No gloom in million-dollar CEO clubA half-dozen CEOs of Winnipeg-based firms cracked the seven-figure mark in total compensation.Wow, a whole six CEOs! While the title of the story is meant to rile up hysteria about excessive salaries, and seems to be succeeding based on the comments on the web site, the "evidence" included in the column tells a whole different story: there is no money in Winnipeg.
Only publicly traded firms are included in this data, but even still there are only 25 CEOs who earn a large enough salary to rent a one room apartment and buy dog food for their shi tzu. That is a crazy small number for a city of this size, and to me this is indicative of an economic environment that stifles private investment and drives away corporate money and the types of jobs that support the arts, professional sports, boutique clothing stores, and other things that make city vibrant and exciting.
I suppose the lack of private wealth could be partially made up for by our public kingpins. It would be interesting to see comparison between these CEOs and the chiefs of our crown corporations: MB Hydro, MPI, WRHA, etc... I suppose, if I were to get off my ass and look, that data is probably out there somewhere.
Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!
ReplyDeleteHey thanks! Wait ... are you being sarcastic?
ReplyDeleteYes, when it comes to the private sector, Winnipeg is a small-potatoes town, and destined to get smaller as Canwest, or what's left of it, becomes a Toronto company. It's only the big crowns, like the wheat board, Hydro, etc., that will be left here as the years go by. History has passed Winnipeg by. All we have left is big government and big-box retail. That's why the NDP will rule this province for a long, long time.
ReplyDeleteWhats wrong with small potatoes, I like small potatoes.
ReplyDeleteHistory hasn't passed us by. The peg is what it is becasue of location location location. Live with it and enjoy the fact it is small.
Well was, until we developed a love affair with asphalt and strip malls.
I agree with you, Mr. Nobody, but the fact is, a lot of Winnipeggers think this city is much more -- capable of hosting an NHL team, for example. It is, at best, an AHL town, a government town (mostly a government town), and a relatively easy town to survive in cosidering how cheap the place is and non-competitive as well. I like it fine, but it is destined for the bush leagues in pretty much everything until the next ice age arrives in a few thousand years. Just stop pretending it's something more.
ReplyDeleteI agree anon, I too wish the cheerleaders go away. Maybe go and live in one of those uber cosmopolitan, ultramolitan, urbanolitan, hipolitan,transitolitan, condopolitan, fantasy worlds.
ReplyDeleteThe peg is a great place for families.
Come on boys. Let's not throw in the towel just yet. Why do we have to be nothing more than we are right now? Why do we have to be a small potatoes government town? We are only that way because of uninspired leadership - both provincial and civic. What if a leader with some vision finally takes control? Will that not make a difference? What if Winport actually works? What if the human rights museum is actually a success? What if we all get off our asses and say "Hey! The status quo is not good enough!" What if all of these things happen at the same time??? We can do this people! WE CAN DOOOO THIS!!!
ReplyDeleteCome on everybody! Team cheer: GoooOOO WINNIPEG!!
Cheren, I think my more means less glitz more meat.
ReplyDeleteAs for getting off my ass, I don't know, I quite like living in a place where things were/are quiet, slower, and smaller.
As for things happening at the same time, lol, for sure. The CEO of Winport,Centrport whatever you wanna call it this week, doesn't see rail as a critical enough issue ....yet.
And then there is that ole canard...leadership thing. I notice on blogs, there is a tendency to not only diss incumbents, but tearing apart anyone who takes a leap of faith seems like a sport.
Perhaps the leadership is a product of the place. read into that what you like.
Or
Enter the next election, even if its only to put out a platform. That would be my challenge to all bloggers. It costs nothing, get the 25 or 50 signatures and voila, you are now officially a candidate.
I think for all of us that have something to say, it would be a perfect way to get some ideas across.
Who knows, maybe there is one imaginative soul that will emerge.
So get off your Ass already ;)
Leadership, vision? Manitoba is run by civil servants (provincial, federal, municipal) who make up the bulk of the voters and will never allow any government to take the steps necessary to turn Manitoba around. They have it good, so why change? Remember when Filmon promised tax cuts and spending hikes in 1999? That was the most radical promise I've ever heard in Manitoba and voters rejected it categorically. Nope, this province has too small of an entrepreneurial class to ever change. We're a kept province. Ottawa's bitch.
ReplyDeleteHey anonymous, the people of the province didn't reject Filmon's promised tax cuts.
ReplyDeleteThey rejected the party that sold off our telephone system and made millions for their friends/family members at Wellington West in brokering the sale at the expense of the people of the province.
After all of the cut cutting that Filmon had to do when the transfer payments were cut, nobody was buying his promises to cut taxes and raise spending. It was such a departure that it didn't seem plausible .. though as it turns out, it probably was.
ReplyDeleteThe sale of MTS, by the way, benefited lots of people. Everybody had an opportunity to buy shares, and many people did, and earned a nice little bit of money. Also the current government has benefited enormously from that sale. They've dipped into that money many times to support their spending habits.
Writing off the MTS sale as just an insider deal among a few cronies is the kind of bush-league thinking that permeates this province. MTS had to be sold off, the days of Crown-owned phone companies are over. MTS has grown into an excellent private-sector firm, not perfect, but certainly able to partake in the modern telco world. Manitoba Dave, I'm sure you're a nice guy, probably smart, but your attitude toward Filmon and MTS just reinforces my point about how this province is stuck in the past, addicted to the government teat and suspicious of all business propositions. This city, which I do love because it's my home, is permanent bush league.
ReplyDeleteWriting off the MTS sale as just an insider deal among a few cronies is the kind of bush-league thinking that permeates this province. MTS had to be sold off, the days of Crown-owned phone companies are over. MTS has grown into an excellent private-sector firm, not perfect, but certainly able to partake in the modern telco world. Manitoba Dave, I'm sure you're a nice guy, probably smart, but your attitude toward Filmon and MTS just reinforces my point about how this province is stuck in the past, addicted to the government teat and suspicious of all business propositions. This city, which I do love because it's my home, is permanent bush league.
ReplyDeleteHow much money does Mr. Brennan make a year? It doesnt matter how inspired the leadership is. The Winnipeg Charter Act will keep this city under the thumb of the province forever. As it is now it is a exclusive party for the NDP. Immigration is not even keeping up with emmigration. Greener Pastures. At least that is what Mr. Doer did.
ReplyDelete