Ontario Hydro? Wotamess!
Sigh. Not again. The more things appear to change the more they stay the same. Isn't that a sad old song? We learn from our mistakes. Or not. Question is, why not? Are we just so bloody incompetent, so unconcerned, so blatently stupid about it all that we're destined to keep repeating the same tired old errors one time after another?
Not that long ago, must have been no more than two years, two Americans were brought in to operate Ontario Hydro, to bring it out of its financial doldrums and energy insecurities, to solve all those problems vexing the corporation, the industry, the taxpayers, the consuming public. Oops, they weren't up to the job, how odd, how very familiar. Out they went, and with them a whole lot of taxpayer funding.
Before them it was Eleanor Clitheroe, that terrific gal who really knew the ropes. She took us all for a ride pleasing her husband, certain that taxpayers would be thrilled that Ontario Hydro owned its very own sailing vessel, a rather pricy venture, but not too good for her husband's sailing aspirations. She went through money, our money, like a heated knife through butter.
Although the position carried numerous perks she had to use limousine services, scorning her own Hydro-owned limo to the sum of three-quarters of a million over three years, because her children and their nanny needed the service, among other things. She's currently suing Hydro one to "honour" the severance terms of her package.
Living high off the hog on our dime, our time. We're the hog. We're also pretty stupid, one supposes. And she's right and righteous, how else could it be that she now has a new career, that of a respected minister of the Anglican Church of Canada. How could we ever suspect such an esteemed personage of wrong-doing in using the overburdened taxpayer as a vehicle for her luxury lifestyle?
Hey, before her, Canada's very own, world-renowned Maurice Strong, that hail-fellow-well-met stalwart on the United Nations scene, and entrepreneur extraordinaire, who modestly agreed to take the position under the then-NDP government of now-Liberal-leader-hopeful Bob Rae. Modestly, as he grandly agreed to a lower salary while proceeding to implement programmes that turned out to be discredited.
Now the auditor general of Ontario, hot on the job, has raised concerns once again at Ontario Hydro. Seems the president has resigned, walking away with a $3M severance package. Resigned? Oh well, the runaway extravagence of his executives claiming personal travel and pricey goodies on expense accounts, using their credit cards with gay abandon appears to have been a little problem.
Former Hydro One president Tom Parkinson, it would appear, himself used his secretary's corporate credit card to bill $45,000 in travel and other expenses. Oops, forget oversight; he approved them himself. It would additionally appear that throughout 2005, Hydro One employees charged more than $127 million to corporate credit cards without adequate expense reports and receipts. Oh dear, details are such a nuisance.
What's this? The crown corporation's board of directors aren't in agreement on the untrustworthiness of Mr. Parkinson? They laud his performance? Fire the whole lot of them.
Not that long ago, must have been no more than two years, two Americans were brought in to operate Ontario Hydro, to bring it out of its financial doldrums and energy insecurities, to solve all those problems vexing the corporation, the industry, the taxpayers, the consuming public. Oops, they weren't up to the job, how odd, how very familiar. Out they went, and with them a whole lot of taxpayer funding.
Before them it was Eleanor Clitheroe, that terrific gal who really knew the ropes. She took us all for a ride pleasing her husband, certain that taxpayers would be thrilled that Ontario Hydro owned its very own sailing vessel, a rather pricy venture, but not too good for her husband's sailing aspirations. She went through money, our money, like a heated knife through butter.
Although the position carried numerous perks she had to use limousine services, scorning her own Hydro-owned limo to the sum of three-quarters of a million over three years, because her children and their nanny needed the service, among other things. She's currently suing Hydro one to "honour" the severance terms of her package.
Living high off the hog on our dime, our time. We're the hog. We're also pretty stupid, one supposes. And she's right and righteous, how else could it be that she now has a new career, that of a respected minister of the Anglican Church of Canada. How could we ever suspect such an esteemed personage of wrong-doing in using the overburdened taxpayer as a vehicle for her luxury lifestyle?
Hey, before her, Canada's very own, world-renowned Maurice Strong, that hail-fellow-well-met stalwart on the United Nations scene, and entrepreneur extraordinaire, who modestly agreed to take the position under the then-NDP government of now-Liberal-leader-hopeful Bob Rae. Modestly, as he grandly agreed to a lower salary while proceeding to implement programmes that turned out to be discredited.
Now the auditor general of Ontario, hot on the job, has raised concerns once again at Ontario Hydro. Seems the president has resigned, walking away with a $3M severance package. Resigned? Oh well, the runaway extravagence of his executives claiming personal travel and pricey goodies on expense accounts, using their credit cards with gay abandon appears to have been a little problem.
Former Hydro One president Tom Parkinson, it would appear, himself used his secretary's corporate credit card to bill $45,000 in travel and other expenses. Oops, forget oversight; he approved them himself. It would additionally appear that throughout 2005, Hydro One employees charged more than $127 million to corporate credit cards without adequate expense reports and receipts. Oh dear, details are such a nuisance.
What's this? The crown corporation's board of directors aren't in agreement on the untrustworthiness of Mr. Parkinson? They laud his performance? Fire the whole lot of them.
posted by Pieface | 1:02 PM
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