KITCHENER'S NEW COURTHOUSE COSTING ALL OF US

Today's Waterloo Region Record gives us the exciting news that once again our taxes will take a hit based upon increased security staff for our new downtown Courthouse. Odd isn't it that we only hear about this permanent addition to the police budget at this late date? Currently the annual policing budget for Waterloo Region is $125.7 million. Wow! Compared to provincial health care and education it's an absolute bargain. Of course while those services are received regionally and municipally they are paid for at the provincila level. Policing on the other hand is paid out of local tax revenues. Mind you who are we kidding. Whether municipal, regional, provincial or federal, it's all the same taxpayers.

Check out the math of $1 million dollars divided by 18 special constables. That's over $50,000 per constable per year to start. Not bad presumably for high school grads followed by a two year college course in Law and Security or Police Foundations. Absolutely nothing is too good for our legal and judicial systems. Afterall we now have over 300 police officers on the regional force earning more than $100,000 per year. When will this craziness stop? Currently, belatedly Premier McGuinty has decided that teachers and doctors need to suck it up somewhat. He has already served notice that police and firefighters are next. All of them are long overdue however if they are smart they will keep their mouths shut, take their medicine and wait for the economy to pick up. Then they can go right back to overcharging for their services the always beleagured taxpayers.