City Vision campaigns for higher rates

The Herald reports that Auckland City Council is joining the list of organisations that recognise the severity of the economic recession, and have pledged to keep overall salary levels constant.

But City Vision is upset:

The freeze has upset the left-leaning City Vision ticket and the Public Service Association, which represents 500 council staff.

“This council has no moral right to penalise workers to keep rates down,” said City Vision councillor Cathy Casey.

Says it all really. Cr Casey not only wants higher rates for “workers”, but also for herself:

City Vision believes staff should get a pay rise this year and wants councillors to take a 3 per cent pay increase from the Remuneration Authority.

What part of recession is so hard to understand. Thousands of Aucklanders are going to be losing their jobs and their income, and Cr Casey wants to make it even harder for them to be able to pay their rates.