It seems CBC execs have been living the high life courtesy of you:
Executives at Canada's public broadcaster have run up huge bills staying at luxury palace-like hotels in Europe where rooms go for a staggering $800-plus a night.
including a $4,377 trip to Istanbul for a conference by former president and CEO of the taxpayer-funded CBC, Robert Rabinovitch at the "posh" Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel:
The hotel's website entices potential visitors with the promise of "a personal butler for each guest, award winning cuisine" and "luxurious facilities." <canoe>I did a little checking on Expedia, and found several hotels for less than $100 per night, including a Best Western, and the Berr Hotel (3.5 stars) that will run you a very reasonable $47 per night -- and that's without my corporate discount.
Mr. Rabinovitch and his colleagues should be thankful that the tax payers allow them to have a job. Assuming the trip was justified to begin with, which is a bit of a leap, the least he could do is not screw us by staying at the most palatial palace in town. I mean, what's wrong with the Best Western? Well, ok .. besides the lack of a personal butler.
meh ... I guess this will do:
7 comments:
Brutal. These execs should be fired.
It's amazing what some get away with under the auspices of defending our "culture." The CBC is in dire need of an overhaul - if their mandate is truly to defend us from the American barbarians at the gate, then they should not be able to air anything other than content with some semblance of a Canadian component. It is not their job to go head to head with Global, CTV or any other network.
My kids are really into Walking With Dinosaurs - a brilliant series produced by the BBC. My wife and I were asking why the CBC couldn't do something similar. Is it because the Royal Tyrell (noted as one of the most important dinosaur museums on THE PLANET and domiciled right here in Canada) is too far away from the self-congratulatory CBC fortress on Front Street?
We show these CBC people a little kindness by opening our wallets for them, and then they go and take advantage of us?
I feel so used.
I think I need to take a shower.
While I agree that these execs shouldn't be so extravagant with our money, this situation isn't exclusive to the CBC.
At a previous job many years ago, our union executives had their knuckles rapped by the union rank-and-file for blowing our money on expensive hotels, steak-and-lobster dinners, etc while on "union business".
The union execs' bullshit excuse was "We have an image (of success, one would assume) to maintain". Which of course, did not stand.
If the dullards in the union could figure out when they've been had, why can't the Canadian Taxpayer?
CJ - your question can be answered in two words: Canadian Culture. The minute anyone questions anything the CBC does, defenders come to their rescue by saying everything was done with a view to preserving Canadian Culture. Sure they play American movies and even American series, but it is done to raise ad money to defend Canadian Culture. Of course, the easier solution would be to air more movies like Highway 61, South of Wawa, The Hanging Garden, Last Night, Yellowknife and Killing Zelda Sparks. But then again, those movies are just, well, too Canadian for Canadians.
The hackles go down and the Taxpayer forgets about the issue. Something to do about Canadian Culture. Oh and as bad as the Taxpayer/CBC marriage is, there is always Hockey Night in Canada - the few hours a week we actually tune in....
Funny how Canadian Cultural programming requires a trip to Istanbul.
My sentiments exactly... unless they were scouting locations for a documentary? Could happen.
"Next, on The Passionate Eye: Istanbul... not Constantinople."
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