Free food, what's with that?
 

So they get free grub, so they can work through lunch. Does that mean they don't take an hour off, to take calls, make calls check with the office.
maybe they can brown bag it.
:haha::haha::tup::tup::whip::whip:

I don't think that this story is a big deal at all.

Small sum in the big picture of a corporation with a billion-dollar budget, but it will strike some as a lavish perk. (For example, $33K annually is roughly LICO for a family of three. Best place to raise a child, etc.)

I imagine that the story gets legs because, rightly or wrongly, it's seen as symptomatic of ballooning public sector spending.

Perversely excited to see what Rob Ford-like candidates emerge for the 2014 elections.

With regards to the $100,000 list, I'm wondering how many employees the city actually has.

Police and firefighter compensation does seem to be out of control. No matter what happens in the economy they get their 3%.

Isn't the city the top one or two employer in Hamilton?

I appreciate the work they do, but other than a handful of top positions, police and firefighters should not be making six figure salaries.

Just curious why people worry about what people make but why do you think they should not make what they do?

They're paid from the public purse, they work for the public, so as taxpayers, everyone has an interest. Also, there's no shortage of people who are willing and capable of being police or firefighters so there's no need to pay that much for HR retention. I say pay them well, you can live very comfortably on 60 or 70K. But when hundreds of them in one city are making over $100,000 there is something out of whack.

The City Hall has become a family business. Everyone get;s their son-in-law, son, daughter etc a nice paid easy job for life when they work for City Hall. I would like to see a purge. Hamilton Staff is now a family business.

Are they qualified? maybe so. But is the resume looked at fairly, without having a top member in staff on side... i don't think so. The Corporation of the City of Hamilton is a family business.