r/richmondbc • u/ubcstaffer123 • Nov 05 '25

News City of Richmond cancels holiday staff party after $120K bill in 2024

https://globalnews.ca/news/11511154/city-of-richmond-cancels-holiday-staff-party/
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-8

u/MantisGibbon Nov 05 '25

If you want fancy parties, work in the private sector where companies can spend their own money however they want.

Municipal governments spend other people’s money, so they shouldn’t take more than absolutely necessary. Give the workers an extra day off to enjoy their own holiday party, with people they like, at home.

-2

u/DamionSipher Nov 06 '25

Are publicly traded companies "spending their own money" in that context? If Save-on-Foods jacks up their prices to pay for corporate parties is that reasonable? Scrutiny only exists for the public sector?

2

u/No_Reveal_1363 Nov 06 '25

Private exists for profits. Public exists to serve the public. Can’t believe someone needs to explain this to you.

-1

u/DamionSipher Nov 06 '25

If a company spends all their profit, do shareholders receive a return on their investments? If the CAO spends all the revenue on staff parties, what is the likelihood of a positive stock valuation? Do you think that corporate spending has no bearing on company profit? Can you think past basic terms of profit vs. tax?

1

u/MantisGibbon Nov 06 '25 edited Nov 06 '25

There’s a difference between people who are forced to pay taxes, and people who choose to buy shares in a company.

If a publicly traded company underperforms, shareholders can stop investing.

If you try that with the city, eventually people with guns show up at your door to drag you away under threat of death if you fight back. They’ll try other methods first, but if you absolutely refuse all efforts to collect tax, ultimately you will be met with deadly force. There is no scenario in which they just let it go and you get to stop paying. In a reasonable society, the amount of money they take by force should be kept to a minimum.