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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1973-05-02, Page 2People power played a major role in the decision of the Davis govern- ment to back down from its intention to apply a 7% sales tax on heat and light. Facing a revolt by his supporters in the legislature and outspoken criticism by members of his cabinet coupled with wide public disapproval of the measure, the premier had ,little alternative but to make the best of a poor 'deal . It was another humbling experience for the Big Blue Machine and provided the name of an- other minister to add to those who in recent months had by their actions indicated lack of judgment. Provincial Treasurer John White's decision to remove the energy tax from his budget legislation, of course, in no way affects his integ- rity. It does however, reduce his credibility in the eyes of the public who cannot help but wonder how a person charged with responsibility for the fiscal affairS of the prov- ince could' recommend a measure that had within it inequities that bore most heavily on those of lower in- come and which would in the eyes of municipal officials become an admin- istrative nightmare for those charged with its application. What made the proposal even more astounding was the indication that little or no con- sideration had been given by the premier or other ministers to impli- cations it held in increased costs for government controlled facilities such 'as schools and hospitals. Des- pite the hundreds of thousands of dollars involved nobody either in cabinet or in the vast Tory bureauc- racy at Queen's Park appears to have given this a thought. As far as the government is con- cerned the uproar on the energy tax has blunted criticism of the 40% in- crease in' the existing sales tax which the budget also provided. As a result little, consideration has beer) given to the extravagances which have contributed to the government's desperate search for more revenue. "Visiting nurses Association`? Could you. lining pitohot of water' to 1\liedidal 116Spital?" -Serving Brussels and the surrounding .community published , each Wednesday afternoon at Brussels, Ontario by McLean Bros. Publishers, Limited. Evelyn Kennedy - Editor Toth Haley - Advertising, Member Canadian Community Newspaper Association and Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association. Subscriptions (in advance) Canada $4.00 a year, others $5.00 a year, Single Copies 10 cents each. Second class mail Registration No. 0562. Telephone 887-5641. There was no alternative Sugar and Spice By Bill Smiley 40. People will put up.witli almost anything, as long as they are left in peace. They'll take an incredible amount of being puStied, around without doing more than grumble. But there comes a point when, all the frustrations, the cheatings, the ullying, merge under some catalyst and the great public heart bells over with rage and humiliation. .When it does, heads roll. This is just a little advanCe notice to some of our. Various governments, so that any of their mandarins who want to take to the hills on the day of reckoning can get their bags packed and pick out the par- ticular hills they want to take to. . In the French Revolution, the Bastille_ was the symbol of authority and repres- sion. The people stormed it and took it. The American Revoltition, or The War of Independence, as our friends to the south prefer, also began with a symbol - chests of tea. A large number of these were durnped into Boston harbour in a protest that has resulted in the peculiar way in which the people of 'Boston haVe spoken ever since. DV both cases, the revolutions were produced by the same basic factor - excessive taxation. In the case of the French, the taxation produced extreme poverty and hunger. With the Yanks, it produced violent anger. In the One case, the result was the loss of a head for A. great Many people who had the same qUaritity of brains before the operation as they had after it. In the other, the result Was the loss of a halftOntinent Of incredible riChes. Both events in hike*/ brought their atiVantages, of course. Without the French effOrt, which spawned Napoleon, we • wouldn't have had the Napoleonic Wars and the, Retreat from .MOSCOW, and where would our history teachers Without the ArneridatiRevOlutien, Wea., tern thritUre. would have been infinitely poorer.. What Other nation would have had the initiative and gumption to develop trientinietitat achievements as Hollywood and the hambutget? You may think this excursion into: history' has rid point. . the more titS- cerhing readers of this column know that Smiley is, getting somewhere, in his own laborious way. And 'the Most discerning readers are chuckling, tq'll bet he. just ' blade Otit'lliS interne tax.'" The WWI' are right, Of course. And 'as I sat there, -SUrribtirided by, papers,` Wok: at heart when I teallted What puny amount a year of hard' labour had ooduned._ I had only one thought} 4,when is the great Canidian going to start?" Then came other thoughts. What symbol shall we attack? Do they need anyone to lead the attacks on the barri- cades? Which of the dastards will I personally gun down? • I have news for those in power. I'm not kidding. If you &nil get it with bullets, you'll get it with ballots. You can rub our faces in it only so long, and . then the hand that robs the cradle, along with everything else ',that can be robbed, is going to be bitten. To ihe bone. Our national Liberal party, supreme in its power, arrogance and scorn, should have learned a lesson. It is still bleeding. In province after province, the people have had their say, and have tossed out the old guard. Ontario is one of the few that have survived. Here's a prediction. Check it later. I've never been wrong. Premier William Davis, the most unimpressive politician I've ever heard", and that ranks from .deputyre.eves up, is in for a big fat fall, along with his party. Why? It's obviouS, from the recent Ontario budget. The party has lost touch with reality. And that's death in politics. An example? The 'tax on energy soUreeS. It's not ,going to hurt me. I can afford it.' Its not going to hurt anybody except all those people who can ,already barely meet their fuel and elec- tricity bills. Tel the 1113thries, wack iton cigaret- WS and liquor and fur coats and there'll be some grumbling. But stick a tax on light and heat, necessities in thiSC11Mate, and you are accepting the political kisS, of death. We. Shall not forget; at eleCtion time. It's 'the trieSt stupid single tax that I have ever encountered, and that 18 'a big statement.ee It hits the little guy, the else who iS scrimping Make ends meet. elderly, those on Welfare', and everybody gPitibOett My wife asked nie, as I paced a hole in the rugy, grinding My teeth! "What do, we get for All thia income tax we pay?'' ' It was atypicalWOrtiari'S question, right on the nose. 'Vet :the life &the, I couldn't give her an answer that Made sense. there's the Atined Forces‘" ,Protecting us against Iceland. '•gitqt, there are the Salaties and dike§ and staff of parliattiento" 146411d:fie more takeS., 'And fuh) you know, welfare and di icebreakers and uh, toyal commissions 'and :ilk well,, stuff like that.io Auk harridacieSt MeS toniatideSt w F