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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1989-05-31, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 1989. Opinion Can MPPs’ memories be that short? If you ever wonder why politicians think the memories of the voters are short, it is because they have short memories themselves. How else to explain the proposals contained in the report of the Consultation Committee studying County Government in Ontario. The report is prepared by a group of Liberal M.P.P.s and who would think a group of Liberals could bring in a report that proposed reforms in county government that would bring in regional government in all but name. After all, a lot of Liberal M.P.P.s like Jack Riddell of Huron, owe their seats to the backlash against the regional government imposed by the previous Progressive Conservative government. The report, which will be debated by Huron County Council in July, would impose a minimum size of 4000 on municipalities unless there are extreme cases of geographic isolation or population density. This would mean villages like Blyth and Brussels and all the townships in the north Huron area would not qualify for representation and some sort of reorganization would have to be carried out. The report calls for a maximum of 20 councillors at county council. It calls for mayors of towns to sit on council (although the mayors in Huron told the committee in no uncertain terms last year they wanted no part of that.) The report calls for counties to take over more of the services that have been done by local municipalities including waste management. In short it will make the county system closer to the regional government system than it is to the county system as we now know it. All this is done in the name of two sacred causes: fair representation by population, and greater efficiency. The report points out it’s hardly fair that in some counties some councillors represent more than 8000 electors while others represent only 400. It’s a noble thought but there are problems in giving fair representation to minorities in another way. If a new set-up lumps a large urban area with a small rural one to get that minimum 4000 population are farm drains and dusty concession roads likely to get as much attention as economic development and urban recreation projects? If a smaller village is lumped with a large rural area, are the needs of the urbanites equally as likely to be overlooked? As for the efficiency argument, just find one example where efficiency promoted by the government from regional government to county school boards has lowered taxes. Huron County councillors supported the original ‘ ‘ Patterns for the Future” proposal of the committee last year with some reservations. The supporters felt the recommendations would simply allow counties to change if they wished. This new report, however, seems bent on forcing the change. The committee wants all 26 counties to undertake a study on reorganizing the county. It wants to have each study completed within a year with the final studies to be finished by no later than 1994. The report says ‘ ‘The Province must ensure that it is advantageous to create efficient government rather than causing a financial hardship on municipalities” and talks about incentive grants to promote reorganization; in other words a carrot and stick approach. This committee seems to have been set up as a make-work project to keep the excess of Liberal M.P.P.s busy. If its proposals bring the same kind of backlash regional government brought, the Liberals may not have to worry about having too many M.P.P.s next time out. Secrecy fine in business, e not in government For years people with a business background have lamented the lack of experienced businessmen in ' the upper reaches of government, blaming government inefficiency on the scarcity. But some aspects of business don’t work well in government and we’re seeing the problem now in Ottawa. Secrecy in business is essential. Secrecy in government is a problem. When Michael Wilson discovered there had been not one budget leak but two, the government’s reaction was to hush it up. But in government you don’tjust report to the board of directors, you owe the information to all 25 million shareholders. Secrecy in such important issues in government just doesn’t work. Citizen PO. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. N0M 1H0 Phone 523-4792 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 Try the dandelions, dear Letter from the editor Nosey neighbours combat crime BY KEITH ROULSTON There are two pictures of small town life that pop up again and again in books, movies and televi­ sion. Small towns are places of big yards and small imaginations, of open spaces and closed minds. A constant theme of so many of the stories about small towns is of the young person wanting to es­ cape the claustrophobia of life there. There are too many people watching, (and perhaps disapprov­ ing), of everything you do, the stories go. There is too much pressure to conform, too much disapproval of anything that might be “deviant” behaviour. It was interesting then to read in the Toronto Star last week of a heroic group of people living in a Toronto apartment complex who decided to use peer pressure to clean up their building. It’s fhe kind of story you read over and over again these days and they’re apt to turn it into a television movie. The Wellesley St. apartment is in the infamous St. James Town complex that crowds about one quarter of the population of Huron County into an area of a few acres. It had become ahorrid, and danger­ ous place to live. Security guards and police couldn’t keep the 30- storey building from being a haven for drug dealers in the stairwells and prostitutes on the lawns. Crack houses were set up in some of the apartments and brought a constant stream of addicts into the apart­ ment complex. There were knife­ point robberies and break-ins were common. In mid-1986 police had targeted the building as one of the worst buildings for crime in the city. But then the 450 residents of the building decided to fight back. In co-operation with the police they organized “Vertical Watch”, an apartment-oriented version of “Neighbourhood Watch” used in suburban neighbourhoods. “We ask our members to simply look and listen,” said Vickie Rennie, who helped organize the group. “Never confront anyone and phone immediately.” Her mother explained: “It’s 100 drug dealers vs. 400 apartments, police and building security com­ bined.” To aid the cleanup police swept through the building last June and laid 108 charges against 40 people, most for drug offences. As well 28 trespass charges were laid and 10 crack houses were closed down. Building management began evict­ ing people who were charged with a crime by police. The results have been dramatic: theft is down 60 per cent; purse snatching, 81 per cent; auto theft down 26 per cent. In short, the results are much the same as what happens in a small town where people look out for each other. Where is policing less expensive than in a village where peer pressure is in effect? When you know that you can be identified if you do something stupid because everybody knows everybody, there’s less likelihood you’ll act like an idiot. The key to humanizing cities and cutting down on crime is to create the kind of neighbourhood and community spirit that exists in a small town. The difference is that in small communities this is looked on as nosiness and minding your neighbour’s business while in the city it’s looked on as a great step forward. The Citizen is published weekly in Brussels, Ontario, by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $17.00/yr. ($38.00 Foreign). Advertising is acceptedon the condition that in the event of a typographical error, only that portion of the advertisement 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, DaveWilliams Production Manager, Jill Roulston Second Class Mail Registration No. 6968