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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1990-09-05, Page 13THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1990. PAGE 13. Candidates argue over education spending Continued from page 1 money through reforming the tax system. Putting the percentage back to 60 per cent would cost $1.5 billion across the province of which $1 billion would be raised in a new minimum tax on profitable corpor­ ations. Libertarian Allan Dettweiler wants to see the provincial govern­ ment out of school funding, letting local boards of education raise their own taxes and set their own curriculum. Until this can be accomplished, he said, the pro­ vince should pay for all education costs. Jim Fitzgerald for the Liberals defended the Liberal record on school funding. He said the pro­ vince pays for 56.9 per cent of all approved board expenditures, in­ including teachers’ pensions and had increased spending on educa­ tion by 66 per cent. Spending on education had increased 8.7 per cent in the last year, he said. “I’m Candidates discuss tax alternatives Continued from page 12 payers, as part of our platform, that we will eliminate grants, subsidies and giveaways to everyone. If and when a Libertarian government is elected we will be responsible. We <• know that taxation is theft, afterall, we as taxpayers do not like paying taxes, nor do we wish for govern­ ments to use our money in all the ways they do. With Libertarian policies, we know that we can reduce taxes and begin to eliminate Ontario’s debt. FITZGERALD - Ontario, under a Liberal government of the past five years, has enjoyed improvements in health care, education reform, and environmental clean-up, to mention only a few, and delivered two balanced budgets in a row, the first in 20 years! Under competent and prudent government, we can do all the things necessary for a great society, while at the same time showing fiscal restraint. KLOPP - The NDP have set up a clear agenda for the people. It is a fair tax plan. We need a minimum corporate tax in this province. It is unfair when large companies (friends of Tories and Liberals) pay no tax on their profit because of loopholes. It would raise approximately $1 billion in revenue. On the other side, families living below the poverty line would not pay provin­ cial income tax. This would put $200 million dollars back into the hands of the people. We would re-instate the succes- t^llgth council hires engineer Blyth village councillors agreed Aug. 28 to move toward renovation of the north wing of Memorial Hall into a new library location by hiring an engineer to recommend what structural changes are needed. Councillors agreed to hire Mait­ land Engineering to look at the changes required to remove a supporting wall in what was form­ erly the box office and art gallery of the Blyth Festival. The hiring is contingent on reaching an agree­ ment with the Blyth Festival for the village to use the entire lower floor of the wing. There had been some disagreement on just how much of the floor the village would take over with the theatre wanting to retain one of the rooms for a stage management office and County Librarian Beth Ross insisting if the whole floor wasn’t included it wasn’t worth the move. After a tour of the Festival facilities with board members Aug. 13 councillors felt convinced we have one of the best education systems in the world and intend to keep it that way.’’ Mr. Klopp disputed some of the figures. The 8.7 per cent increase was really only four per cent once inflation was taken out, he said. Meanwhile extra costs for such things as reducing class sizes are increasing education taxes faster than the cost of living. He claimed the real portion of education costs paid by the province has been reduced to 40 per cent this year after being 45 per cent in 1987. “It makes me really mad when at election time the other parties say they will go back to 66 per cent funding’’ then forget the promise when the election is over. One questioner asked how can­ didates felt about a voucher system through which parents could buy education from the public or a private school as they saw fit or, barring that, allowing parents to direct their tax dollars to any school PAUL KLOPP NDP CANDIDATE sion duties. The last time it was used in 1978 it raised $63 million. This form of estate tax for only the rich and the super rich would now raise $190 million a year. Specula­ tion tax would help curb wild property inflation. It worked in 1974 but the amount it will raise now will depend on how quickly properties are sold. The bottom line is that the Tories and Liberals are now using “scare tactics’’ saying that we will spend $4.2 billion while ignoring the fact that we’ll be creating $2.38 billion in extra revenue for a net cost of $1.84 billion over two years to right the wrongs of past mismanagement. the Festival was on the verge of agreeing to turn over the whole floor. Ms. Ross insists that for security reasons the three rooms currently in the floor must be opened up. It will mean opening up a load-bear­ ing wall to make a door into an archway, removing another wall and perhaps lowering a floor of one room by excavating further. A washroom for the librarian will also be added. The move of the library, if it takes place, will triple the amount of space available for the library and thus triple the rent the village receives. Some money has been set aside for the renovation in this year’s budget and the county has set aside money for furnishings for the larger library. Clerk-treasurer Helen Grubb worried that if action isn’t started soon the job won’t be completed this year. system they wished to support. Mr. Dettweiler said he would support such a system and Mr. Clark said he would agree 100 per cent. He said he resented having to pay $1,000 a month for tuition and transportation for his children and having to pay to support the public school education system as well. Mr. Fitzgerald said the priority must be the continuity of the education system across the pro­ vince and the two publicly-support­ ed education systems must be maintained, not hurt by dilution through money going to private schools. Mr. Klopp said his party had agonized over the question for a long time but had come to the position that the province cannot afford to fund all private schools. If you start, where do you stop, he wondered. Mr. Campbell said he sympa­ thized with the situation and there was probably some room for con­ sideration of such plans but the government must be careful not to fragment the public system. One of the non-education topics discussed was the no-fault insur­ ance plan introduced by the provin­ cial government. Mr. Fitzgerald said the plan was introduced as an answer to a real crisis in the insurance industry. The new sys­ tem will mean a zero increase in insurance in rural areas of the province and he said some people he knows have even seen their insurance costs drop. In response to a questioner he said that while an individual’s disability insurance will come into play in any settlement, the injured person will benefit by immediate payment of claims. Generally the person has to use up disability insurance now while waiting for a lengthy settlement of a claim, he said. He said lawyers are crying about the plan because they’ll lose business fighting claims. Mr. Klopp blasted the plan as a $800 million gift to the big insur­ ance companies. With a maximum payment of $600 a week the victim of an accident will still need additional insurance just to get by, he said. He claimed the lawyers will still have a lot of fun fighting the language used in the act. Mr. Campbell said the Conserva­ tives don’t think the government should be involved in the insurance business. Mr. Dettweiler said the Libertarians are 100 per cent opposed to no-fault insurance and will repeal it if they gain power. In their short wrap-ups at the end of the evening each of the candidates made a final pitch for support. Mr. Campbell promised that as well as serving the province and the county of Huron he would give utmost assistance with the problems of constituents. Mr. Klopp said he was tired of the empty promises of the Liberal government and felt it was time the NDP got its chance. Mr. Fitzgerald pledged that “if you send me to Queen’s Park I promise to continue listening (to you).’’ Mr. Dettweiler said the Libertar­ ians felt people should be able to keep more than 48 per cent of their income without losing the rest to taxes of various forms. The biggest chuckle came from Mr. Clark. After saying that al­ though many of the problems facing government seem, humanly speaking, impossible, he served a God who has the answers, he said he wanted to go to Queen’s Park with a large mandate, not just squeaking through. He said he wanted the top job as premier not just as a back bencher. “Tell David Peterson there’s a little fat fellow up in Huron with a bald head who’s after his job,” he said.