Gravy train found: Billy Bishop Airport

[fuji]

The latest way this place sucks money from the taxpayer:


OTTAWA—Border guards at Toronto’s island airport have been hitting up taxpayers for the cost of their daily commute to work, seeking reimbursement for mileage, meal allowances and even overtime — at $60 an hour — for time they spend on the road.
That’s because the officers assigned to the Billy Bishop airport are deemed to be on “travel status” from other offices in the Greater Toronto Area, making them eligible to claim expenses, according to documents obtained by the Star.
The Canada Border Services Agency estimated last year it could be on the hook for $207,764 in mileage and meals plus another $426,763 in travel overtime for one year alone, the documents show.

The five-year cost for travel expenses could ring in at $2.4 million, according to a department estimate, obtained under access to information legislation.

http://m.thestar.com/#/article/news...guards_expense_commute_on_taxpayers_dime.html

 

[good to go]

They need to build an office for them.

 

[fuji]

They need to build an office for them.

That would cost Deluce money, he would rather we pay the 2.5mil.

 

[CapitalGuy]

Labour and unions run amok. Federal employees are required to get themselves to and from work at their own expense, just like any other worker. Management tells the employees they are changing their place of work a month from now, as is their right, and the employee has a month to figure out how they are going to get themselves to and from work. That's fair notice, as the Federal employee, being a part of the most coddled workforce in the world, might need that much time to get out of whatever current commuting arrangement they have, and figure out how to get themselves to BBA in the morning. Then labour complains that an email isn't a suitable notification, and the Federal employees dig deep for every obscure regulation they have wrangled out of management over the decades, to get a free commute to work every day.

 

[Indiana]

They make $80,000 a year???

 

[needinit]

They make $80,000 a year???

How did you get that number - based on the Overtime rate?

 

[GPIDEAL]

Good for the Star to expose this bullshit which needs to be fixed.

 

[Indiana]

How did you get that number - based on the Overtime rate?

Yes.

 

[peter4025]

How did you get that number - based on the Overtime rate?

Ot =1.5 so they are making $40 an hour. $83,200 a year plus benefits. If you count sick days and vacation they are close to $100,000. Damn they have it good and is all paid by us

 

[DanJ]

I thought CBSA officers were paid pretty close to cops anyway.

 

[Aardvark154]

OTTAWA—Border guards at Toronto’s island airport have been hitting up taxpayers for the cost of their daily commute to work, seeking reimbursement for mileage, meal allowances and even overtime — at $60 an hour — for time they spend on the road.
That’s because the officers assigned to the Billy Bishop airport are deemed to be on “travel status” from other offices in the Greater Toronto Area, making them eligible to claim expenses.

So the Star doesn't like it Fuji doesn't like it, but it isn't illegal. So either change the regulations and assign CBSA Agents to the airport, or stop complaining about them claiming what they are entitled to..

 

[CapitalGuy]

So the Star doesn't like it Fuji doesn't like it, but it isn't illegal. So either change the regulations and assign CBSA Agents to the airport, or stop complaining about them claiming what they are entitled to..

The complaint is that (in this instance) our Federal public servants can get paid for commuting to work in the city in which they normally live. Management should be able to quash any perceived loophole that provides that benefit.

And, how ridiculous to ask a citizen to change the regulations; we simply don't have that kind of control of the inner mechanisms of the public service, democracy or not.

 

[Aardvark154]

They make $80,000 a year???

That is more that the starting salary of their U.S. equivalent. Then again a lot more of their salary disappears in taxes. On the other hand their U.S. equivalent has a substantial proportion of their medical insurance paid for by the government.

 

[Aardvark154]

The complaint is that (in this instance) our Federal public servants can get paid for commuting to work in the city in which they normally live. Management should be able to quash any perceived loophole that provides that benefit.

And, how ridiculous to ask a citizen to change the regulations; we simply don't have that kind of control of the inner mechanisms of the public service, democracy or not.

Eventually we all speak through the ballot box. It isn't always perfect, but it's the best we have.

 

[CapitalGuy]

Eventually we all speak through the ballot box. It isn't always perfect, but it's the best we have.

Yes, indeed it is. However in this instance, this minor hiccup in public service employment 'entitlements' is never going to become a ballot issue. Its simply too minor an issue, no matter how ridiculous it is. But that does not mean its not worthy of being investigated and changed. Our public servants should not get paid for driving to work in the morning.

 

[Aardvark154]

As said easy enough have CBSA permanently assign them.

Don't blame people for taking advantage of what the law/regulations allow, blame those in charge of CBSA in Toronto for failing to address it.

 

[Viggo Rasmussen]

So the Star doesn't like it Fuji doesn't like it, but it isn't illegal. So either change the regulations and assign CBSA Agents to the airport, or stop complaining about them claiming what they are entitled to..

Changes will only get made if enough people speak up about an issue.

 

[CapitalGuy]

As said easy enough have CBSA permanently assign them.

Don't blame people for taking advantage of what the law/regulations allow, blame those in charge of CBSA in Toronto for failing to address it.

But they did address it, and were told email notification was not sufficient notice to the employees. That is well beyond an employee taking advantage of the regulations to which he has access, when the employee starts digging for (IMO) ridiculous excuses to continue to draw an 'entitlement' which is over the top. Aardvark, you are arguing that an employee who has his place of work temporarily changed to a new location within the same city should get paid for his commute, because he has to turn left on Lakeshore instead of right. This is not a guy getting moved temporarily from Toronto to Windsor; this is within the City of Toronto. Its entitlement-itis run amok.

 

[007jamesbond007]

Capital guy, you're talking out of your rear end.

 

[basketcase]

The latest way this place sucks money from the taxpayer:
...

Seems the issue has nothing to do with Billy Bishop but rather a problem with the CBSA.

Your desire to shit on the airport makes you sound as dumb as happ blaming Wynne and Trudeau for a letter a school board sent.