Agreed. However, any salary of anything to anyone needs to be justifiable. The worry I have is that the trustees seem to have taken the role of private company directors.
They are guardians of the trusts money and need to go the xtra mile to be clear and transparent particularly with such large sums of money and need to be very clear to avoid anyone, including Dr P, having a conflict of interests.
It's the same story sadly. Publish the acocunts, explain them, have an AGM where everyone can ask their awkward questions etc and stand up and be accountable. Or, offer some other such forum more discreetly, either way, be answerable for their actions on behalf of everyone.
If Dr P or the tea lady is worth their salaries then good luck, it shouldn't be personal. Likewise the major decision in the accounts seems to be to reach an arrangement with creditors, primarily MA, to effectively mortgage future surpluses to pay off the debts. Might be a smart decision but we don't have the benefit of being able to ask and make sure.
I hope they wake up and follow their own advice aboute being more communicative before it is too late. I recall asking the same questions of FI when she was there, offering to go down to meet her and publish the questions and answers anyone wanted asked unedited and she declined. Not much has really changed on the management side although credit, the staff and engineering team have been nothing short of superb and hats off to them.
Best wishes to all for 2009.