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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1991-12-04, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1991. Money well spent Huron County Councillors' decision last week to reject a plan to phase out grants to agricultural, educational and cultural groups, is money well spent. While it's easy to figure the plan would have saved county taxpayers nearly $86,000 a year once the grants were fully phased out in 1995, it's harder to calculate just how much it would have cost the county. There's no doubt the cost might have been greater than the savings. The grants provided for such things as $400 a year to the Brussels Fall Fair to help with prize money; $500 to the Huron County Farm and Home Safety Association to help promote safety; more than $25,000 for two day centres for the homebound; $75 to Women's Institutes; $300 for Huron County Mutual Fire Aid; $6500 to Vanastra Recreation Centre, the only indoor swimming pool in the county; $17,500 to the Goderich airport; and $1400 for the Blyth Festival and $1200 to the Huron Country Playhouse in Grand Bend. Certainly all these organizations might have been able to find funding elsewhere but in tough times, every dollar lost is hard to replace. Certainly some are probably supported by local municipal governments as well as, in some cases, the province and the federal level: the fact remains, most of them are frugal operations that hardly have a lot of money to spend. The truth is the county gets a heck of a lot for this $85,000. In a day when more and more is being done by well-paid civil servants, when fewer and fewer people can, or will, volunteer their time to do the things we once took for granted, most of these organizations still demonstrate that kind of co-operative spirit that made Huron the special, self-sufficient place it has always been. How many good projects have Women's Institutes initiated in Huron? How can you. measure what fall fairs mean to their communities? How many dollars do the grants to those theatres return to the community in tourism. It's a matter of priorities. Recently the county has added two additional senior staff members because it was felt they were needed, even in a time of recession. As several councillors pointed out, if there was money for these additions to the county tax burden, surely it was foolhardy to abandon all the hard-working volunteers who make most of these organizations function. In some cases the grants were merely tokens but in these days when volunteers need all the help they can get, those token grants are more important in terms of recognition of a job well done than any saving that can be made. For once, spending more money is really worth it Who trusts democracy? One thing rich and poor, powerful and weak, government and governed seem to agree on these days, is that democracy isn't what it should be. It was startling last week to watch the CBC's Journal reenact the constitutional deal-making of the early 1980's and listen to the cynicism of the politicians about the possibility of holding a referendum to approve constitutional change. Pierre Trudeau put forward the plan as a way of splitting up the "gang of eight" premiers who were arrayed against his proposal to repatriate the Canadian Constitution. The premiers were horrified, totally distrusting the Canadian people to vote on such a proposal. Trudeau himself said he wasn't in love with the idea but something had to be done. He managed to get Rene Lesvesque to agree to the idea of the referendum (how could he refuse after just holding a referendum on sovereignty association in Quebec) and the horrified other seven premiers broke their alliance with Quebec. A book published recently tells the personal story of Colonel Oliver North, the man behind the "Contra Scandal" in the U.S. where Col. North masterminded a White House plan to sell American arms to Iran (although there was an embargo on such sales) and use the money to be sent to the Contra rebels fighting the hated leftist government in Nicaragua (breaking a law passed by Congress to prevent more government aid to the rebels). North was appalled that he could be called up before a Congressional hearing and asked to breach the secrecy of presidential orders. He couldn't understand that in a democracy, the public has a right to know. Today we have a fear on the part of many politicians to let Canadians have a say on the constitution because they don't really trust the intelligence of the people. It's a sad statement on the cynicism at both ends of our system: the people don't trust the politicians and the politicians don't trust the people. And we laughed when Communism collapsed. Looking Back Through the Years ONE YEAR AGO DECEMBER 5,1990 Brussels council approached the village fire department about get­ ting a fund started to eventually build a new fire hall. Fire completely destroyed the mobile home of Michael and Bon­ nie Farrish, located just east of Jamestown. Brussels outside workers agreed to a wage increase that will see them get a four percent raise plus improvements in benefits that will bring the increase to about six per­ cent. Morris Township donated $10,000 towards the Belgrave Community Centre project, spear­ headed by the Belgrave and District Kinsmen Club. Ron Stevenson of Walton received the Vincent Farm Equip­ ment Trophy as the top member in the Huron 4H Agricultural Machin­ ery class. Blyth Church of God Puppeteers embarked for Kingston where they performed several shows THREE YEARS AGO DECEMBER 7,1988 The loss was estimated at $250,000 in a spectacular fire that destroyed a recently renovated dairy bam on the Auburn-area farm of Siebolt and Anne Siertsema. Operations on the Canadian Pacific railway line through Wal­ ton, Blyth and Auburn were sched­ uled to cease January 1. Gerry Campschroer was present­ ed with the silver tray and Champi­ onship ribbon after his farm Jerran Farms of RR1, Blyth, won the Champion Market Hog Carcass Class at the Shur-Gain National Market Hog Classic al the Royal Agricultural Fair in Toronto. John Jewitt of RR1, Londesboro was acclaimed as the Huron Coun­ ty Board of Education Chairperson. The family farm of Hans and Audrey Boonstoppel, Hanaud Jer- Continued on page 22 CitizenTheNorthHuron P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. N0M 1 HO Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1 HO Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 The Citizen is published weekly in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $20.50/year ($19.16 plus $1.34 G.S.T.) for local; $19.16 + $1.66 for each month after March 31/92 ♦ G.S.T. for local letter carrier in Goderich, Hanover, Listowel, etc. and out-of-area (40 miles from Brussels); $60.00/year for U.S.A, and 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, 2 p.m. - Brussels; Monday, 4 p.m. - Blyth. We are not responsible for unsolicited newscripts or photographs. 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