Fraser Health fat-cats nickel-and-dime wheelchair-bound seniors

Not sure which is the more outrageous story in British Columbia this week. 

The use of chicken manure to deter homeless people in Abbotsford or the $25 a month wheelchair charge beginning in September for wheelchair-bound residents of Mountain View Manor? 

Abbotsford Mayor Bruce Banman and city manager George Murray have apologized profusely and deny they were using chicken poop as a weapon against the homeless. Local advocates for the homeless beg to differ.

The Fraser Health $25-a-month wheelchair charge is a $300 a year tax on people with mobility problems who are in the waning years of their lives, who have already contributed to society and should not be burdened with more costs that they may not be able to afford.

Fraser Health's Murray

Fraser Health argues that there are exemptions for those with disability benefits and waivers for those in hardship. Fraser Health operates with the blessing of the Ministry of Health, ultimately governed by Premier Christy Clark and the BC Liberals. 

So who are the people at Fraser Health and why do they really need to charge elderly patients $25 a month for their wheelchairs beginning in September? 

Dr. Nigel Murray is the president and CEO who was paid $384,660 and reimbursed $45,299 in expenses for the year ended March 31, 2012. Add it up and that's $429,959, which is enough to pay the $25 wheelchair fee for 1,433 Fraser Health patients for a year.

Vice-president of corporate services integration Brian Woods was paid $298,584 and expensed $7,125.

Philip Barker, the vice-president informatics and transformation support, got $257,504 in wages and $23,398 in expenses. 

Marc Pelletier, the vice-president of operations and strategic planning, got $247,065 and $5,603 respectively. Peter Goldthorpe, vice-president Lower Mainland capital projects, real estate and facilities, was $234,360 and $4,454, respectively.

The nine members of the board of directors were paid a cumulative $151,125 and had $6,401 in expenses. (The $157,526 expenditure is the equivalent of wheelchair fees for 525 patients for a year.)

                                                remuneration  expenses

Chair David Mitchell $28,750      $967

Arvinder Bubber                  $16,500       $276

Robert Forrest                     $22,500 $2,119

Christopher Gardner              $7,625       $195

Gurpreet Gill                       $13,000       $885

Marlene Grinnell                  $18,250       $323

Darlene (Deanie) Kolybabi $14,750        $944

George McLeod                    $17,750       $692

Inde Sumal                          $12,000       --