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Home My WebLink AboutClinton News Record, 2014-11-12, Page 44 News Record • Wednesday, November 12, 2014 www.clintonnewsrecord.com Clinton News Record PUBLISHED WEEKLY — EST. 1860 53 Albert St. P.O. Box 39 Clinton ON NOM 1L0 (519) 482-3443 www.clintonnewsrecord.com SUN A Quebecor Media ComMEDIApany MARIE DAVID Sun Media Group Publisher - Grey Bruce Huron Division 519-364-2001 or 519-372-4301 NEIL CLIFFORD Publisher neil.clifford@sunmedia.ca MAX BICKFORD Advertising Manager max.bickford@sunmedia.ca TARA OSTNER Reporter clinton.reporter@sunmedia.ca DAWN JOHNSTON Sales Representative clinton.ads@sunmedia.ca TERESA SMITH Front Office dinton.classifieds@sunmedia.ca SUBSCRIPTION RATES 1 YEAR $50.00 (47.62+2.38 GST) 2YEAR $95.00 (90.48+4.52 GST) SENIORS 60WEEKS $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 item 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 ata wrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Ad- vertising is merely an offer to sell, and may be withdrawn at any time.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 53AIbert St., Clinton ON NOM 1L0 (519)482-3443 We acknowledge the financial support of the Govemment of Canada through the Canadian Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. Canada pcna Member of the Canadian Community Newspaper Association and the Ontario Community Newspapers Association editorial Wynne's Liberals zap us on green energy QM! Agency Another day and another report says Ontario's reckless experiment with wind and solar power has been a financial dis- aster for the province's taxpayers and ratepayers. This time it's the Fraser Insti- tute, coming to many of the same conclusions the Auditor General of Ontario did in late 2011. This time, energy analyst Tom Adams and University of Guelph economist Ross McKitrickin their report, What Goes Up, argue the Dalton McGuinty/ Kathleen Wynne blunder into green energy is hurting consum- ers, making the province less competitive and benefitting industry insiders. It has created the absurd situa- tion in which Ontario has an energy surplus, while energy prices skyrocket. As Adams puts it: `Wind nd and solar power systems provide less than 4% of Ontario's power but account for 20% of the cost paid by Ontarians, yet the govern- ment wants to triple the number of wind and solar generators. That's a good deal for wind and solar producers but a raw deal for consumers' McKltricknotes: "Over the past decade, electricity prices have skyrocketed and they'll continue to rise unless the prov- ince rowince starts to put the interests of ordinary Ontarians ahead of industryinsiders:' The Liberals admitted lastyear electricity prices are going up 42% over the next five years. Adams and McKitrickpropose several ways ways to help get consumers off the hook. First, impose a moratorium. Stop bringing more unreliable and expensive wind and solar energy projects online. Second, review existing sweet- heart contracts to see iftheycan be revised or terminated. Third, buy power from Que- bec while Ontario's nuclear sta- tions are being refurbished, instead of doubling down on renewable energy. Fourth, re -open four coal-fired generators atLambton and Nan- ticoke, which provide inexpen- sive power and bum as cleanly as the natural gas plants the Lib- erals built to replace coal and act as a backup for wind and solar. Fifth, stop telling Ontarians to conserve while dumping excess supply at a loss to other jurisdictions. The authors explain how the so-called Global Adjustment — the difference between the mar- ket price of electricity and what it actually costs to produce — is driving up energy prices. This due to the guaranteed high prices paid to wind and solar energy developers. The Liberals, of course, will ignore this report. They say wind and solar power account for only8% of the costs on energy bills and were needed so they could close all of Ontario's polluting coal-fired plants. Except the Liberals didn't replace coal-fired eleciricitywith wind and solar power, which has been a multi -billion -dollar boondoggle. They replaced it with nuclear and gas-fired electricity. Wind and solar weren't neces- sary, although the Liberals will never admit it. In faimess, the electricity file was a mess when the Liberals inherited it from the previous Conservative govemment in 2003. Problem is, they've been making it worse ever since. column Liberal feminism promotes choice Tara Ostner The Clinton News Record What does liberal feminism seek to promote? Above all, it seeks to promote women's freedom or, in the other words, a woman's right to personal autonomy. What is personal autonomy? It is living a life of one's own choosing and being the author of the conditions under which one lives. In other words, per- sonal autonomy is another way to describe self-determination. That a woman (a) chooses her life and (b) is the author of her life are, basically, the two concerns of a liberal feminist. Speculating why a woman chooses the life she does does not and ought not concern lib- eral feminism. And yet some people still want to judge, question and criticize women's decisions on completely illiberal grounds. Take, for example, the criticism surrounding the actress Renee Zellweger's decision to undergo plastic surgery. Being opposed to a woman undergoing plastic surgery (or any kind of self -enhancing pro- cedure) unfairly restricts a woman's choice and the irony behind this should not be diffi- cult to see. Unfairly restricting a woman's choice is unaccepta- ble in today's day and age and contradicts the very purpose of the women's movement in the 1960s. Instead of unfairly restricting women's choices, in a free and democratic society the scope and range of wom- en's choices ought to be amplified. More specifically, women's choices in a free and demo- cratic society will be guided by their own sense of their self- interest, values and priorities and it is clear that this is how Zellweger acted. "I'm glad folks think I look different," she said, "I'm living a different, happy, more fulfilling life, and I'm thrilled that perhaps it shows." As a result of a decision that, living in a free and democratic society Zellweger was able to make, she is now living a differ- ent, happy and more fulfilling life. That she was able to attain happiness from having the ability to choose is not surpris- ing as the good life necessarily depends on the existence of personal autonomy and the subsequent achievement of self-determination. People like Renee Zellweger appear to realize this and yet the critics appear not to. If only people would spend less time concerned with how someone else exercises their autonomy - a completely worthless venture - and more time exercising their own autonomy perhaps they, too, could have a good life. 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 1LO. CLINTON NEWS RECORD — 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 519-482-3443 • FAX: 519-482-7341 www.clintonnewsrecord.com