C
copper
Guest
Over the last few years a number of the larger bases have been clearing out the old PMQ's. Members are being strongly encouraged to seek accommodations on the economy. On the surface this was supposed to save big bucks for the Military. Unfortunately all this did was cause landowners / developers / renters to jack prices through the roof. I recently went to a career managers brief in Borden, it was a topic on many minds that they could not afford to be posted because they could not financially afford to qualify to purchase a home or rent in an area near the base. The Post Living Differential Allowance (PLD) is supposed to off set these costs but it is unable to keep up with the rise in the market as landowners selling in regions like Wainwright jack up the costs in anticipation of the base expansion.
I think the PLD, long in coming, was a good thing, unfortunately I now see it as another outlet for someone to cut costs by lowering it on an annual basis. I queried this when the cost of living was reportedly going up in my region and my PLD was going down for the second year in a row, I was told that Stats Can tables were used in the process to determin the rates for each area, in consideration on what was happening in relation to the rest of the country, when asked which Stats Can Tables were used I was not even given the courtesy of a reply. Nor is it posted as to where the information is drawn.
I think the PLD, long in coming, was a good thing, unfortunately I now see it as another outlet for someone to cut costs by lowering it on an annual basis. I queried this when the cost of living was reportedly going up in my region and my PLD was going down for the second year in a row, I was told that Stats Can tables were used in the process to determin the rates for each area, in consideration on what was happening in relation to the rest of the country, when asked which Stats Can Tables were used I was not even given the courtesy of a reply. Nor is it posted as to where the information is drawn.