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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1986-09-17, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1986. Election reform mistakes 1 he Advisory Committee on Municipal elections released its report called “Issues and Options: An Interim Report on Municipal Elections in Ontario’’ recently. It’s either a huge success or a failure depending on your priorities. If the aim of the committee is to save money in elections, then its recommendations will do what they are intended to do. If the idea is to promote democracy, the committee is a failure, particularly for smaller municipalities. Two of the committee’s recommendations in particular will strike hard at smaller municipalities. In one, the committee recommends there be a deposit for all candidates seeking election. The $100 deposit would be refundable for anyone receiving more than 20 per cent of the total votes cast. The second recommendation is that the minimum number of electors needed to sign nomination papers be increased from 10 to 50. Now frivolous candidates may be a problem in Toronto where co-chairman Anne Johnston was a prominent politician for years, but for those of us outside the big cities, the problem is getting any candidates at all. Throwing new roadblocks in the way of potential candidates will only hinder the process of democracy. As one Blyth councillor remarked last week, he had enough trouble getting 10 signatures with his busy schedule without having to find 50. The number of municipal councils being put in by acclamation or even having to re-open nominations in order to fill the slate in last November’s elections was truly distressing. These rules can only make the problem worse. It seems to be once again a problem of the provincial government trying to solve problems in big city politics and doing so by imposing unacceptable rules on rural municipalities as well. The last reform of municipal elections brought in the three-year term in municipal politics. With the cost of elections in the cities it was a welcome move for both the city politicians and the taxpayer who had to pick up the election costs. But many rural councillors feel the new longer term is directly responsible for the reluctance of many people to stand for election. Three years is just too long for people to commit their spare time in rural areas. In the cities, being a municipal politician is a full-time job with pay to match. In rural areas, serving on local councils is still more a civic duty, even though remuneration has increased greatly in the last two decades. Here’s hoping our local politicians, both municipal and the two local members of cabinet, will kill these proposals quickly or we might as well write off democracy in rural politics. Who's subsidizing whom Subsidies to farmers are often whipping boys to urban economists, politicians, consumer activists; at least until alternatives to subsidies start to hurt those urban groups. Such was proven the case again with the proposal to increase the domestic price for wheat by $3 a bushel in order to help keep Canadian wheat farmers in business. The proposal came from a House of Commons committee and quickly gained support of many farmers but enactment of the proposal has been fought so hard by manufacturers and has been so long delayed that even supporters admit it’s unlikely to happen. Such an increase would have put $200 million in the pockets of Canadian farmers. The increase in the price of wheat in a loaf of bread would have been seven cents. But manufacturers argued that by the time the millers and bakers and retailers all increased their margins to guarantee a profit on their added costs, the price would have increased by 15 cents a loaf. Heading the fight against the increase has been George Fleischmann, president of the Grocery Products Manufactur­ ers of Canada who argues that instead of increasing the price of wheat, Canada should be decreasing it. Canadian pasta manufacturers argue that with a lower export price than domestic price, Italian pasta manufacturers would be able to import Canadian wheat, mill and manufacture it and send it back to Canada at prices under those that Canadian companies can offer. Other manufacturers warn that U. S. baked goods could flood Canada and cost 2,700 million jobs. It’s interesting that there is a double standard here. Millers and manufacturers argue that they can ’ t j ust pass along a seven per cent increase in costs as a seven per cent increase in the price of finished product because they must build in a profit margin yet they don’t seem concerned that farmers aren’t allowed to do the same thing. Apparently farmers are supposed to go on producing wheat at below cost just to keep the baking industry profitable. But Mr. Fleischmann proposes a solution: have the Farm Credit Corporation advance $1 billion in interest free loans to farmers. The loss in interest would then be a subsidy to farmers, a subsidy people like Mr. Fleischmann would sometime in the future deplore. In addition, the farmers would somehow have to pay this back in future. In other words, farmers would be going in debt in order to keep the baking industry in good shape. If there is to be a subsidy, why don’t we put it where it belongs. Pay the farmers their real cost of production instead and give the millers and bakers the subsidized loans. Then it will be the industry that has to suffer the slings and,arrows. of .... people who deplore subsidies, instead of the farmers. Fences of time Letters to the editor Kids should do own work TO THE EDITOR: Last Wednesday, September 10, I attended the Belgrave, Blyth and Brussels School Fair in Belgrave and was extremely disappointed. It appeared obvious to me, and many others I talked with, that many of the children’s exhibits done at home were NOT done by the child but by their parents. In fact, one child came right out and said his first prize poster was done by his mother, not him. I feel this is very unfair to the children who are made to do the craft themselves. The entry tag which the parent, guardian or teacher signs says “I hereby certify that this exhibit was prepared by the exhibitor”...etc. Must we teach our children that to get anywhere in life we have to cheat or be dishonest? The school fair is for Parents must help OPEN LETTER TO PARENTS: Welcome to the 1986-87 season for Blyth Minor Hockey and Ringette. As you know all minor sports here are community-fund­ ed. Again this year we are challenged by rising costs. We struggle to keep registration fees reasonable, as we feel that any child should be able to participate regardless of family income. How­ ever the registration barely covers half of the cost of one player in Hockey and Ringette. Working together with support Continaed on page 25 children to show their OWN exhibits to the parents. One concerned mother suggest­ ed to me that maybe the judges should give the prizes to the six most poorly presented exhibits for a couple of years and then maybe parents would stop doing the exhibits for the children. I feel that ALL arts and crafts should be done at school, then they would know the exhibits were done by the child and could be judged fairly. That way my six-year-old daughter or five- year-old son, and other children who do their own crafts, would not have to compete with adults. Last year, I also watched the school children walk from the church to the arena. I thought they were supposed to march! Instead they walked, slouched, dragged their feet and couldn’t even walk in astraightline together. When I was in school, we took pride in the “march”. We dressed for it (dark skirt, white blouse, etc.) and spent time learning to march together, as a school, so we could show parents and spectators how proud we were of our school. In my opinion, this is what made the “march” worth watching. I hope maybe another year we could have exhibits done fairly and just a little more school spirit put back into the Belgrave, Blyth, and Brussels School Fair. MERRILYN BLACK, BLYTH. [640523Ontario Inc.] Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. Published weekly in Brussels, Ontario P.O.Box 152 P.O.Box429, Brussels, Ont. Blyth, Ont. NOG 1H0 N0M1H0 887-9114 523-4792 Subscription price: $15.00; $35.00 foreign. Advertising and news deadline: Monday 2p.m. in Brussels; 4p.m. in Blyth Editor and Publisher: Keith Roulston Advertising Manager: Beverley A. Brown Production and Office Manager: Jill Roulston Second Class Mail Registration No. 6968