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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1989-04-26, Page 4Take a gander at me lady Editorials Being the messenger Soyou wonderwhysofew people want to be municipal politicians? The next few weeks should be a good example. Local politicians will be setting their mill rates in the next few weeks, deciding just how hard you’ll be hit in the pocket book this year. The problem is that more than half the decision is already made up for them. Take Brussels last year as an example. Of the 16.5298 mill rate, more than nine mills went to school boards, 2.6 went to the county and only 4.85 mills went to local purposes. Already the county has put through an allocation of nearly 20 per cent and Monday night the county Board of Education brought through a 10 per cent increase. It means that local councils could actually lower their own expenditures and still be on the hook for asking for a startling tax increase. Ah well councillors, it’s dirty work but apparently somebody has to do it. Letter from the editor Have we given up improving world? BY KEITH ROULSTON One of my favourite quotes comes from Robert F. Kennedy and goes something like: “Some people see things as they are and ask why. I see things as they could be and ask why not.” Today, I fear if the quote was to be rewritten for the 1980’s it would be: “This is the way things are baby and there’s no sense trying to change it so you might as well go with the flow and try to make as many bucks for yourself as possi­ ble”. Maybe I’m still living back in the idealistic ‘60’s but it -seems to me the ultimate goal of society should Threats won't change people 's verdict The consideration being given by Clyde Wells, premier-elect of Newfoundland to revoking his province’s support for the Meech Lake constitutional accord brought threats flying from all sides last week. Trade Minister JohnCrosbie warned Wells not to touch the accord ifheexpectsOttawatoplayball withhimonother issues. “Frankly, if he does, that will certainly affect our relationship with the Newfoundland Government,” he warned. It turned out Mr. Crosbie, usually the master of hyperbole, was understating the matter compared to other cabinet ministers. Revoking the province’s support would have “extremely grave consequences” Lucien Bouchard, Environment Minister said. Benoit Bouchard, Minister of Transport warned “all Quebecers will be outraged with this decision if we don’t go through with Meech Lake.” The Liberal victory in Newfoundland last week appears to put the Meech Lake accord in even more trouble than before. Now there were two provinces, New Brunswick and Manitoba, that have not ratified the agreement and one that already has ratified it, Newfoundland, has second thoughts. Second thoughts is something the supporters of Meech Lake don’t want to give people. While government regulations give us, as consumers, a cooling-off period during which we can revoke a contract pushed on us by slick-talking door-to-door salesmen who come into our homes, Canadians are not allowed to have a chance to terminate this contract signed behind closed doors in an all-night bargaining session between the 10 premiers and the Prime Minister at Meech Lake. There has been no one to stand up for the people who believe that Meech Lake is a mistake, both in making Quebec a “distinct society” and in giving too much power to the provinces, including the power of The Citizen the veto to each province on any future constitutional change. Not only the government but all the opposition parties supported the agreement leaving nowhere for those concerned to go with their votes. The concern about how Quebecers will view a rejection of Meech Lake as a rejection of Quebec by English Canada is a valid one, especially in view of the resurgence of nationalism surrounding the fact English will be allowed inside some stores. The tragedy is that there is no spokesman left for a view of a strong, but equal, place for Quebec within Canada. The government members from Quebec are dominated by Quebec nationalists, some even former Parti Quebecois separatists. The Liberals, with strong federalists like Pierre Trudeau and Jean Chretien on the sidelines, and with a weak leader in Ottawa, are afraid to go against what they see as a nationalist trend in Quebec. The NDP trying to catch Parti Quebecois support was happy to support Meech Lake. Given the kind of people supporting the supposedly “federalist” cause in Quebec these days, one wonders if referendum was held in Quebec now as it was under the Parti Quebecois, if the federalists would win. But even without strong federalists in Quebec to argue the fallacy of Meech Lake, the country cannot afford to accept this bad deal in the hopes of keeping Quebec nationalists happy. The insistence of unanimity of all provinces in future constitutional change is, in itself, a millstone around the neck of confederation. If the Meech Lake accord can’t be opened again because its supporters say, we’ll never get the 11 heads of government to agree again, why should we think the requirement for unanimity won ’ t handcuff our leaders for years to come? Meech Lake is a mess. If the voters of Newfoundland have helped us bury it, we should all be thankful. be to make life as good for as many people as possible without ruining the planet we live on in the process. But there seems to be so many excuses why, in the most affluent period in all history, we can’t worry about the weak in society but only about the strong. We are told that the international trading climate makes it impossible for us to do the things we want to do in our own country to make life better. The family farm is doomed because big companies are taking over elsewhere in the world in farming and we might as well tell the tide to turn as to try to set our own rules in the face of the new “realities” of world trade. We are told we can’t afford some of the social programs we have because the government has to cut the deficit (although the government has bestowed tax reductions on the most well-to-do people in our society). We’re told we’ll have to accept some amounts of pollution because that’s just a cost of doing business to enjoy the high lifestyle we do. If you believe in the “kinder, gentler” society George Bush talks about (or the Just Society Pierre Trudeau talked about) you can get pretty distressed looking around you these days. Housing prices have boomed so much that in our cities there are people who can’t afford to get off the streets. If you have a job at even $10 an hour let alone a minimum wage, how can you afford an apartment that rents for $1,000 a month when you have to put down the first and last month’s rent before you can move in? How can anybody but the best paid, two-income families afford to pay $250,000 for the average house? There was a time when we had Continued on page 19 The Citizen is published weekly in Brussels, Ontario, by North Huron Publishing Company Inc Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $17 OO/yr ($38 00 Foreign) Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, only that portion of the advertisement will be credited. Advertising Deadlines: Monday, 2pm - Brussels, Monday, 4 p m - Blyth We are not responsible for unsolicited newscriptsor photographs Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright P.O Box 429, BLYTH, Ont NOM 1H0 Phone 523-4792 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 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