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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1993-10-06, Page 4C The North Huron itizen P.O. Box 429, P.O. Box 152, BLYTH, Ont BRUSSELS, Ont NOM IHO NOG 1H0 Phone 523-4792 Phone 867-9114 FAX 523.9140 FAX 887-9021 Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Sales Representatives, Jeannette McNeil and Julie Mitchell 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 PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1993. Pity the downtrodden The current campaign leading up to the Oct. 25 federal election seems to be focusing on the new downtrodden of the 1990s. No it's not the 1.6 million people who are unemployed, or the one in three children in Toronto who live in poverty; the downtrodden of the 90s are the poor middle class families, often with two reasonably good incomes who face the unfair burden of paying taxes. The swing to the right in Canadian politics has been fueled by a middle class that feels it is put-upon by a government that has grown too greedy. The annual "tax freedom" day that signifies the day (usually after the middle of the year) when you have paid off your income to the government and now get to keep your income, has emphasized how much the government interferes in the lives of individuals. The concern for the plight of the middle class is not unique to the Canadian election. In the U.S. as well, there seemed to be more concern for those in the middle income than for those living in the ghettos or the rural impoverished areas. No one likes to pay taxes but let's get some perspective here. Middle class people who have jobs still live a pretty good life in Canada, compared to the rest of the world, and compared to the people living at near-minimum-wage levels in Canada. The tragedy of the past decade is that the gap between the part of the population with good incomes and the people at the bottom of the heap, is increasing. More people are slipping from the middle class to the low income group as the recession continues. People who lose their jobs in today's world with limited unemployment insurance benefits, can quickly see their middle-class lifestyle endangered. The fact that there are few jobs of any kind, let alone of the level of income they were used to, means they may drop right onto the welfare rolls after their insurance benefits run out. The people who are really downtrodden in Canada are, fortunately and unfortunately, still a minority and therefore seem to be ignored in the election. It's a shame that in a country that claims to care about the less fortunate, the attention seems to be more on those who have (and want to keep) than on those who are really suffering because of the recession. — KR Huron's agri-food in perspective Bob Humphries, Agricultural Representative from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, has done a little work with figures recently that shows just how important agriculture is in Huron County. It's fitting that in Agri-food Week, leading up to Thanksgiving, people from both urban and rural areas in the county realize just what a bountiful area this is in the production of food. Using statistics compiled from the 1991 Census, Mr. Humphries shows that Huron County has more farm income, than any of the four Atlantic provinces. Huron, according to the census, had a gross farm income of $436,912,953 (that's total income on the farm, not profit), compared to $307,889,000 for the entire province of Nova Scotia. That's split among 3,260 farmers in Huron, 3,980 in Nova Scotia. New Brunswick has almost the same number of farmers as Huron, (3,252) but its farm income, at $254,066,000, is less than 60 per cent of Huron's. Prince Edward Island has a gross farm income of $238,735,000 and 2,361 farmers. Newfoundland has only 725 farmers earning a gross farm income of $61,565,000. Gross farm income is not profit. A farm can take in a lot of money and not necessarily put a lot of money in the family's bank account. Most farms in Huron depend on at least one outside income to provide a reasonable lifestyle. Still, the figures compiled by Mr. Humphries show just how important agriculture is in Huron, how much it puts into our local economy, and just how thankful we should be to live in such a productive part of the world. — KR The gift of democracy It's tempting to join the chorus of complaints about politics and politicians as we approach the Oct. 25 federal election. Scenes from Moscow early this week, however, should give Canadians pause to think how lucky we are. It's possible, later this month, that we will have a different government than the one we currently have. If so, it will be due to the votes of the people, not through guns and bombs. If we have a new government the change will take place peacefully, not through riots and tanks. Watching those scenes on TV this week one is tempted to wish one could send griping Canadians over there to see the alternative. — KR Letters Writer argues for Christianity THE EDITOR, I am responding to Mr. Doug Trollope's letter of Sept. 29. I agree with him that he is not spiritual, in fact he is spiritually dead — unfortunately. As far as Christianity being a myth or superstition again I used to agree with Mr. Trollope until I investigated the truth found in the Bible. Christianity is not a blind faith based on myth or superstition but it is based on historical evidence from eyewitnesses and fulfilled prophecy. Jesus Christ existed, and was seen after his resurrection by hundreds of eyewitnesses. His coming fulfilled hundreds of Old Testament prophecies written hundreds of years before his birth, death and resurrection. The fulfilled prophecies include the facts that Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Micah 5: 2), he was born of a virgin (Isaiah 7: 14), he was to be rejected by his own people (Isaiah 53: 1-2), he was to be betrayed by one of his followers (Psalm 41: 9), he was to die by crucifixion (Psalm 22: 14, 16, 17) — note this prophecy occurred before crucifixion was invented; his bones were not to be broken (Exodus 12: 46) he was to be raised from the dead (Psalm 16: 10) and many other prophecies. Mr. Trollope also seems to suggest that education would solve the world's problems. The Bible suggests that the world's problems occur because of humankind's sins of nature. If everyone in the world was not a sinner, and instead we obeyed God; murder, theft, adultery, etc. would cease to occur. We cannot begin to obey or please God until we repent of our sin and become born again in spirit. When we let Jesus Christ be the Lord of our lives, and let him live his life through us we are then able to love others as we love ourselves. If we thought of others as more important than ourselves we would not harm our fellow man. Jesus Christ always put others before himself, in fact he died for us so that we would not have to pay God's penalty for our sin. If we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour then we receive God's Holy Spirit and will live forever in heaven. I pray, Mr. Trollope, that you will open your mind and heart to the truth so that you may join me and my Saviour in eternal life in heaven. The Bible, however, says that you will think this is foolishness I Cor. I: 18 "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." Richard Packer. THE EDITOR, I am a retired person living near Napanee, Ontario. My small house overlooks a bay of Lake Ontario where Canada geese stop in their flight to the Gulf of Mexico. The trees are changing colour. It is idyllic. But all I can see this autumn is a dark set of political and economic changes being locked down onto the land. The geese will return with spring. But our democracy, our control of our economy, our right to be a self- governing nation may be difficult to get back. I am talking about NAFTA. It is not just a commercial treaty. It is a new constitution for the continent, designed to disempower our governments. For example, Canadians have long prided ourselves on our superb medical system. Per capita, Canadians spend one half of what Americans spend on medical services, and everyone in Canada has full and equal access to treatment. But now as recession and rising costs threaten our medical system, NAFTA requires that drug companies be given extended patent rights, costing us an extra $1,000,000,000 in medical costs. Under NAFTA, future Canadian governments have no power to undo this. It's permanent. Another example, Article 1213 and annex 1210 direct the NAFTA trade commission to set common Photo by Janice Becker professional license standards for Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. But the licensing of doctors, lawyers, dentists, architects, etc. is provincial and state jurisdiction. How can a trade treaty change that? Another example, this one from the 1988 Free Trade Agreement but strengthened in NAFTA. When there is a trade dispute between Canada and the U.S. it is referred to a tribunal for a decision. The tribunal decides, not whether one side is acting unfairly, not whether one side has violated the treaty, but whether U.S. trade laws are being applied correctly. The U.S. Constitution defines the courts that will adjudicate U.S. laws. But a trade treaty changes that. Permanently. It makes me heartsick the way NAFTA is being forced down on us. NAFTA has been rammed through Canada's Parliament. The U.S. fast-track procedure similarly blocks Congressmen from ques- tioning the details of the treaty. And Mexico has no democracy at all. The corporate lobby for NAFTA is the largest in history, spending over $100,000,000. Should a treaty that is supposed to benefit us require so much promotion and bribery? NAFTA can only be stopped in two ways: In Canada, the pro- NAFTA candidates must be defeated in the present federal elections. Ideally, the anti-NAFTA candidates should be elected wherever possible. In the United States, NAFTA could be stopped in Congress if citizens would bring their Congressmen to reject it. Americans don't know what free- trade means. Canadians do. We have lost 25 per cent of our industry, 400,000 jobs gone in a population the size of California's. Canadian unemployment is double that of the U.S. Canada is the world's first nation to experience "deindustrialization," thanks to free-trade. Myself, and a few friends, in our small community, have felt frustrated and powerless. We hope that by writing letters to small newspapers, in small communities, to concerned citizens like ourselves, we might somehow inform and encourage enough people to stop NAFTA. Please. Barbara Ander RR 3, Napanee. E ditorial