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Home My WebLink AboutClinton News Record, 2014-04-02, Page 44 News Record • Wednesday, April 2, 2014 www.clintonnewsrecord.com Clinton News Record PUBLISHED WEEKLY — EST. 1860 53 Albert St. P.O. Box 39 Clinton ON NOM 11_0 (519) 482-3443 www.clintonnewsrecord.com SUN MEDIA A Quebecor Media Company en) NEIL CLIFFORD Publisher neil.cl ifford@sunmed ia.ca GERARD CRECES Editorial clinton.reporter@sunmedia.ca MAX BICKFORD Advertising Manager max.bickford@sunmedia.ca DAWN JOHNSTON Sales Representative clinton.ads@sunmedia.ca CHRISTY MAIR Front Office clinton.classifieds@sunmedia.ca SUBSCRIPTION RATES 1 YEAR $50.00 (47.62+2.38 GST) 2YEAR $95.00 (90.48+4.52 GST) SENIORS 60 WEEKS $50.00 (47.62+2.38 GST) 120 WEEKS $95.00 (90.48+4.52 GST) Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, the advertising space occupied by the erroneous Rem together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged but that balance of advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographic 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 wdhdrawn at any time. The Clinton News -Record is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for reproducing purposes. Publications Mail Agreement No.40064683 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES: CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT 53 Albert St., Clinton ON NOM 1L0 (519) 482-3443 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canadian Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. Canada j_47.1cna Member of the Canadian Community Newspaper Association and the Ontario Community Newspapers Association editorial Taking a drive down Babylon Line I took a drive down Babylon Line between Zurich and Varna the other day. I'd been wanting to see what all the fuss was about regarding the turbine development in the area. I have to say, I was surprised at how much activity was going on. Every 500 metres there was another access road, with the hub of the action at Babylon and Centennial Roads. Perhaps it was because of the starkness of early spring, but the machines and construction trailers seemed odd in an area normally so quiet and green and isolated. I grew up in Zurich, and the Babylon was always a place we went to watch the swans in spring, ride our bikes in summer and later as teenagers, drive around aimlessly. It was strange to see the fields roughed up and the edges of the woods abuzz with construction. Before you know it, there will be wind tur- bines poking up across the horizon, and what used to be just an ACW feature will now be close to the land of my fathers. Even though I've tried to stay out of this whole wind energy mess, it was kind of sad to see this area that has been untouched by time since the first fields were sown now subject to the rising tide of change. Our idyllic little geta- way is becoming something new, modern and entirely different. Unlike a lot of folks, I still remain hopeful that wind can be productive, and hope the Ontario government eventually pulls its head out of its hindquarters and proceeds in a responsible and sustainable way. There are many things that need to change about our energy pricing and policy before that, but for now the turbines are here and we just need to make the most of them. We can't keep paying more for power even though there is a surplus of the stuff. We can't offer unreasonable payoffs for something that regular folks don't get to use. The tragedy for me isn't the landscape dev- astation. Rather, I would call it a disruption. What makes me sad is the derision between for and against, and the fighting between neighbours and friends this has caused. As for the land, I know it is and always will be beautiful, bountiful and productive, long after the turbines outlive their lifespan. Twenty years is nothing compared to cen- turies, and the peace of the countryside will always and ultimately refuse to be domi- nated. - Gerard Creces Fair elections coming to an end with Fair Elections Act A few weeks ago, I printed a series of questions I had for our MP, Ben Lobb regarding the Fair Elections Act. The day after that paper came out, and weeks after my initial calls, I got a call from Mr. Lobb and to be honest, I don't know why. I got answers to some of my questions, but I may as well have referenced the Ministry of Democratic Reform home page. They were one and the same. I tried to write the story, and even had most of it done and ready for print. But I couldn't in good faith pass off a piece of propaganda about something so serious that generations of Canadians would have their right to participate in democracy stepped on for the sole benefit of the Conserva- tive Party of Canada. One of the widest -reaching effects the Act would have is removing voter cards as valid pieces of identification and doing away with vouching at the polls. Youth who are away at school, seniors living with their children or in homes, aboriginals, the homeless, anyone who doesn't have mail in their name, or a driver's license would be turned away - in other words, those least likely to vote Conservative. Harry Neufeld, author of the infa- mous Neufeld Report, which the Con- servatives have been using to justify the vouching change, has said pub- licly there is no evidence to support the idea of such voter fraud problems and that his words were taken out of context. Similarly, Conservative MP Brad Butt has admitted he lied about see- ing first-hand voter card fraud. But what struck me hardest - and the reason I've been reluctant to write this - is I mentioned a Leadnow petition to stop the act, as an example of one of many attempts by regular folks to get rid of this bad legislation. Tens of thousands of people have signed it already, so there is obviously a healthy amount of concern. I wish I had never mentioned it. The response I got from the MP could be called a scoff. Unsurprisingly Leadnow is calling on the Liberal, Green and NDP parties to step up - enemies of the state. The thing is, and we've seen this time and again with the Conservatives, is that you can site all the concerns you have based on what you glean from the media, political parties, political organizations and even Elections Canada now, and you will be written off because you are sourcing a parti- san organization. In that regard, anyone other than a Conservative supporter has an agenda that discredits their opinion. It's one of the reasons I personally don't trust my MP as a source of impartial information anymore. In 2011 the Conservatives were fined for exceeding maximum spend- ing limits and filing records that did not set out all spending requirements. That is changing in the Fair Elections Act, but for all the wrong reasons. Parties won't have to file expenses for calling people who donated to the party in the past. Contributions are being increased. For the party with the wealthiest donors, this is great, as is the unaccountability for solicitation expenses. And guess who gets to pick the most important electoral over- sight people at the polls? You got it - the sitting MP. Still think this act is fair? CONTINUED > PAGE 5 Col Gerard umn Creces LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The News Record welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must be signed and include a daytime phone number for verification purposes. Letters can be sent care of the Internet at clinton.news@sunmedia.ca, sent via fax at 519-482-7341 or through Canada Post care of The Editor, P.O. Box 39, Clinton, ON NOL ILO. 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