Toronto politicians are completely out of touch with reality. At a time when the city is drowning in unaffordable rents, soaring food prices, and a crumbling public transit system, these councillors have the audacity to debate giving themselves a 24% pay raise—a jaw-dropping $33,000 increase—while ordinary Torontonians struggle to make ends meet.

This isn’t just tone-deaf; it’s selfish, unthinking stupidity. People across the city are losing their homes, skipping meals, and watching their quality of life deteriorate, but instead of focusing on fixing the city, these politicians are focused on fixing their own bank accounts. They already make $137,537 a year—more than enough to live comfortably—but apparently, that’s not enough for them. They want to pad their pockets while the people they’re supposed to serve scrape by.

And their excuse? That they haven’t had a significant raise since 2006? Cry me a river. Most workers in this city haven’t seen real wage growth in years, and many are stuck in precarious jobs with no benefits, yet councillors think now—in the middle of an affordability crisis—is the right time to fatten their wallets? It’s disgraceful.

If these politicians had even an ounce of integrity, they’d reject this outrageous raise outright. Instead, they’re actually debating it, proving once again that they are more concerned with their own wealth than with the suffering of the people they claim to represent.