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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1990-11-14, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1990. Ignoring the facts There’s something typically Huron county about ignoring the facts the ‘ ‘ experts” unveil in studies so it’s not surprising Huron County is moving toward increasing speed limits on county roads just as we enter another energy crisis. It was during the energy crisis of the 1970’s that speed limits were reduced in the first place. Studies showed that there were huge energy savings to be made if all the cars in the country drove 10 km. slower. There were added benefits, however. With people driving slower there were fewer fatalities on the highways as well. All that doesn’t matter much in Huron though. We don’t believe in statistics. We only believe in what we can see with our own eyes. (How many Huron residents, for instance, will still insist people are safer without seatbelts than with them?) Whatsomeofourcounty politicians can see and understand is that they can’t get places as fast as they’d like with an 80 km. per hour speed limit and they’ve been caught by police a few too many times trying to stretch the limits. Besides that, what do statistics about saving lives count for? Tough move, good move Ontario’s new NDP government faced its first tough decision last week and came through with flying colours. Premier Bob Rae’s cabinet faced the music, so to speak, and decided to cut out of the previous Liberal government’s $55 million pledge to Toronto’s new opera and ballet hall. ‘ ‘It’s the new reality. We were faced with a tough choice but somebody’s got to make them,” the premier said. The government still pledged to donate the downtown land needed for the building. The province had already invested $10 million in preparations for the building. The worry for hall supporters is that now the municipal and federal governments might also pull out. The Premier said that with problems for child care and affordable housing the province just had to have higher priorities. In making the decision he risked losing support of one of the constituencies that helped get his government elected, the arts community. ‘‘They built a bloody monument to sport and they do nothing for art,” Louis Quilico, Canadian opera singer said. Exactly. Ontario taxpayers are on the hook to pay for the deficit of the Sky Dome, a building that was designed to turn a handsome profit. But the expensive Sky Dome still looks cheap beside the opera-ballet hall with a price tag of $300 million. The government said it wasn’t convinced that the hall would be able to run without a deficit. If it did the province would no doubt be asked to pick up the price tag for its operating costs as well. In recent years Toronto has not suffered for public support of the arts. RoyThompsonHallforconcerts, therevamped Elgin and Winter Garden theatres have all cost Ontario taxpayers plenty. In good times thatmayb&somethingwecanaffordbutthesearen ’tgood times. Governments face huge deficits and, as NDP cabinet ministers point out, people are sleeping on the streets of this city that wants another monument to its own importance. Opera and ballet are more the playthings of the well-to-do than any other form of the arts. High ticket prices mean few ordinary people can afford to go. If the upper crust of Toronto want a new opera and ballet hall they should find the ways of doing it themselves rather than turning to the public purse. Otherwise they can put their plans on hold until times are better when maybe they can have their new home for the high arts and some of the homeless can have a home period. Symbols taken too seriously Progressive Conservative MP Bob Hicks has introduced a private member’s bill to protect the honour of the Canadian flag from being defiled in political protests. If we love the flag for what it stands for, rather than just for itself, perhaps we should be a little more tolerant of silly protests. Mr. Hicks wants anyone ‘‘who willfully burns, defaces, defiles, mutilates, tramples upon or otherwise desecrates” the Canadian flag would be guilty ofa criminal offence. The sentiments are nice but they really just make such political protests that much more tempting. The idea of protesters being thrown in jail will give them more publicity and make them seem more like martyrs. Instead of getting more uptight about flag burnings, perhaps we should relax a little. A silly burning of the Quebec flag in Brockville that was repeated over and over again on television may have helped irrevocably split Canadians. U.S. touchiness about flag burning has caused riots. Flags are important symbols but they shouldn’t cause more problems because we take them too seriously. Up and over 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 not just everyone can partake of these deliberations we will report the activities from time to time. MONDAY: Billie Bean says it makes him nervous when he hears the Prime Minister insist that his government does have a plan to make the Canadian economy bet­ ter. “Toronto Maple Leafs man­ agement says they have a plan to make things better too and look what’s happening to them.” TUESDAY: Ward Black says it’s nice to see other people are even more unhappy with their govern­ ments than Canadians. He was talking about the protests at the big Revolution Day parade in the Soviet Union where one guy made things exciting by shooting off a gun. “At least the shots they take at Mulroney are all verbal,” he said. They weren’t even verbal if you listen to the people who couldn’t get through to the call-in television show the PM was on Monday night, Tim O’Grady says. Seems a lot of people figure the show was fixed because hardly any of the callers that got through were nasty to the PM while thousands and thousands of angry people couldn’t get through to ask their questions. There just can’t be that many people around who would be polite to Mr. Mulroney these days. WEDNESDAY: Billie says he fi­ gures he’s missed out on a good thing with all these commissions going around studying the future of the country. “Just think of all the money these guys will be making,” Continued on page 6 The Citizen. P.O Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. N0M 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 $19.0O/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