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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1994-04-27, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1994. Citizen©The North Huron CNA P.O Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 Phone 523-47! FAX 523-9140 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Sales Representatives, Jeannette McNeil and Julie Mitchell r«iO 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; $3l.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 E ditorial I . .. Some way to run a government It's been good sport in the newspapers, in coffee shops and in municipal councils to take a shot at the provincial NDP government, whether they deserve it or not. Many of the criticisms have been unfair. The latest move by the government in education, however, is so incomprehensible and so devious that the government deserves condemnation. Huron County Board of Education and boards all across the province, got the word last week that the plans they had made to hold the tax rate in line had all been for nothing. The Ministry of Education had changed the rules and suddenly Huron had to find a further $1.4 million in cuts if it was to prevent a large tax increase. It was back in March that Treasurer Floyd Laughren announced the province faced a further $2 billion short in revenues. There were scary sounds of further huge cuts to school boards and municipalities at the time but then the government promised there wouldn’t be cuts. Technically there weren't. But the Ministry of Education changed the funding rules in such a way that school boards faced a cut anyway. The problem is that trustees and school board officials have spent months hammering out a budget. They have spent the past month living in the mistaken impression they wouldn’t be facing further huge cuts. Now, a week before they must by law set their budget, they get a $1.4 million surprise. Canadians are learning to ask less and less from government but one thing they do expect is good planning. This is insane. How can local political bodies such as school boards, set budgets if the government changes the rules and doesn't even tell them until the last moment? If the government can't be open about what it's doing, if it can't get its act together soon enough to give local governments a fair chance to shape their budgets, it's time to change the government.— KR We all must change Canadians are increasingly frustrated at what appears to be an increasing level of violence in society and they want somebody to do something about it. The problem is who can change things? There have been some frightening scenes as angry people have reacted to sensational murders recently. Monday in Chatham crowds gathered outside a courthouse and shouted angry threats at the family of an 18-year-old boy accused in the beating death of a seven-year -old boy. Earlier in Toronto, after the restaurant murder of ViVi Leimonis, the crowds that gathered to protest and show their grief looked frightening like vigilante mobs. One had the feeling, watching the TV pictures, that if someone had been discovered nearby who was thought to be the killer, the crowd would have tom him limb from limb. Monday in the Legislature, Sean Conway of the Liberals, demanded the government do something about the situation. Almost daily in the House of Parliament someone demands the federal government do something to stop crime. Even those who want the government to butt out of the economy, think the government should have the solution to crime. People want instant solutions to a difficult problem. They want someone to wave a magic wand and make it all better. It isn't that easy. We have a society that is sinking in a swamp of its own making. We have wanted fewer barriers to our own freedom to the point that there are few rules anymore at all. Discipline, whether discipline of our children or self-discipline, is a word that has virtually disappeared from our vocabulary. Just passing a law isn't going to make it all better. We need a massive change in society and an acceptance that the pursuit of our personal happiness mustn't be allowed to injury the rights of the whole society. — KR Evil knows no colour In the past half century we have been brought face to face with the evil that human beings can do several places in the world and that face knows no colour. The most famous case of pure evil in human nature was the acts perpetrated by the Nazis in Germany during the Second World War, killing six million Jews and others. Currently we have the terror of ethnic cleansing in Bosnia. But there has also been the murder of millions in Cambodia after the communist takeover in the 1970s. There's also the tragedy in Rwanada where people are being slaughtered because of which tribe they belong to. People of all races can be good. People of all races can be evil.—KR Rock bottom Photo by Jill Cooper Looking Back Through the Years From the files of The Brussels Post, The Blyth Standard and and The North Huron Citizen 107 YEARS AGO APRIL 29,1887 A group met in Walton to discuss with CPR, the supposed railway line from Guelph to Goderich. The members of the committee were John Hewitt, L. McDonald, Wm. Neal, Wm. Smith, M. Morrison, Chas. Ryan and Chas. Sage. The Brussels Mechanics' Institute held its annual meeting and elected the new officers for the upcoming year. They were: J.R. Grant, president; F.S. Scott, vice-president and A. Hunter, secretary-treasurer. The Institute authorized the librarian to solicit subscriptions for membership and she would be paid 10 percent of all cash received. There were 1,031 volumes in the library. The Salvation Army of Blyth was trying to purchase the temperance hall for a barracks. Twenty or 30 feet of Mr. Huber's mill dam in Londesboro was washed down stream by spring rains. Candidate expenses in the recent election were $727.64 for MP Robert Porter and $527.57 for his opponent, M.C. Cameron. Brussels Woolen Mill was selling yams for six cents an ounce and cashmere for eight cents an ounce. The Sunshine Post Office was moved to the general store of A.R. Smith. James Mitchell of Grey Twp. shot an eagle which measured five feet, four inches. 29 YEARS AGO APRIL 29,1965 The Salvation Army began its Red Shield Appeal in the hopes of raising $5,160. The Grey Twp. school board paid Roy Vogan $12 for snow removal. Machan Hardware of Brussels offered heavy barbed wire for $8.95 and Eveready fencer batteries for $3.95. A Westinghouse range could be bought for $199. The Three Stooges were starring in The Outlaws is Coming at the Lyceum Theatre while Jerry lewis and Jill St. John could be seen in Who's Minding the Store at Brown­ ie's Drive-In. Letters THE EDITOR, Each community has families with members who have developmental disabilities. Christian Horizons is a trans- denominational organization that is attempting to meet the needs of these families. Currently there are over 100 Christian Horizons programs located in Ontario which include residences, supported independent living, day programs and family groups. Local chapters support, educate, and encourage families, making every effort to assist all concerned through one of these programs. After speaking with a number of Continued on page 5