HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-02-17, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2011.
Writer upset over government form letter
Central Huron enlists YMCA for new centre
THE EDITOR,
If you are a supporter of the CBC,
you may have recently signed a
petition or two protesting the
musings of our Heritage Minister,
Dean Del Maestro, wondering if it
was not time to get out of public
broadcasting. Then, you probably
received a letter, ostensibly from
your Member of Parliament assuring
you that the Federal Government has
no intention of cutting the CBC
loose.
As I read the letter, supposedly
from my MP Ben Lobb, I began to
suspect that it did not emanate from
his office, nor was the content his
work. Apparently we all got the
same letter and it actually came from
the Prime Minister’s office.
So, I spoke to friends, political
people in the know, well-informed
acquaintances and this is what I
found out.
Mr. Lobb tells us that “In the last
election the Federal Government
made specific promises to either
maintain or increase funding to the
CBC and we have delivered. In fact
our Conservative Government has
increased support to CBC in every
one of our budgets.”
What actually happened was that
during the recession, according to
the Federal Government’s own
estimates, total spending on the CBC
was reduced by about $63 million in
the 2009-10 fiscal year.
Lobb’s letter read, “By
comparison the last Liberal
Government delivered $414 million
in budget cuts to the CBC,
amounting to 4,000 jobs lost.”
That much is true. If you go to
www.friends.ca/fact-sheet/252, you
will see a chart that clearly outlines
the drop in funding during the years
that Jean Chrétien was Prime
Minister.
Then the letter continues with “I
would also point out that the NDP
has voted against funding for the
CBC every year we have been in
office.”
The Friends of the CBC refute that
claim and point out that, “The
comment about the NDP is
misleading because what the NDP
did was vote against the budget.
They were no more voting against
‘funding for the CBC’ than they
were against old age pensions or the
Governor General’s salary.”
I am disgusted.
I am disgusted by the spins on the
truth that are in this letter. I am
disgusted by the fact that every time
I write to my Member of Parliament
I receive a form letter in return. I
have requested several times that Mr.
Lobb answer the issues I address but
all I get is the same carefully
formulated release from the Prime
Minister. Whether or not I helped
elect Mr. Lobb, he is meant to
represent me as one of his
constituents.
The final paragraph of the letter is
also insulting in its insincerity,
“Thank you again for taking the time
to write.”
Well, I will probably write again,
knowing full well that I will once
again be answered by a generic
response. But, the most meaningful
letter I will write will be the letter
“X” on the election ballot beside the
non-Conservative candidate of my
choice.
Yours sincerely,
Annette Lindsay, Wingham.
At the Feb. 7 meeting of Central
Huron Council, councillors
approved the YMCA taking over
control of the fitness centre and
walking track at the new Central
Huron Community Complex.
Discussion on the topic occurred
earlier in the evening at a strategic
planning meeting.
It had been decided, however, that
the YMCA, which would technically
be working for the municipality,
would make an effort not to overlap
with other community fitness
centres in an attempt to undercut
their business. Yoga and step
aerobics were specific areas of
concern when it came to duplication
of services.While the term of the agreementhad not been decided, arepresentative from the YMCA said
that typical contracts with the
YMCA are for periods of three to
five years. There is, however, an
emergency exit clause that could be
exercised by either side, should there
be dissatisfaction in how the centre
was being run.
Councillor Dan Colquhoun had
concerns over the wages that would
be paid out to YMCA employees in
the fitness centre. He said that
because of union contractual
obligations, employees would stand
to earn a wage he felt was too high.
He said that Central Huron could
run the centre itself, hire employees
on contract and wages would then be
lower because a union wouldn’t beinvolved.Chief Administrative OfficerKevin McLlwain said that there are
certain rules governing such a
process in order to prevent
employers from circumventing a
union.
McLlwain said there are several
differences between contract
employees who would be hired to
run the centre and the company that
will be contracted to run the centre’s
food booth, which was the example
Colquhoun used.
McLlwain said that once a “one-
on-one” relationship is established,
the employer/employee relationship
has technically been formed and the
employee would now fall under the
municipal union umbrella as a
municipal employee.Colquhoun said that the provincialgovernment operates on a differentsystem and that he didn’t understand
why the contract system couldn’t be
implemented.
McLlwain said there were several
factors at play that changed the
situation. He said that if the
contracted employees only worked
for Central Huron (in that they did
not provide a similar service
to anyone else) that would
complicate the employer-employee
relationship.
He said that examples given by
Colquhoun such as the food booth,
maintenence and road work, all cited
employees or companies who
provided the services they provide to
Central Huron to other
municipalities as well.He also cited animal controlofficer Bob Trick as an example. Heworks on contract for the
municipality, but also provides a
similar service to several other
municipalities, including Huron
County itself.
Councillor Allison Lobb backed
McLlwain up, saying that there are
strict guidelines covering such
situations and if they were
circumvented, the municipality
would be liable.
In addition to the operation of the
fitness centre, the walking track will
also be overseen by YMCA staff.
The track will be provided to the
public free of charge and will be
policed and controlled by the
YMCA.
THE EDITOR,
I am writing in response to the
editorial entitled “The High Cost of
Conservation” that appeared in the
Feb. 10 issue of The Citizen.
I agree conserving energy is a key
to future availability of electricity. I
don’t agree, however, that the
reasons the government raised the
prices was to encourage
conservation. I also don’t believe
that paying for hydro through the
teeth now will mean paying/using
less in the future.
The price of electricity went up
because the government is selling it
for less than they pay for it. The
price went up because of the grants
that were given to the solar and
wind farms. The price went up
because the municipal hydro
companies had to pay for the smart
meters and all the technology to run
them.
How is paying more for
something that is quickly turning
into an unreliable source of energy
benefitting anyone? How is scaling
back production of a cheaper green
source of hydro (Niagara Falls) and
keeping wind production going
benefitting anyone? How are
businesses supposed to conserve
when they only operate during
peak hours? Do you really think
that there ever will be enough
solar and wind farms to replace
nuclear?
Are we really ready to tell the 80-
year-old, fixed-income earner to put
on another sweater to conserve
energy? Sure we can turn the
dishwasher on after 10 p.m., but
who eats, showers, shops and works
after that?
Beth Crawford, Brussels.
Letters to the Editor
Looking for local heroes
There are so many people out there who do
so much to improve their community.
Now you have a chance to say thanks.
Nominate that special person for the 26th
Annual Citizen Citizenship Awards.
Each year a committee chooses an outstanding citizen from each of the Blyth and area
and Brussels and area communities to receive an award for contribution to the
community. If you know someone you think should be honoured, please fill in the ballot
and send it in. You may attach a longer explanation of why you think your nominee
should win, if you like. If you have nominated someone before and he or she didn't win,
please feel free to try again.
I nominate
as Citizen of the year for
I feel she/he deserves this award because
Nomination Deadline April 30, 2011.
Name and phone number of nominator
❑Blyth
& area ❑Brussels
& area
By Shawn LoughlinThe Citizen
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