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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1981-01-21, Page 3THE BRUSSELS POST, JANUARY 21, 1981 - 3 Behind the scenes by Keith Roulston A look to the south of us Trustees receive same allowance A new presidency begins this week in the U.S. How long will it be before it seems just like the old one? , The American people , voted overwhelmingly in November to turn out the government of Jimmy Carter, a government they saw as weak and ineffective. They looked to a return to, the glory days of the American past and voted in Ronald Reagan with his promises to clean up the whole mess. . . . The question now, is not whether or riot Reagan can bring it off, but how long it will oe before, the American people will turn against Ronald Reagan as they turned against Jimmy Carter and Gerry ,Ford before him. The sad reality will likely soon begin to set, in: despite Reagan's optimistic, rose- coloured dreams, America, today doesn't call the shots the Way it once did. Other people in, the world now haye some of the power, both militarily and econmically. Reagan has sold the American people a dream. Dreams die quickly , these days, particularly , when he comes to power as a man far from the darling of the media. Remember Richard Nixon? He too came to power despite, not because of, the media in the U.S. The media sat cooling,its heels for a long time but when the opportunity came with Watergate, they pinned Nixon to the wall. That's the way Nixon saw it of course but there is a lot of truth to it. Nixon was ont an honest man and ,deserved What he got. Yet how do you , reconcile the fact that the media-darling John Kennedy managed to have his less-than-model private life out of the press when apparently it was a poorly kept secret among those who knew him?, Jimmy Carter too came to office without the backing of the U.S. media. He, was a media event, of course the man from the south who grew peanuts, but he wasn't from the kind of background comfortable to the media. I remember hearing, the reporters comment about 'their doubts of Carter when he ,was being sworn in four years ago and knowing it was only a matter of time. The first misstep and the press will, jump on the man and from then on the downhill slide begins with every, defeat or goof getting big press, every victory getting little attention. We've, seen it in the U.S. with Lyndon Johnston, Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter and in Canada with , John Diefenbaker, Pierre 'Trudeau and Joe Clark. The press wants to be the king makers and king breakers. It's enough to make one sorry for Ronald Reagan. ***••• Listening to CTV's W5 television program the other nights you would think a grave danger was facing the U.S This.grave danger is in the form of the conservative religious lobby in that country, that openly backed Reagan in his election, and undertook to destory several liberal politcians who didn't believe what they, wanted them to believe. What struck me about the piece was its hysterical tone much the same kind of tone that once was heard by those who thought there was a Communist under every bed. Now I don't agree with many of the beliefs of the conservative group either but from the mouth of reporter Henry Champ the word "Morality" sounded almost like a dirty word. ' Trying to figure out who's liberal and who's conservative any more gives me a headache. We have liberals, for instance, who believe in free speech but want to ban groups like, the Ku Klux Klan from having their say, not matter how sick that say might be. We have religious conservatives who back the, gun lobby in the U.S. which says there should be no tougher gun, controls in the U.S. So we will continue to live with shocking statistics that more people die in the U.S. every year from gunshot wonds that dies in Vietman. And yet these same , religious conservatives, set out to destroy liberal politicians , who support abortion legislation. On the other hand, they, want to bring back the death peanity. On the other hand the liberals support gun controls and w,ant to stop the killing of criminals but see nothing wrong with the killing of millions of unborn babies every year. I find it all very confusing. * * * * * * * The futurists say the day will come when we, could, have instant democracy, where' the people could be asked hoW they feel about and specific issue and by pushing a button on their television controls send a message to their government. The greatest argument against this, I think, was shown this week by the, hostage settlement with Iran. If an instant vote could have been ,taken more than a year ago just after the hostages had been, taken I'm sure the majority of Americans would have voted for war. with Iran. At the very , least thousands of lives would have been lost by such action. At worst we might haye had an escalating action that would lead to a much bigger war. As it was a few ,men died in a rescue attempt and the hostages had to suffer imprisoment for more than a year but the only real damage done in the long term was to American pride. Better a little hurt pride than war. BY DAVE SYKES Huron County Board of'Education trustees will receive the same $300 monthly al- lowance this year following the adoption of a board member's allowance scale Monday. The motion to retain the same pay scale met with considerable opposition around the board table and passed by an 8-7 margin. While board members voted to maintain their allowance at the previous rate the motion included an increase for chairman Donald MacDonald. He had been receiving one-third more per month than other board members and that stipend was increased to one-half. McDonald's monthly allowance is now $450. Several board members indicated a willingness to raise the member's allowance claiming it hasn't changed in four years and has fallen victim to inflation. Others argued that board members know what they're getting into when seeking office. Tuckersmith-Clinton trustee Frank Falconer suggested the board increase the allowance by 10 per cent. "It's poor policy to accept the same thing," he said. "If trustees were paid $300 for rubber stamping they're worth 10 per cent more for a voice." Murray Mulvey echoed Falconer's senti- ments adding ,that if a trustee's re- muneration increased at half the pace of inflation, they would be earning $400 per mbnth. In consideration of the number of meetings attended by the board chairman, Mulvey suggested his allowance be in- creased to $500 per month. Trustee. Bert Morin also favored an allowance increase in view of the number of meetings attended by trustees. Some . trustees, he maintained, were underpaid. "For five years we set the example here with no increase. The last example was for the intent of the press to pick up and aid and abet but they buried it," he said. "The aim was not achieved. We are not overpaid and there are voices on this board and not rubber stampers." Vice-chairman Morin wanted the trustee's allowance raised to $350 monthly while the vice-chairman and chairman would recieve $400, and $525 respectively . Trustee Jean Adams told the board it could set a good example by keeping the same allowance but Morin countered that nobody seems to care if the board sets a good example. Dorothy Wallace told trustees they were familiar with the pay scale when they made their decision to run. "If they didn't think the pay was adequate they didn't need to run." she said. "Where is our sense of public service? This is not time to raise salaries because trustees don't have to be here if they don't want to." Trustee Eugene Frayne said the bickering over allowances was not impressing anyone and that the public must be made aware that, education costs will continue to rise. "Trustees must change their attitude and' tell the public it will cost more each year for education," he said. "We're talking pennies here and not nickels and dimes. There are days when I have to debate losing $3000 by going to the board meeting or $300 by not going. I knew that when I ran for the job but $350 is not out of line." The motion to retain the allowance structure with the exception of the chairman was passed in a recorded vote. Jean Adams, John Goddard, J. Jewitt, Clarende McDonald, Donald McDonald, Joan Van Den Broeck, Dorothy Wallace. and Marion Zinn voted in favor of retaining the pay structure. Trustees Frank Falconer, Harry Hayter, Eugene Frayne, Bert Morin, Murray Mulvey, R.K. Peck and Dennis Rau voted against the motion. fall with lite beef club, leaders serving on the committee to work out the details such as time and date. Perth County 4-H, mem- bers will be asked to consider affiliating with Huron mem- bers for the sale. Ethel loins Grey Continued from page 1 severe in spite of kindness, discouragement and imposs- bilities. Mr. ,Pullen spoke of the need to get alting with all sorts of people which is a sign of maturity. He said maturity n volves. willing- ness to listen and loolc, knowing what is , real or illusionary, ability to discrim- inate to, choose. He told the leaders the meeting is a chance to up- date and to look ahead. Paul Steckle,, Stanley Township reeve, commended , the leaders for giving a lot of time,to the young people and in co-ordinating community activities. He said not many people , are, afforded the chance to be born and able to live in Huron Couty- a heri- tage that can't , be fully measured - the only truly agriculture county in the province. During the business meet- ing it was agreed to have a 4-H beef show and sale in the 4-H ,exchanges for 1981 may possibly be with 4-H members in Huron County in Michigan, who have ex- pressed, an interest in this, and als,o with another pro- vince possibly Manitoba. --- Snow