I blogged en route to the capital city of Victoria on Friday, noting that I was traveling on a 100% state-owned, state-run ferry, and that I had no choice in the matter (it’s a 100% government-mandated monopoly, as you frequently find in countries like North Korea or Cuba).
Given that it’s a monopoly, meaning it has no competition and gets government funding and control, it makes you wonder why the government-appointed president of that (quote/unquote) “corporation” (known as the “BC Ferry Corporation,” which is weird because it’s actually the government) would get paid as though he’s having to come up with competition-beating strategies and efficiencies and do daily battle in the free market, and all those things folks like us do every day.
(My highlighting)
B.C. Ferries president made $984,248 in 2009
By Kent Spencer, The Province, December 12, 2010
B.C. Ferries president David Hahn took home a cool $984,248 in salary and bonuses last year.
Newly released documents showed Friday that Hahn was one of 14 top managers who earned more than $200,000 in 2009.
Hahn, who has been with the corporation since 2003, earned a base salary of $519,231, $233,750 in bonuses, $210,618 in long-term incentives and $20,649 in taxable benefits.
Three more executives joined him in the plus-$400,000 club: chief operating officer Michael Corrigan ($536,566), vice-president human resources Glen Schwartz ($491,766) and vice-president of finance Robert Clarke ($479,940).
More than four dozen employees earned between $137,000 and $200,000.
A large number of salary breakdowns is shown at the bcferries.com website under the freedom of information section.
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By the way, with the applicable taxes, the hour and 40-minute return trip on the government ferry cost me and my wife about $200 of our after-tax cash, not including gas for our car, which is taxed at the rate of about 40% per litre.
Also see this newspaper editorial from last year:
“The BC Ferries monopoly must be removed”
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