HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1986-04-16, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1986.
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Might is right
It came as a horrible shock to Canadians in general and the
federal government in particular to learn last week that a lot of
Americans aren't very happy about the prospect of free trade
with Canada.
The U.S. congressional committee in charge indicated it may
not go along with President Reagan's desire to open free trade
talks with Canada. They're upset with Canadian imports of
lumber and potatoes and hogs which they feel are unfairly
subsidized.
But the real fact is that the Americans are out to use any lever
they can to get a better deal for themselves. Prime Minister
Mulroney may talk about wanting fairer trade but few
Americans use the term except as a way of trying t� win their
point:
Ontario Corn Producers recently heard from a U.S. official
who answered Canadian farmers' concerns about massive aid
to American farmers in the new U.S. Farm Bill by warning
Canadians not to try to retaliate with countervailing duties or
there would be trouble.
"The whole integrity of the Congress is behind us," said
Allan Tank, a representative of the American National Corn
Growers Association warning Canadian growers. "Anyone
who wants to get into this war is certainly welcome."
What Mr. Mulroney and others forget is that while Mr.
Reagan may be a believer in free trade, Americans in general
are in a very agressive mood. They feel they've been kicked
around too long and that goes for other countries who better
them in trade as much as it does Libyan terrorist raids.
Mr. Regan has whipped up American nationalism to take on
the Reds whether in Russia or Nicaragua. He has sicked his
navy bombers on the "mad dog" in Libya.
Americans have an attitude of having the "right" to be the
winners. They aren't too worried about being "fair".
Thanks to the writers
There's a big gap in our paper this week now that the hockey
season has finally ended and ball season hasn't yet begun.
One of the areas we were most happy with in our newspaper
in the last few months has been the sports coverage. The
coverage hasn't been as complete as we would have liked it to be
in the Blyth and Belgrave areas but we did have one of the
liveliest sports sections around.
That was no credit to the editor but to the hard working sports
writers out there who did a super job. Special thanks for
coverage in the Brussels area goes, of course, to Lois McArter
who made sure j ust about anything that wore hockey skates got
reported in the Citizen. But thanks goes too to the people who
provided the information to Lois. Special thanks goes to Rusty
Blades in Blyth who helped give real personality to the sport
pages .
Next hurdle for The Citizen is to find people who will give us
top flight coverage in sports over the summer months. The
challenge is even bigger because there are softball programs in
all the smaller centres we cover as well.
We want to give the best coverage we can but we need your
help. If you area coach or parent, make sure we get a short
acount of your team's activities. If we get your help maybe we
can meet the challenge to make the summer sports pages just as
interesting as Lois and Rusty and all the others have made the
winter sports pages.
Why we need elections
The current mess in Brussels council (it would be nice to think
it's a past mess) is another example of just why we need
elections.
Certainly there is no guarantee that even if there had been an
election in Brussels last fall the village wouldn't have the same
conflicting personalities leading to the same split in council, but
at least people would have had a chance to choose for
themselves. As it is this council happened as much by accident
as anything else.
It doesn't matter which side of the split you side with, one has
to agree that having two factions on council that can agree on
little more than what time to set the next council meeting for, is
not a healthy situation.
When there is an election, the voters at least get a chance to
look at the potential councillors, see who might lean in this
direction or that, see if there might be conflicts of personalities
and then make a choice. The result might make no difference
but at least people would have had a chance to have their say.
Let's hope that when election tine r )11s around in 4988 (and
let's hope not before), more people will offer themselves for
council and offer a real choice.
21,
U [dhe world view
from Mabel's Grill
There are people who will tell
you that the important decisions in
town are made down at the town
hall. People in the know, however
know that the real debates, the real
wisdom reside down at Mabel's
Grill where the greatest minds in
the town (if not in the country)
gather for morning coffee break,
otherwise known as the Round
Table Debating and Filibustering
Society. Since notjusteveryone
can partake of these deliberations
we will report the activities from
time to time.
MONDAY: Julia Flint said she was
reading in the paper that it now
costs $300,000 to raise a kid from
the time he's born until the time
he's finished university.
Put that together with the fact
that hundreds of kids get kidnapp-
ed never to be returned and the
kidnappers must sure be pretty
stupid, she figures.
Tim O'Grady says there are
people who are even worse.
Imagine the people who hire
lawyers to go to court at great
expense to fight over the custody of
children when it means if you win
you get to pay out all that money, he
said.
News briefs
from Blyth
council
Council said at its meeting last
week there there are no regulations
to affect the operation of an arcade
in the location now occupied by
"the Kitchen Cupboard". Mrs.
Pat Lucas had asked if there were
any licences required. Although
council did not have any regula-
tions to cover the facility, it did
express concern about the hours
the arcade might keep and about
the amount of money some young
people might be tempted to spend
in such an establishment.
A report from the Ministry of the
Environment informed council
that tests on the two village wells
showed one of the wells with a
higher than recommended level of
iron. Clerk Larry Walsh said that
the PUC felt one of the causes could
be that the well in question hadn't
been used for a week and the
concentration may have been
higher than normal. Normally
pumping is switched between the
two wells every two or three days.
WEDNESDAY: Billie Bean said he
was down in the big city the other
night and people were lined up
around the block for tickets to
Wrestelmania. Everybody was
paying big bucks to watch Hulk
Letter to the editor
Hogan put the boots to King Kong
Bundy, etc.
"Who needs to go that far for
excitement," Ward Black wonder-
ed. "We can just go to Brussels and
watch their council meetings and
its free."
Writer supports pool
THE EDITOR:
As a citizen and taxpayer of the
Township of Grey I was greatly
disturbed by the report of the
Brussels council meeting in the
April 9, 1986 edition of The Citizen.
I felt it necessary to reply to some of
these statements and opinions.
The Brussels Lions Club has
pledged to pay for the full cost of
the pool, including interest. Do
councillors Workman and Jacobs
doubt the word and the integrity of
the Brussels Lions Club?
Brussels is not stuck, as Mr.
Workman states, backing the pool
committee. Itis a joint venture
under the Recreation Committee
which consists of the three munici-
palities of Brussels, Grey and
Morris. Each municipality contri-
butes to the Recreation fund.
Councillor Workman repeatedly
says that he is not against the pool.
If this is true, then why does he
continue at every opportunity to
thwart the successful completion
of this project? Is councillor
Workman trying to brainwash (a
term he has used very lightly) the
people of Brussels with half truths
and innuendo.
When the present council was
elected the pool project had
already been approved. Itis the
responsibility of this council to
uphold that commitment just as the
Lions Club must uphold theirs. If
the word of the Brussels Council is
no good from one year to the next
then who will want to do business
with them? There is a serious
question of credibility at stake
here.
I would like to point out to Mr.
Jacobs that this project will bring
five new jobs with it. These
positions will be filled by young
people, an age group that desper-
ately needs more jobs. The village
will also benefit through the sale of
its water and hydro, etc. Lastly,
you can not convince me that
mothers bringing children in for
lessons will not stop and do some
shopping here.
No one is giving any money
away. The Recreation Committee
has been alloted funds from each of
the three municipalities. Under
Recreation's budget the pool will
be allowed a certain amount of
'money as will the arena, minor
hockey, baseball, figure skating
Continued on page 5
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