Dear Editor,

Township Councillor Charlie Fox says he got a travel allowance, not a raise.

Excuse me. He already has a travel allowance incorporated into his salary, so why does he now have to have a designated travel allowance?

A third of his salary can be filed as tax-free for travel expenses.

It is unfortunate that Councillors Fox and Steve Ferguson are feeling the heat, but that is the price they pay for politics. It's part of the job. If it's too hot in the political kitchen, then get out. If their significant others weren't made aware of the amount of time that would be required as a member of council, perhaps it is an example of how they fail to communicate to others?

And they did get a pay raise, albeit over three years (plus the super catch-up increase they got in 2011).

Most, if not all, members of Township council have full-time jobs, and are now getting double-dipping salaries plus travel expenses_ travel to where? Other places in the Lower Mainland_ for what purpose? Let's see - a trip to Surrey to meet with the mayor, a trip to Vancouver to meet with the mayor, getting together for a meeting in Langley, or a meeting with Translink.

Excuse me, but that is not travel. That is going to work, and the rest of us do that everyday, without expense accounts and without double-dipping salaries.

I'm tired of the self-serving attitude this council has developed. How this process was "developed by Langley residents" is a mystery to me. I don't recall any "call for input" regarding salaries and travel expenses for council.

I find it an insult to those of us who pay the salaries of our council. I don't know anyone who gets paid more than $100,000 for a part time job, and anyone on council who feels worth that should shake his or her head.

There are a lot of people in their constituency who are trying desperately to keep roofs over their heads and put food on the table for their families - not getting salary increases.

And council members continue with the concept that they should have salary increases plus expenses. Talk about entitlement.

They came into the job knowing what the salary would be. It was not part of their mandate to see if their salary was right, and if they felt otherwise, to vote themselves an increase. An increase in councillors' salary should be part of a referendum attached to the election platform. I am appalled at the lack of respect for the voters who elected them.

And the committee (task force) members that selected the comparables needs to have their heads collectively shaken. What are they smoking? How can they compare a municipal council position with a federal position or a position held by a RCMP superintendent?

The council position doesn't even meet the base-line qualifications for positions like those.

Council members just don't get it. This isn't just about the optics of what they are doing, it's about the reality of getting salary increases that they vote for, for themselves, while another family goes to the food bank.

Shame on them.

Debbie Atkinson, Langley