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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-02-25, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016. Editorials Opinions Publisher: Keith Roulston Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Denny Scott Advertising Sales: Lori Patterson & Brenda Nyveld The Citizen is published 50 times a year in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $36.00/year ($34.29 + $1.71 G.S.T.) in Canada; $160.00/year in U.S.A. and $205/year in other foreign countries. Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, only that portion of the advertisement will be credited. Advertising Deadlines: Mon. 2 p.m. - Brussels; Mon. 4 p.m. - Blyth. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40050141 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. PO BOX 152 BRUSSELS ON NOG 1H0 email: info@northhuron.on.ca The Citizen P.O. Box 429, P.O. Box 152, BLYTH, Ont. BRUSSELS, Ont. NOM 1H0 NOG 1 HO Ph. 519-523-4792 Phone Fax 519-523-9140 519-887-9114 E-mail info@northhuron.on.ca Website www.northhuron.on.ca Canada ..ocna CCNA Member of the Ontario Press Council We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or Department of Canadian Heritage. photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright CMCA AUDITED Get 'em coming and going If you are a taxpayer of Huron East, reading this week's Citizen could be hazardous to your health, at least if you read the story where the municipality's council has asked its treasurer to bring in an increase of 21.35 per cent in the municipal portion of the tax rate. Before the vigilante gangs ready the tar and feathers to punish spendthrift councillors, it should be explained this increase (which would work out to a 9.9 per cent tax increase when county and educational levies are added in) would really only keep the status quo in service. Reduced revenues and increased expenses are beyond councillors' control. Cuts under the province's Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund hit $294,200 this year, after similarly significant cuts in past years. Meanwhile the cost of the provincially -controlled (or out of control) Ontario Provincial Police costs for Huron East increased $191,352. There's one area of increasing costs that seems to be within the council's control: community centres. Even here, the biggest increase to expenses that are pushing up the deficits for community centres, is ballooning electricity bills — another cost controlled by the province. Perhaps that old statement about the Lord giveth and taketh away should be reinvented for municipal politics: the province doesn't giveth but still taketh away. — KR Is it a good investment? In electing Justin Trudeau and his Liberal Party of Canada as their government, Canadians approved the idea that it was worth going into a short-term deficit to build infrastructure and stimulate the economy. Even the most pessimistic would be shocked by figures announced Monday by Finance Minister Bill Morneau. Morneau predicted the deficit for 2016-17 would hit $18 billion, and that was even without the promised $60 billion over 10 years in infrastructure spending. Part of the problem, of course, is the worsening economy, particularly with plummeting prices for oil and other resources, and thousands of jobs lost. Morneau predicted that Canada will end up with a $2.3 billion deficit for the current year under the budget of the former Conservative government. While deficit is a dirty word for many people, what really matters is how wisely the money is spent. Just as it makes sense for a homeowner to borrow money to install an energy-efficient furnace, so too a government going into deficit to make an investment in the future, such as better roads, makes sense. If a homeowner borrows to eat steak more often, it's a foolish investment. So is a government that borrows to cover everyday operating costs. Canadians authorized judicious borrowing that would improve roads, subways, drains, etc. Morneau, Trudeau and their government must deliver on the pledge to make wise investments in Canada's future, not dig a deep financial hole it will take years to climb out of. — KR No experience necessary One of the most memorable phrases from out of our own Canadian federal election last fall was the line from a Conservative Party ad where a hiring committee looked at Justin Trudeau's resume and decided "he's just not ready" because he lacked experience. A similar hiring panel in the U.S. election would apparently decide against all the candidates with too much experience. So far voters in various primary elections have indicated they prefer those untouched by politics to those with experience. Most famously, billionaire businessman Donald Trump has been thumping experienced governors like Jeb Bush and Chris Christie. Meanwhile on the democratic side, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders continues to capture more of the imagination of electors than Hillary Clinton who was U.S. Secretary of State. It's a little frightening to think that if voters were a hiring committee selecting the president of the world's most powerful military nation they'd pick an office boy over an experienced CEO. — KR Letters Policy The Citizen welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and should include a daytime telephone number for the purpose of verification only. Letters that are not signed will not be printed. Submissions may be edited for length, clarity and content, using fair comment as our guideline. The Citizen reserves the right to refuse any letter on the basis of unfair bias, prejudice or inaccurate information. As well, letters can only be printed as space allows. Please keep your letters brief and concise. Looking Back Through the Years February 25, 1959 The Huron -Bruce Liberal Association was set to hold a special meeting in Blyth. The meeting was to be held in support of Rae J. Watson of Lucknow, the party's candidate in the upcoming election. Professor Jim Scott, who was said to be a well-known speaker throughout the district, was listed as the evening's guest speaker. Members of the Blyth Fire Department held their annual banquet at Memorial Hall, with 27 members of the department with their wives present. The evening began with a meal served by the Blyth Legion Ladies Auxiliary and ended with a euchre tournament. February 26, 1970 Lloyd Vallance, the son of Mr. and Mrs. James Vallance of Brussels, placed first in the senior division of the elementary school public speaking competition that had been held in Lucknow the previous weekend. Vallance, who was in Lucknow representing Brussels Public School, was now set to move on to the next stage of competition, which would be held in Stratford. Staff members of Brussels Public School gathered at the home of Idella Wilson to honour Mr. and Mrs. George Cousins on their recent marriage. The evening featured social time and playing euchre before the Cousins family was presented with a table lamp by the school's staff as a gift. The Brussels Legion held its most important meeting of the year, installing its new executive for the coming year. Ted Elliott was installed as president of the Branch by a special installation team that had made the trip from the Branch in Exeter. William Adamson was installed as first vice-president and Clifford Cardiff as second vice-president. Members of the Legion Ladies Auxiliary were also installed that night. Vera Hastings would serve as the group's president for the coming year, while Mabel Willis would be first vice-president and Dianne Huether was installed as second vice-president. February 19, 1986 In a true good news/bad news situation, Brussels Village Council received word that the community would soon be receiving a new supermarket, while at the same time it would be losing the historic Queen's Hotel. Council approved the sale of the hotel to London company, but the sale came at the cost of losing the hotel in order to accommodate the new supermarket. The new building, council was told, would have an entrance off of Thomas Street, meaning a blank wall would be facing the village's main street. The opening of Another Season's Promise, penned by Citizen Publisher Keith Roulson and Anne Chislett, was set to headline the 12th season of the Blyth Festival. The production would begin with two preview performances on June 18 and 19 ahead of its June 20 premiere. The season would be rounded out with Drift, written by Rex Deverell, Gone to Glory, written by Suzanne Finlay, Lilly, Alta by Kenneth Dyba and Cake -Walk by Colleen Curran to finish out the season. Artistic Director Katherine Kaszas said it would be a "rich and exciting" season for the Festival. The Auburn Lions Club announced its plans to improve the Auburn ball park and West Wawanosh Township Council said it would be supporting the project. At the Feb. 4 meeting of council, members of the club told council they hoped to finish the recreation booth they started the previous year, while also completing some additional maintenance to the ball field. February 27, 2002 After spending seven years in municipal politics, first as a councillor and then as the reeve of the Town of Clinton, Carol Mitchell had set her sights on leading the Huron -Bruce Liberals in the next provincial election. Through her work in Clinton, Mitchell had also served two consecutive terms as the Warden of Huron County in both 1999 and 2000. In doing so, Mitchell became the first person to serve two terms in the position in over 100 years. Mitchell said that her experience as a self-employed business owner and then as a municipal councillor had prepared her for what it takes to run the riding. She listed healthcare, education, fanning and business as her points of focus. Members of the Blyth Greenway Committee were in the early stages of constructing a mini -museum that would run along the village's trail and throughout the village. As part of the ongoing Accommodation Review Committee (ARC) process, Robertson Memo- rial Public School in Goderich was saved from closure, while Seaforth District High School still found its name on the list of schools that could potentially be closed in the coming years.