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The Citizen, 1990-04-25, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 1990. Wrong way Bradley It’s ironic that just days before the environment got its highest ever profile in Earth Day celebrations around the world, Ontario Environment Minister Jim Bradley made a decision that is a giant step backward in the attempt to improve the environment. Much to the disappointment of area politicians and those in charge of recycling programs, Mr. Bradley last week announced he would relax the regulations that said soft drink bottling companies had to put at least one third of their product in returnable bottles. Now the companies will be able to use more cans and non-returnable bottles, putting an even heavier load into the landfill sites. The move is directly opposite to what municipalities have been pushing for. They have been saying the government should be doing more to reduce the amount of waste created by industry by banning excessive packaging. Reusable containers have been looked at as a step in the right direction. Environmentalists and local politicians have wanted more, not less returnable containers. Municipalities have also been pressing Mr. Bradley to find new markets for recycled glass and other goods because the oversupply of recyclables has meant it’s often impossible to get rid of the materials so carefully gathered. Mr. Bradley hasn’t answered those concerns and instead has assured there will be even more glass to recycle. Mr. Bradley had a reputation of being one of the toughest environmental ministers around but that reputation has been taking a beating of late. First there was the Hagersville tire fire which some critics said he should have anticipated and prevented. Whether he could have prevented the tire catastrophe or not, it’s obvious this pop bottle decision is directly in his hands and he must bear the responsibility. It’s a disturbing move backward. If this is a sign of things to come from Mr. Bradley, perhaps it’s time he took early retirement from the ministry and got someone else to do the job who could see that prevention of waste is the most important way to solve our current crisis. "Round and "round The decision of the Bank of Canada to raise interest rates again last week in an attempt to battle inflation shows just how desperate the situation is economically in Canada these days. For John Crow the governor of the Bank of Canada, the goal seems simple: there is only one enemy, inflation. For ordinary Canadians and the government, however, the situation is very complicated. Mr. Crow is worried about inflation but what many economists and business leaders blame inflation on is excessive government spending. The problem is the federal government’s spending increases have almost all been to cover interest on the national debt. The more Mr. Crow raises interest rates, the more tax money the government must get to cover its costs of borrowing. Mr. Crow thinks the Canadian economy is too strong, causing inflation so he wants to cool it out with high interest to stop borrowing. He is so fixated on prices in the “golden horseshoe”, however, that he fails to see that the economy in the rest of the country is so cool it’s almost stone-cold dead. Talk to farmers in Huron county about their plans for the next year and see how much Mr. Crow has to worry about over-borrowing. At the same time as Canada is supposed to be taking advantage of the expanded markets of free trade, Canadian companies that should be retooling have to face the fact they have to pay interest rates several percentages higher than their competitors in the U.S. At the same time the high interest rates are driving up the Canadian dollar making it harder for our companies to compete abroad. The higher the dollar, the higher the interest rates for our businesses, the less we trade, the less money the country brings in compared to what it spends on imports. The deficit in trade only undermines the economy further. We’re in a vicious circle here and there’s no breaking out of it in sight. Next year the federal government will institute a new tax to try to help offset the national deficit but in itself it will increase inflation and that will likely mean Mr. Crow will turn the interest rate screws even higher on the country. In the meantime he and Finance Minister Michael Wilson warn people not to ask for greater wage settlements or they’ll just make the problem worse. Yet faced with higher interest payments on their houses, how can ordinary Canadians afford not to get wage increases? No one wants to return to the days of 20 per cent inflation we had a decade ago but one wonders if Mr. Crow’s cure isn’t worse than the disease. A slight miscalculation and he could send this country into a depression that, combined with our open borders from free trade, could leave this country in a vulnerable position it would take years to recover from. Maybe our government should be questioning if it’s worth the risk Mr. Crow is taking with all our lives. Here’s looking at you 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 So­ ciety. Since notjust everyone can partake of these deliberations we will report the activities from time to time. MONDAY: It was hard finding a table for the Round Table Debating and Fillibustering Society this morning. Mabel was doing a roaring business with all the fami­ lies that got the Easter Monday off work coming in for a late breakfast. This did not make the members of the Society pleased. They are used to getting their regular table by the window so they can watch the world go by and make suitable observations on same. So this morning, tucked away in a cramped corner at the back most of the observations dealt with the fact that they were working while other people were getting the day off. “You ever notice the people who argue most that their job is so important they ought to get paid more are also the ones who figure they can shut the whole thing down for an extra holiday?” Hank Stokes commented. “Yeh,” said Ward Black, “and they’re almost always civil servants too.” “I don’t mind so much that they make more money than me even though I pay their salaries with my taxes and I don’t mind they work shorter hours than I do but when they rub my face in it when they have an extra day off I find it a bit hard to take,” Julia Flint grouched. But Mabel put them in their places. “At least these guys spend real money” she said as she hurried past on her way to the kitchen for more bacon and eggs. “They’re not like you lot that sits here for half an hour not buying more than a cup of coffee and a free refill.” “Sure,” shot back Hank, “They’re the only ones that can* afford to eat at these prices.” TUESDAY: It’s typical, says Billie Bean, that a Canadian has to go to some other country to get famous with his invention. He was talking about the Canadian that got him­ self killed in Belgium a few weeks back and is on the front pages because he invented some huge gun they think Iraq is trying to build. Why can’t Canadians never Continued on page 26 The Citizen P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 Phone 523-4792 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 The Citizen is published weekly in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $19.00/yr. [$40.00 Foreign]. Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, only that portion of the advertisment will be credited. Advertising Deadlines: Monday, 2 p.m. - Brussels; Monday, 4 p.m. - Blyth We are not responsible for unsolicited newscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright. Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. Editor & Publisher, Keith Roulston Advertising Manager, Dave Williams Production Manager, Jill Roulston Second Class Mail Registration No. 6968