Editor, the Times:

I was never strong in math but I can do basic math, which apparently our council is also lacking, but is that really a surprise based on the current Abbotsford Heat issue?

OK, so they deny us five extra firefighters but they see fit to hire one more bylaw officer, at an initial cost of $29,000? So the pay for this person is $82,400?

Wow. When did a small, really unimportant job pay so much that I figure it works out to $6,866 a month, or $42.92 an hour working a 40-hour week?

I know labourers and others who work 10 times harder and put their lives on the line for half of that.

Plus, they went to school for many years paying tens of thousands of dollars in college fees.

So, they estimate said worker will collect $26,000 in fines? So this leaves us, the taxpayer, paying this person $56,400 a year and for the first year, tack on the $29,000, thus we are out of pocket $85,400.

So much for stretching a penny.

I'll be sending in my resume tout de suite and consider the job filled.

Simon Field Abbotsford