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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1993-08-25, Page 4l At summer's edge Photo by Janice Becker Letters THE EDITOR, Paul Klopp, the MPP for Huron County, has undoubtedly been very sincere in his efforts to bring his government's point of view to the voters. While I cannot argue with his efforts, in his letter of Aug. 18, to explain the rationale for supporting the Huron County Playhouse or the sewers in Exeter, I fmd the remainder of his arguments to be nothing short of incredulous. For openers he states that "operating costs in almost all ministries are down sharply." Compared with what? His statement is meaningless unless there is something with which to compared the alleged reductions. I challenge him to give precise figures as to these costs compared to what they were at the time his government came into office. His next assertion is straight out of Alice in Wonderland. He would have us believe that there is a direct relationship between a govern- ment's deficit and the cost of borrowing. The cost of borrowing (i.e. the interest rate) has nothing to do with the decision of a government to run a deficit. This rate of interest is determined by the money market and takes into consideration the private as well as the public sector. His allegations get even better. According to him in some serious cases it is the international banking community which makes the decisions for us. When this happens, he claims, the decisions benefit the bankers, not the people. Furthermore he maintains that it is the same bankers who hit health care, education and any service which help people. Come on Mr. Klopp. Where did you hear such nonsense? Your statements would get you laughed out of any serious discussion on government spending. Regardless of what you have been told, it is your government who makes these decisions, not any cabal of international bankers. Don't try to put blame where it does not belong. Your government grew the nettle, now you grasp it. R.R. Canon 23 Applewood Lane, London, Ont. N6J 3P9 THE EDITOR, I would like to see Huron County take other options for'the old Huronview, rather than demolishing same. I realizd the Health Unit is retaining part of the building, but I feel part of what is to be demolished is quite sound. It is my understanding that there are over 200 names on the waiting list between Brussels and Clinton, plus the fact that the senior population of Huron County is 18 per cent of the total. There is no retirement home in Clinton at this time. If the county can't afford to renovate, possibly they could lease to the public for this purpose. We need affordable housing to serve our seniors, who should not have to leave the area, in some cases to Perth County, to fmd the care they need Take a look at the Summerhill Wing, which houses the Huron Adult Day Care Centre, and see how nice it is. Renovations cost less than $400,000. In these trying times I would hope the county could see that the building is put to good use. I urge people to write to county council regarding this matter if you agree with the suggestions. Reta Kelland, Londesboro. THE EDITOR, The Red Cross is coming to Seaforth for another Blood Donor Clinic and we NEED everyone's support. Some people may ask: "What Good Is A Blood Donor?" ... Here are just a few answers: A blood donor is good for • people who go through red lights and windshields • people who are badly burned • little kids who go barefoot and aren't careful • little kids who manage to uncap a bottle of something poisonous • kids who fall out of trees or anywhere else • a new baby who needs a transfusion • all the people who are in a lot worse shape than most people you know. Yoµ can join the "Lifeline" and save many lives. Please donate blood on Aug. 26, Seaforth Community Centre, Duke Street, 5:00 - 9:00 *Please bring 2 pieces of I.D.* Suzanne Barron Organizer/Recruiter Blood Donor Recruitment Through the Years From the files of The Brussels Post 44 YEARS AGO AUGUST 24, 1949 Gary Cooper and Babe Ruth star- ring in "The Pride of the Yankees" is playing at the Capitol Theatre in Listowel. The weekend feature will be "Canadian Pacific", starring Randolph Scott. Brussels girls softball team takes on Seaforth and wins 13-9. This allows the Brussels team to move into first place. The 16 Conc. of Grey Group will be sponsoring a concert and bazaar at the Walton Community Centre, on Sept. 1. Admission is $.25 and $.15. Brussels boys will be attending Camp Hiawatha, the Huron Presby- terian Boys' Camp, from Aug 21- 28. Those participating are Neil McTaggart, Dale McTaggart, Glen Bridge, Ben Bridge, Ronald Lane, Tom Willis and Dick Dennis Back to school specials are now available at The Arcade Store in Brussels. Some of the featured arti- cles are: boys bib overalls, $2.49; boys long drill pants, $1.98;-girl's all wool skirts, $2.49; oxfords, $2.98 and plaid 'shirts $1.98. Gregg's Hardware is holding a record sale. They are offering 10" records for three for $1 and 12" records are three for $1.50. Reader shares his views on MPP's letter to editor a .1;)r4a, ,.:T y:,71 ,Y.1117,17:JV.r13W ,71777-rri7,) ur PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 1993. C The North Huron itizen GNA P.O. Box 429, P.O. Box 152, BLYTH, Ont. BRUSSELS, Ott NOM 1H0 NOG 1H0 Phone 523-4792 Phone 887-9114 FAX 523.9140 FAX 887-9021 Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Sales Representatives, Jeannette McNeil and Julie Mitchell 1,10 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; $31.03/year ($29.00 plus $2.03 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. Contents of The Citizen are Copyright. Publications Mail Registration No. 6968 Basic protection required Those who care about the principle that rich and poor in Canada deserve the same basic medical care will welcome the announcement of the federal Conservative government Monday that it will not back user fees for medicare. It's been a long hard battle for E di• torial Canadians to win the right to be protected from the financial disaster that can accompany a 17:77-'7:7:7777,77777571 medical emergency. Often it seems we're just a whimsical decision away from going right back to a system that would put less advantaged people facing penalties for seeking basic medical needs. People have short memories and many have already forgotten (or are too young to have lived through the experience) the days when going to hospital for a few weeks could leave a family in debt for many years. They have forgotten when people refused to go to a doctor to get proper care because they didn't know if they could pay. Sometimes, given the way medical costs have ballooned, it's tempting to say we can't afford the system we have. It's tempting to start chipping away with things like user fees to discourage people from "over-using" the system. Fortunately, (or unfortunately) we have only to look across the border to see how things were before our universal health care system was put in place. We continue to hear horror stories of families bankrupted by medical bills because they didn't have medical insurance. We see wonderful services available for the rich, but poor people can't afford to see a doctor when they're ill. This vivid evidence should reinforce our determination to keep politicians from reducing our basic coverage. But the emphasis should be on "basic needs". Health Minister Mary Collins, in announcing her government's policy, indicated the government might support reducing medicare coverage for some non- essential procedures. Already the Ontario government has cut back on the number of medical treatments it will cover. In the name of fairness and equality we've got our medical system paying for many procedures that are just plain ridiculous. Poor and middle class people should be protected from the cost of open heart surgery but in the name of fairness we don't have to burden our tax system with paying for a tummy-tuck for anyone who wants one. Can our system really afford to support expensive fertility treatments? (Or for that matter pay for abortions for anyone who wants one.) The excellent Canadian health care system was intended as a safety net to protect anyone in need. We can cut a lot of waste and still provide that protection. — KR So far away The news was devastating for the people of Atlantic Canada this week when it was announced that fish stocks are so depleted that the fishing industry (for ground fish like cod) should be virtually shut down. It will cost 12,000 jobs. Yet for most Canadians elsewhere the situation was probably too remote to have any real impact. After all, we hear of people being laid off by the thousands every day. How can we understand the impact these cuts will have in an area that depends on the fishery for survival? Unfortunately whenever we face the consequences of what humans have done to their earth the reality is usually remote, not touching the majority of people. Whether from over fishing or pollution or perhaps a climate change, the decline of fish stocks is almost certainly due to man-made causes. This is a huge ecological disaster, but most people won't be affected in a direct enough way to make us re-examine our own lifestyles and habits. Until the environmental problems we have caused hit us personally, we aren't likely to take the actions needed to change. By then it may be too late. —KR Manipulating the public It seems like much ado about nothing last week when the media was filled with the stories about the resignation of a media advisor with the federal NDP party. How much can one underling in a political machine mean? Aren't parties elected because of the policies they espouse? Think again. If you wonder how important a media advisor can be, take a look at the poll last week that showed Canadians have given the highest approval rating of any prime minister in 30 years to Kim Campbell. A huge number of Canadians feel she's doing a good job. Good at what, flipping flap-jacks? Doing the twist? Cheer-leading? Prime Minister Campbell is no doubt happy for the advice she's got to help make her so popular but even she must be cynical about how easily manipulated the voting public can be. — KR