To the Editor:
The Ontario Sunshine list annoys me so much. It was first published in 1996 as a list of Ontario public service workers that earned more than $100,000 per year. It was an effort to bring transparency and accountability to the provincial government.
It is published every year, and every year, austerity pundits clutch their pearls at how many more names are on the list. "Goodness gracious! There are 65,000 teachers on this list! This is terrible greed and wastefulness!"
What they don't tell you is that the list is not adjusted for inflation. $100,000 in 1996 would be the equivalent of $175,368.90 in 2023. If they adjusted the list for inflation, there would be ZERO teachers on the list. In fact, more than 3/4 of the list would disappear.
The Sunshine List, if not adjusted for inflation, is a meaningless propaganda tool, and nothing more.
Dave Mitchell
Sarnia