freedom

Thursday April 12, 2012

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Thursday April 12, 2012

Mac should set the standard on openness

Universities play an important role in the fabric of democratic societies.

They are guardians of academic freedom, and carry the responsibility of instilling into their students important ideas and enduring values of our society.

A couple of those ideas are the openness and accountability of public institutions in a democracy and the right of the public to know how its money is being spent.

In that context, McMaster University’s determined struggle to keep secret the details of the financial affairs of former president Peter George is particularly disappointing. The approach to accountability, transparency and disclosure displayed over a course of years leaves the university with a black eye of its own making.

This isn’t just about McMaster. In an era of increasing public demand for open data, the lack of openness displayed is far too common among leading public institutions spending public money and acting on our behalf. We have seen it with the province’s Ornge scandal, with the city’s debate about open police budgets, with executive salaries at Ontario Hydro, and more.

As detailed in Wednesday’s Spectator, this newspaper engaged in a six-year struggle with the university over the release of documents. Every step of the way, the university has fought the release, sought to prevent the former president’s contract and his expenses from being disclosed.

Universities were made subject to freedom of information laws in June of 2006. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) 

 

Thursday January 5, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Thursday January 5, 2012

Hospital CEOs get salaries in retirement

Hamilton’s hospitals will pay their CEOs a full salary for at least one year after they retire.

For Hamilton Health Sciences, it means they will pay the equivalent of two CEO salaries next year as Murray Martin hangs on to his full contract — pay, benefits, perks and retirement compensation — for one year after handing over the reins to the new CEO when he retires at the end of 2012.

“This isn’t just a handout to him,” said Mark Rizzo, chair of the HHS board. “There are certain skills that he has that we want to keep in place.”

There is no minimum amount of work required next year by his contract — created in 2009 with his retirement in mind. But Rizzo says it will be a “significant” job helping the new CEO transition and acting as a special adviser to the board, requiring at least 100 days of work and an office in the hospital.

Kevin Smith, CEO of St. Joseph’s Health System, gets paid whether he resigns or retires. The agreement in his contract is meant to entice him to stay until at least the end of 2015, when he will be 53 years old.

Right now, he gets 12 months’ salary if he resigns or retires, in return for 75 hours of consulting service that adds up to nearly $7,400 an hour.

If he leaves next year, he gets 14 months’ salary for 125 hours of consulting.

And if he stays until the end of 2015, he gets 18 months’ salary for 200 hours of consulting, at a rate of about $4,100 an hour. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

 

Thursday August 7, 2008

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Thursday August 7, 2008 About those U.S. cyclists with gas masks American athletes arriving to compete at the 2008 Olympics and wearing protective masks inside the Beijing airport they wereÊacting like jerks. Yeah, no kidding, the air in Beijing is worth complaining about. These are athletes at the peak of their conditioning. But they can't endure the air inside a building? While they're walking,Êrather than running or breathing hard? And for the few minutes it would take to get past all the photographers and into theÊprivacy of their buses or cars? But complaints should come in the context of realizing that Chinese officials, companies, and citizens actually have done quiteÊa lot to try to cope with the problem (details here) -- and that it's sad in many ways, rather than contemptible, that the first viewÊthe world's TV audience will have of spiffed-up Beijing will be of the opaque gray-brown skies. Unless, of course, there's aÊbig cleansing wind out of Mongolia right now. It's embarrassing enough for the Chinese hosts that the air looks so bad. It's tasteless, prissy, and showboating for visitors toÊrub it in this way. (Again, I'm talking about wearing the masks inside, in front of cameras, while standing around -- notÊsensible precautions for training.) (Source: The Atlantic)Êhttp://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2008/08/about-those-us-cyclists-with-gas-masks/8658/ International, China, Beijing, Summer, Olympic, games, restrictions, freedom, USA, ugly, Americans, obnoxious, rude, demanding, media, complaining

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday August 7, 2008

About those U.S. cyclists with gas masks

American athletes arriving to compete at the 2008 Olympics and wearing protective masks inside the Beijing airport they were acting like jerks.

Yeah, no kidding, the air in Beijing is worth complaining about.

These are athletes at the peak of their conditioning. But they can’t endure the air inside a building? While they’re walking, rather than running or breathing hard? And for the few minutes it would take to get past all the photographers and into the privacy of their buses or cars?

But complaints should come in the context of realizing that Chinese officials, companies, and citizens actually have done quite a lot to try to cope with the problem (details here) — and that it’s sad in many ways, rather than contemptible, that the first view the world’s TV audience will have of spiffed-up Beijing will be of the opaque gray-brown skies. Unless, of course, there’s a big cleansing wind out of Mongolia right now.

It’s embarrassing enough for the Chinese hosts that the air looks so bad. It’s tasteless, prissy, and showboating for visitors to rub it in this way. (Again, I’m talking about wearing the masks inside, in front of cameras, while standing around — not sensible precautions for training.) (Source: The Atlantic)