Assorted content to start your week. – Paul Buchheit discusses the U.S.’ combination of increasing inequality, systematic tax evasion and false promises of social mobility. Michael Savage reports that even UK Cons are recognizing that a refusal to ensure that the rich pay their fair share makes for bad politics.
Continue readingTag: ICBC
Accidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Martin Lukacs discusses the need for collective action to fight climate change – and the dangers of allowing ourselves to be distracted by calls to focus solely on individual choices: These pervasive exhortations to individual action — in corporate ads, school textbooks,
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Three extraordinary, but forgotten years in B.C–!972-1975
I came across this Geoff Olson piece posted in the Vancouver Courier reflecting back on that amazing time in BC when we had a government that gave a damn. Premier Dave Barrett-1972–1975 Roberta tottered Read more…
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Effective management… of bonuses
The marvellous managers of British Columbia’s public service demonstrate an indisputable skill. Come hell or high water, they always manage to hit pre-determined objectives and thereby manage to trigger payments of personal performance rewards and bonuses. (And you thought the ‘manage’ parts of their job descriptions were about directing agencies
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Consumers targeted by BC Liberals
Governments prefer indirect taxation partly because politicians assume they’ll take less heat if hands of tax collectors slip into our pockets surreptitiously. That’s done in BC by instructing crown corporations to overcharge customers and transfer surpluses to the public treasury. This allows BC Liberals to make a claim like one
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Nice work, if you can get it
Mark Blucher was appointed interim president and CEO of ICBC in October 2012. He fits the insurance company’s culture of bloated entitlement quite nicely. Blucher joined the company in August 2010 and in the first 17 months of employment, his personal expenses amounted to $159,090, an average of $9,358 per
Continue readingNorthern Insight: ICBC desperately needs real management
Ten months ago, I published Talking tough, empty words and empty head, a piece mocking Attorney General Shirley Bond in her role as lead ICBC overseer. Shortly after, Finance Minister Kevin Falcon took responsibility for the insurance company from Bond. In August, a Ministry of Finance review confirmed what Northern
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: ICBC Is Out Of Control-Heads Should Roll!
Richard Hughes-Political Blogger The stories of the outrageous salaries and ever increasing executive and management positions demands far more than CEO Jon Schubert’s resignation! This clown has been overseeing dramatic executive increases and is being left in place until November and then remain on as a consultant until next June 2013.
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Bring on the consultants, part 1
How CEOs Jack Up their Pay, Kimberly Weisul, Editor & Founder of One Thing New: “(MoneyWatch) Poor, downtrodden, underpaid CEOs finally have someone they can turn to in their hour of need: compensation consultants. “… research … suggests there’s a simple way to boost their pay. Just call in the
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Talking tough with empty words and an empty head
Is there anything more laughable than a politician trained in nothing providing direction to executives of the province’s $14-billion dollar monopoly insurer. Speaking to ICBC, British Columbia’s chief law officer “delivered a firm reminder that there has been a public backlash to recent revelations about compensation for Crown executives.” In
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: A reader’s comment CBC wouldn’t publish
CBC is claiming credit for breaking a story that appeared here three days before they first touched the issue, without even a hint of acknowledgement of Northern Insights. I left a comment suggesting a source credit but the CBC moderator refused to post the comment. CBC first reported about Art
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: You’re welcome CBC News
CBC News Item, December 6: “An executive hired by the Insurance Corporation of B.C. to help cut costs received more than $188,000 for expenses claimed in 2010 — in addition to his $315,000 annual salary, CBC News has learned. “Art Kirkner, a U.S citizen, was hired as one of ICBC’s
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Where the money goes – ICBC top 50 – 2010
Salary Expense Total 1 SCHUBERT, Jon President & CEO 449,201 55,570 504,771 2 KIRKNER, Art V-P, Field Services 315,824 188,681 504,505 3 PRIOR, Geri Chief Financial Officer 461,710 7,839 469,549 4 HORTON, Craig Senior V-P, Claims 406,379 12,633 419,012
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