02.09.2011 07:54 AM

Hudak PC brainiac “broke” on 100K

“Despite making more than $100,000 a year as an MPP, [Jim] Wilson said he often finds himself “broke” at the end of the month.”

19 Comments

  1. Craig Chamberlain says:

    Fascinating. He should talk to a few folks on OW for tips on how to get by in tough times. They know what it must be for him and could build some supports around him.

    By the way, which party was it that gave Ontario OW?

  2. bigcitylib says:

    I don’t think the link is working

  3. JenS says:

    Would have been nice if the reporter had thought to actually get the other side of the story. That’s, like, one phone call to Brad Duguid’s office. Not exactly taxing.

    As for the other portion, i think the issue is the definition of “broke.” I suspect the kind of broke he’s referring to is the kind that you are at the end of the month when you’ve paid all your bills, put some money into savings, a little more into the retirement fund, etc., and there’s not a ton left over. We’re occasionally THAT kind of broke. I doubt he’s talking the we’re-going-to-have-to-live-on-Ramen-noodles-for-the-next-six-days kind of broke.

  4. Jan says:

    What does the price of houses ( I think that is high by the way) have to do with it. By the way the average house price in Wasaga Beach, where he lives, is $267,000.

    • Namesake says:

      Sure, $100k in gross family income isn’t a huge number… for a family (although only a third of all Cndn families make that; nearly half make do on less than $75*)

      But does Mr. Wilson even have a family he resides with? It doesn’t seem so.

      And even though he divides his time between his beach town in his riding & Toronto, isn’t he compensated for the latter?

      So: why can’t a single guy get by on $100k a year in rural Ontario… and if he can’t manage his personal finances well, then why should he be trusted with a whole province’s?

      http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/famil106a-eng.htm

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasaga_Beach

  5. CQ says:

    “He said he feels the [your] pain too”. Isn’t that an Ontario NDP line? And broke? Somehow I don’t think he’s buying his bread from the day-old shelf at the downmarket grocery store either.

  6. james curran says:

    Talk about apples to ocean liners. What the hell kind of comparison was that Gord?

  7. Namesake says:

    now that you’ve made an, er, Cameo (my dad’s old brand) appearance, there’s been a new development on one of your Gordian knots on an earlier thread, re: smoking supposedly being a boon to Canadian taxpayers since smokers die younger. http://urlm.in/gyqm

    Turns out your old province of Newfoundland doesn’t agree with you: they’re suing the tobacco companies for billions to recoup health care costs (as the U.S. states did a decade ago, which settled on $245-B.)

    The best part? The spokeswoman for the NF Justice Dep’t bringing forward the suit: a Ms. Jennifer Tulk.

    http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/latest+province+tobacco+industry/4247575/story.html

  8. Bruce M says:

    When I buy gas, they post the price by litre. No mortgage retirement fee shown elsewhere when I go to pay. That is a cost of bussiness. Same goes for the delivery of the gas, salaries and upgrading the station. Why does electricity in Ontario have so many foolish fees built into it? It encourages this kind of criminal taxing on the part of governments. Ottawa did the same thing with its water. My water bill jumped when the City decided to charge its own utility property tax! Neat trick, eh? Maybe they’ll charge their own transit system for road usage, too.
    Answer: Privatize it. Company “A” sells you a Kilowatt at 8¢, company “B” will compete, wether nuclear, gas, solar or dilithium crystals. The consumer does their part: consume or conserve.

    • Mark Watson says:

      I see a huge difference in deregulating electricity rates for commercial users, particularly those outside of your jurisdiction, and deregulating them for the entire market.

      I have a hard time competing against ALCOA for a kilowatt-hour, given that it is like a pencil-seller on the street corner against Wal-Mart: Which of us will have more leverage with the suppliers?

      In Alberta right now, the AESO and major generation companies are pushing hard for construction of new transmission lines and ‘interties’ at public expense to subsidize export f power to thirsty markets in the US. They tell us that we need to be prepared for increased consumption over the next 50 years, and need to build these new lines NOW through a special levy on residential and commercial electricity bills. They also want to take property rights away from landowners, who would have NO right to independent decision on use of their property once it is identified as being needed for these lines.

      Revising the rate schedules for your bill would be a simple fix, but it needs to put much of these ‘fee’ costs back against corporate profits – if companies cannot satisfy their shareholders through billing practices common in other industries, then they should be looking to takeovers for efficiencies.

  9. Steve says:

    How on earth can this guy be broke at the end of the month. He makes over $ 110,000 as an MPP, plus he gets paid extra for his speaker duties, plus he gets paid mileage when he’s driving around the riding.

    If he can’t live on what he makes and the PC’s get elected I hope he’s not the Finance Minister. I make a lot less then him and survive quite well.

  10. Ronald O'Dowd says:

    Only real people get to keep up with the Joneses!!!

  11. MCBellecourt says:

    Perhaps this 15-watt light bulb of an MPP should try living within his means, like most of us try to do (like we have a choice!!).

    I could probably hear the whining from outer space if he made what I made last year.

  12. Minister of Tim Horton's shadow trough Ontarian Internation Affairs says:

    What!
    But you’re not a good conservative unless you eat at least 100 doughnuts per day!
    And that ~Oink~ costs, Retirement Charge ~Oink~ Debt, ~Oink~, Mystery Money, ~Oink~!
    Canada has a international doughnut superpower image to keep up!

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