I like seeing how many MKs have come out against the plan to increase certain municipal allowances, specifically to allow municipalities above a certain size to add two salaried Deputy mayor positions.
These MKs are crying about how expensive it is and that money can be used for helping the poor, the lower end of the economy, the medicine basket which can always use more budget allowances, etc.
I don't see them crying about the need to limit the number of "Minister without portfolio" positions the government can appoint. I don't see them crying about how MKs are granted too much money, with too much spending leeway, for their fictitious expenses that all get dumped under the category of "Kesher im HaTzibbur", for their number of assistants and office expenses.
Everybody in government spends too much, but they only cry when it is someone else. Nobody would volunteer to have his budget sliced, for the good of the poor (except for maybe Michael Eitan who might actually do so)
The Israeli mentality towards politics is that you are elected to help your own group and nobody else. Important job titles and budgets are a prerequisite to convincing someone to join the government rather than common goals and policy.
ReplyDeleteOn the flip side Toronto City Council has similar spending problems. In 2007 new taxes were being created to help combat the city's financial woes. There was a push to have councilors give up some of their perks as a show of leadership. One of the arguments against the roll backs was the savings would be insignificant to the overall budget.
Around the same time two councilors were reported to the ethics commissioner for not spending enough money.