Top soldier's farewell cost taxpayers $270,000

[GAP]

Money well spent..........I wonder how much they spent on useless politician's goodbye's.....

Top soldier's farewell cost taxpayers $270,000
STEVEN CHASE From Wednesday's Globe and Mail March 24, 2009 at 8:36 PM EDT
Article Link

OTTAWA — Taxpayers shelled out nearly $270,000 for a pomp-and-circumstance-charged farewell to Canada's top soldier last July, including $6,600 so that departing chief of the defence staff Rick Hillier could ride off into retirement aboard a tank.

Documents obtained under access-to-information legislation show that the military was determined to send off the charismatic retiring general in style after a three-year stint in which he re-energized the Canadian Forces and emerged as the highest-profile Canadian military leader in more than a quarter century.

“I intend to provide the necessary resources to mark the occasion in a fashion that recognizes the considerable contribution made by General Hillier,” a senior colonel wrote in “tasking orders” for the July 2, 2008, event, which also welcomed Walter Natynczyk as the new top general.

The Ottawa change-of-command ceremony included a 21-gun salute ($4,035), aerial acrobatics by the Canadian Snowbirds team ($23,101), and jumps by the Skyhawks, a military parachutist team ($3,137) according to the Department of National Defence.
More on link

 

[my72jeep]

Best buy so far. :nod:

 

[Rifleman62]

Read some of the over 300 comments attached to the article.

Typical Canadian "journalism" = sensationalism. Repeaters writing anything so they can be printed.

 

[dapaterson]

Of course, DND's somewhat puzzling systems of acounting dramatically understate the cost, as Reg F pay is not included, nor is depreciation of equipment.

 

[PMedMoe]

Read some of the over 300 comments attached to the article.

Some of them are good, though.  I like this one:

Let me tell You How It Is from United States writes: So freakin what....the visit of a foreign Head of State Obama, the Son of God to the Canadian capital 'Iowa' for a 6 hour refuelling stop on Air Force One cost about $10 Million...where is the G&M outrage on this ..... or the costs of the time and effort to return that Canadian clown and loser Omar Khadr is approaching $50 Million...where is the outrage about that?

$270,000 is merely a drop in the bucket compared to some "farewell" party bills I've seen......

 

[The Bread Guy]

Of course, DND's somewhat puzzling systems of acounting dramatically understate the cost, as Reg F pay is not included, nor is depreciation of equipment.

If that was counted, I'd imagine infantry battalion change of command parades could end up pretty pricey, too, even without extras.

 

[dapaterson]

True.  But there's an opportunity cost to activities - the pers who spend three days doing parade practices are not performing other tasks.

And equipment has a useful life, measured in miles or hours.  Using up that useful life needs to be captured as well.

I'm not debating whether the event was worthwhile, merely whether we accurately indicate the "cost" of what we do.


("Cost" being a four letter word to me, as it's used as an authoritative term, when in fact it's entirely open to interpretation and corruption)

 

[geo]

Hmmm....
It would be CHEAP at twice the cost.

Gen Hillier redefined the Canadian Forces
Canada has a real army once again
Troops walk a little taller & with a bit of a swagger.

Money well spent if you ask me...

 

[kratz]

In this particular case, I think it was funds well spent. To call it sensationalism is a bit off. When I first read this, it brought to mind the LFAA Change of Command a few years ago that cost quit a bit more. So while it is not unreasonable to question the cost, there have been grounds to do so in the past.

 

[CountDC]

I remember when they tried to make an LFAA change of command into a big story.  The Comd ignored the press and it blew away.  They were trying to include the wages of all the soldiers and the cost of shipping armoured vehicles from Gagetown.  Wages are paid whether the member is working or not - true they are not doing other tasks at that time but any tasks they would have been doing will be done by someone else or will be done by them when they return to work (my tasks didn't disappear while I was gone). The shipping of the vehicles were already in the budget - it was allocated as a move exercise so they merely had them do the move to Halifax - no extra expense. How many of these expenses were not of the same nature?

As an attendee at the event I did not see any big waste of dollars - how much does air time on the major networks cost? Even this article can be looked at as a good thing - the ones that will complain are anti-military anyway and no matter what we do they will slam it.  Puts the military out there and can't help wondering - how many young ones are now looking at this and saying - wow, they really know how to take care of the troops - I want a piece of that.

If that is all they spent then I say good for them.

 

[Corey Darling]

a 21-gun salute ($4,035)

This isn't the cost of just the salute right? Or the whole ceremony related to the salute? Not that Gen. Hiller hasn't earned it, but why does a 21-gun salute on its own cost 4 grand when a Snow Bird flyby costs only 5 times more?

???

Just curious, what did I not take into account?

 

[dapaterson]

Again,"Cost" is a four letter word, as it can mean anything, depending on what is included or excluded.

 

[Nfld Sapper]

This isn't the cost of just the salute right? Or the whole ceremony related to the salute? Not that Gen. Hiller hasn't earned it, but why does a 21-gun salute on its own cost 4 grand when a Snow Bird flyby costs only 5 times more?

???

Just curious, what did I not take into account?

Sounds about right for the cost of the blank rounds.

 

[Corey Darling]

Ouch, blanks are expensive 

 

[Snakedoc]

please, this is just a journalist digging for 'news' and trying to cause controversy where there isn't any...  If we wanted to play with cost numbers, what about the 'free' advertising afforded to the CF by all the news networks as a result of this event?  Maybe we can factor in the money saved in recruiting dollars if people are more encouraged to join? etc. etc.

Again,"Cost" is a four letter word, as it can mean anything, depending on what is included or excluded.

Absolutely agreed.  Money well spent.

 

[The Bread Guy]

("Cost" being a four letter word to me, as it's used as an authoritative term, when in fact it's entirely open to interpretation and corruption)

Like statistics, what "cost" reveals is interesting, but what it hides is crucial....

 

[1feral1]

Just another demonstration of the media at its worst.

What ever happened to a good story and fair dinkum non biased reporting?

Its all about sensationalism, ratings, controversy, blood and guts, and of course collateral damage. The left side of things always seems to rear its head and gets the press.

The media belong in the same catagory as used car salesmen, politicians, divorce lawyers and bankers.

I have no respect for the media at all.

Yet again they have achieved a new high in low.

OWDU

EDITed for spelling

 

[Rifleman62]

Add Real Estate Agents to your list. That was my recent experience in several Western Canadian locals.

 

[Armymedic]

I noticed Dawn Black was, once again, quoted in the article.

Do the journalist seek her out, or is it she (or her office, or party) who is gathering the dirt and giving it to the media?

 

[rampage800]

Its kind of funny Dawn Black would make a big deal of this, shes not even the official opposition. If she wants to talk about a waste of taxpayers money I'd suggest she should look at her glorious leader Jack and then a quick glance in the mirror.

da-not sure how equipment depreciates over a 2-3 hour period