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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2015-01-07, Page 44 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, January 7, 2015 r Ilion Expositor PUBLISHED WEEKLY — EST. 1860 P.O. Box 69, 8 Main Street Seaforth Ontario NOK 1 WO phone: 519-527-0240 fax: 519-527-2858 www.seaforthhuronexpositor SUN MEDIA A Quebecor Media Company NEIL CLIFFORD Publisher neil.clifford@sunmedia.ca MAXWELL BICKFORD Advertising Rep. max.bickford@sunmedia.ca DIANNE MCGRATH Front Office seaforth.classifieds@sunmedia.ca MARIE DAVID Sun Media Group Publisher Grey Bruce Huron Division 519-364-2001 or 519-372-4301 SUBSCRIPTION RATES 1 YEAR $50.00 (47.62+2.38 GST) 2YEAR $95.00 (90.48+4.52GST) SENIORS 60 WEEKS $50.00 (47.62+2.38 GST) 120 WEEKS $95.00 (90.48+4.52 GST) Publications Mail Agreement No.40064683 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT P.O. Box 69 Seaforth ON NOK 1 WO For any non -deliveries or delivery concerns: phone: 519-527-0240 Advertising is accepted on condition that in the event of a typographical error, the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographical error, advertising goods or services at a wrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Advertising is merely an offer to sell and may be withdrawn at anytime. The Huron Expositor is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for reproduction purposes. We acknowledge the financial support of the Govemment of Canada through the Canadian Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. Canada editorial Wynne's numbers don't add up If the best indicator of future performance is past practice then Premier Kathleen Wynne's promise to balance the Ontario budget by 2017-2018 rings hollow. Wynne continues to project this year's deficit at $12.5 billion (artificially high, but more on that in a moment), followed by an apparently magical drop to $8.9 billion in 2015-2016, $5.3 billion in 2016-2017 and 0 in 2017-2018. So that's Wynne's promise of future performance. But her past practice has been to raise the $9.8 billion deficit she inherited from Dalton McGuinty (hardly a prudent spender him- self), to $10.5 billion in her first budget, $12.5 billion in her second. As indicated above, the $12.5 billion deficit figure for this year is artificially high. Liberal finance ministers routinely project bigger deficits than they know they're going to have, so they can boast they came in under their deficit projection, when the real story is their actual deficits are going up. So expect the $12.5 -billion projection for this year to be reduced in the coming months, mainly because most forecasters are pre- dicting stronger growth for Ontario this year, primarily due to lower oil prices and a recovering American economy. That's the good news. The bad news, as Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk recently reported, is that even if Wynne achieves her target of a balanced budget by 2017-2018, Ontario at that point will be $325 billion in debt, $23,000 for every man, women and child. As significant, under the Liberals, Ontario's debt -to -GDP ratio, a key indicator of economic health, has exploded to 41%, up from a pre -recession level of 26% a decade ago. To get back to that level, the Liberals would have to exercise a sustained period of spending restraint post 2017-2018 they have been unable to demonstrate from 2003 to the present. These aren't just numbers on a page. High deficits and debt explain in part why the unemployment rate in Ontario, once the engine of the Canadian economy, has been above the national average for eight consecutive years under the Liberals, since January, 2007. Some of this is due to things the Liberals couldn't control — the 2008 global financial crisis, the fact Ontario has no huge oil or nat- ural gas reserves and, until recently, the high Canadian dollar which hurts exporters. But other Liberal policies contributed directly to high unemploy- ment, for example their multi -billion -dollar green energy boon- doggle which has sent hydro bills skyrocketing and manufacturing jobs fleeing the province. The scary thing is the Liberals are relying primarily on factors they don't control — for example, the performance of the Ameri- can economy — to improve the mess they've made of Ontario's finances. And if past practice is an indication of future performance, that mess is going to continue for four more years. - QMI Agency www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com letter to the editor A New Year's resolution to help others To the Editor: Ask any volunteers out there and they'll almost always tell you they get more back than they give. Volunteers are the back- bone of our community and there's nothing more reward- ing than helping others while enriching your own life. This New Year we'd like to encourage those in our com- munity to consider making a resolution tied to volunteer- ism. The Canadian Cancer Society relies on volunteers to help us deliver our mis- sion - to eradicate cancer and to support those living with cancer. With your support, we help residents of Huron and Perth counties throughout their cancer journey. Together we are much stronger than any of us are alone. Come and join the fight against cancer by volunteering with us! We are currently recruiting for the following volunteer roles (training is provided for all roles): Become a volunteer driver With just a few hours a week you can help save someone's life. Our volun- teer drivers drive clients to and from their cancer - related appointments, which they otherwise wouldn't have way to get to. Join a committee or host an event Help plan one of our upcoming events to raise much-needed funds for research, prevention and support services. Or host your own fundraising event in your community. Fight for public policy changes Connect with local gov- ernment officials (MP, MPP, mayor/reeve/warden) to help us advocate for healthy policy development. Activi- ties include phone calls, meetings, emails, letter writing, networking and attending candidate debates. We currently are advocating on issues related to tobacco control, healthy eating, envi- ronmental and occupational carcinogens, as well as access to cancer treatments and care. Youth and adult programs are available. Prevention volunteers Help educate your com- munity on how they can pre- vent cancer from occurring through simple lifestyle changes. Activities can include working displays and attending health shows, fairs and information nights, as well as giving presentations to community service groups, workplaces and schools Find out more at www. cancer.ca/huronperth or call us at the office 1-800-294-0086 Did you know that the Canadian Cancer Society is the largest national charity to fund cancer research? Did you also know that last year, in Huron -Perth alone, our volunteer drivers provided almost 2,000 safe rides to cancer -related appoint- ments and helped hundreds of local people through our free information and sup- port services? We are also responsible each year for raising much-needed funds for cancer research and sup- port programs. It's a big job and we can't do it alone! You can help by giving a few hours of your time, and there are so many opportunities to choose from there is some- thing for everyone. We'd also like to offer many thanks to all of our current volunteers - we can't do what we do without you! Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2015. Dianne Mohr Manager, Huron -Perth Community Office Canadian Cancer Society SEAFORTH HURON EXPOSITOR — HOURS OF OPERATION MONDAY: 9:00 - 5:00 • TUESDAY: - CLOSED • WEDNESDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • THURSDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • FRIDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • SATURDAY & SUNDAY: - CLOSED ADVERTISING DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 2:00 • PHONE 519-527-0240 • FAX: 519-527-2858 www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com