and an online response survey. All of this was facilitated by a private consulting company, Monogram Communications, based in Prince George. As per the contract, this private corporation collected information and created a report for the CSRD.
The report of 197 pages included graphs, diagrams, and precisely “selected” information.
Based on the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, our team requested the CSRD records concerning the contract with Monogram Communications & Consulting Inc. and the final bill for this project.
This private company based in Prince George billed for discovery, exploration, conceptualization and preparation, awareness communication materials, open house communications and engagement, a summary report, project management and expenses in two invoices totalling $81,466.07 CAD.
The invoices included travel expenses and accommodation $3427.31; flights from Prince George $2071.12; car rental and mileage $1574.67; per diem $2000 {daily allowance paid to an employee to cover work-related expenses during business travel} and travel time $3000.
Vadium Security Inc. got their piece totalling $1,917.25 CAD, for one person to stand at the door.
Private companies were not the only ones to get their piece of the pie. Five CSRD bureaucrats claimed 137 overtime hours totalling $13,442.72 CAD. Yet more taxpayer dollars paid to CSRD officials on behalf of the “Shuswap fire”.
Just to remind you, last year CSRD bureaucrats claimed 3445.25 overtime hours, totalling $279,647.84 CAD to operate the Emergency Operations Center in cooperation with the BC Wildfire services in the Shuswap. What was the result, we know full well…
https://freeshuswap.com/csrd-bill-for-emergency-operations-center/
What’s happening in this province is more than clear. Small independent businesses are struggling and people are dealing with increasing costs due to the malpractice and incompetence of officials at the provincial level, who get paid extra for their ineptitude.
As a famous writer and public philosopher Ayn Rand said: “A businessman cannot force you to buy his product, if he makes a mistake, he suffers the consequences; if he fails, he takes the loss. If a bureaucrat makes a mistake, you suffer the consequences; if he fails, he passes the loss on to you.”
The results of “Shuswap fire” confirm her words precisely!
DB, CB
