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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1995-08-30, Page 4The tall and short of it Photo by Bonnie Gropp Letters THE EDITOR, On behalf of the board of directors of CHuMS (Central Huron Mobility Service Inc.) I wish to thank the many organizations, businesses and private citizens who supported our fundraising drive to start up our specialized bus service. I'm sure everyone will be pleased to know that the bus was ordered in June and will be ready in early November. The board has been meeting all summer to prepare for the start up of our service. Our mailing address is: CHuMS, P.O. Box 333, Seaforth, Ontario NOW 1KO. Our office telephone will not be in service until October. The rates for use of the bus have been set as follows: One-way trip within town/village limits, $2.50 One-way trip up to 10 km, $3.00 One-way trip 10-20 km, $3.50 One-way trip 20-30 km, $4.00 A newsletter is currently being mailed to all persons who have applied for the service and to all donors, CHuMS members and municipal councils. Our Eligibility Committee will be contacting all eligible applicants in October regarding details about the start up of the service. THE EDITOR, First of all I'm writing in defense of our local informative radio station CKNX Wingham. This station was started, supported and enjoyed by the entire community. We grew up and raised my six children in this area. The weather reports, bus cancellations and school closures were all available by turning,,on Wingham. The markets, grain prices, swap shop and in memoriams, and -our local children singing in Christmas concerts around the area. If this part of Ontario is so disturbing and backward to some Anyone who would like to receive our revised brochure, an application form or our newsletter can drop a line to: CHuMS, Box 333, Seaforth, Ontario NOW 1KO. Thank you most sincerely for your support and patience. The bus IS coming! Mike Regier, Chair CHuMS Board of Directors people, why don't they move or listen to a station of their taste in the big city? Mary East Oops THE EDITOR, As co-ordinator for the Fashion Show "The Artful Dresser" for the Blyth Festival Art Gallery, I must apologize for any inconvenience caused by its postponement from this past weekend, due to circumstances beyond my control. Yours sincerely Janet Baillie CHuMS new bus on the way Writer defends radio station eNA BLUE RIBBON AWARD 1.995 C The North Huron itizen Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Sales Representatives, Jeannette McNeil and Julie Mitchell P.O. Box 429, P.O. Box 152, BLYTH, Ont. BRUSSELS, Ont. NOM 1H0 NOG IHO Phone 523.4792 Phone 8879114 FAX 523.9140 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 $23.00/year ($21.50 plus $1.50 G.S.T.) for local; $33.00/year ($30.85 plus $2.15 G.S.T.) for local letter carrier in Goderich, Hanover, Listowel, etc. and out-of-area (40 miles from Brussels); $62.00/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, AUGUST 30, 1995. Snitch on tax cheaters too? Now that Mike Harris' government has promoted a snitch line to have people report on possible cheaters on welfare, will he be as vigilant about tracking down other cheats: such as those who take cash payments so they don't have to pay taxes? It may be necessary in times of government financial distress to ask people to snitch on welfare cheaters, but it certainly is distasteful. It brings memories of the neighbourhood committees in communist countries like Cuba who are supposed to report to the secret police. any neighbour's activities that went against government policies. If this telephone snitch-line goes ahead, probably next in line will be a snitch-line on Workers' Compensation cheaters. But will the government, whose deep down conviction is that people are paying too many taxes, also turn its attention to the tax dodgers who are driving up costs for all those honest citizens who pay their taxes? The people who populate the underground economy, those people who'll only take cash so they don't have to declare the income and pay taxes, play a lot bigger role in the current fiscal crisis of the provincial and federal governments than the relatively few welfare cheaters. They operate under the same credo as the welfare cheat: that they shouldn't have to play by the same rules as the suckers in society. But in today's distorted right-wing world, while the, guy who collects welfare and refuses to work is a scoundrel, the guy who cheats on his taxes is a heroic guerrilla in the underground war against big government. But make no mistake: these guys, whether the tradesman who fixes your plumbing and asks to be paid in cash, or the babysitter who won't give receipts because she doesn't want to declare her income, is costing you and me money. Taxes for the "suckers" have gone up because taxpayers have had to make up for those who aren't paying. Government debts have increased because revenue keeps disappeding when the underground operators skip payment. Unpaid income tax hurts both federal and provincial governments because they share this revenue. Unpaid GST hurts federal revenues and the feds cut transfers to the provinces which chop services and cut transfers to municipal governments. So dead-beat taxpayers increase your taxes at all three levels of government: federal, provincial and municipal. If the government is going to encourage snitching on cheaters, let's promote the same policy for all those who cheat. — KR Dreaming in technicolor If Quebec Premier Jacques Parizeau can actually manage to sell his message that Quebecers can have all the benefits of being part of Canada while still being independent, the newly independent country may become a haven for real estate agents selling swampland. Last week at the Premiers' conference in Newfoundland Parizeau was trying to convince voters in this fall's expected referendum that Quebec would have the same trading rules within Canada after independence as before. The week before, it was the suggestion of a government-sponsored study that Quebec dairy farmers would be able to keep their 40 per cent share of Canada's industrial milk quota even if they vote to separate from Canada. Sure, and elephants can fly. Faced with the prospect of losing border protection under GATT treaty changes, Canadian dairy farmers have been gearing up to produce more milk in the future. If Quebec votes to separate from Canada, producers in Ontario and elsewhere would be vocal in their pressure on the government to keep this "foreign" milk out and keep the job of supplying Ontario cheese, butter and skim milk plants here. Parizeau likes to argue to Quebecers that they are so important, that Canadians couldn't get along without them if they decide to separate. Canada would be forced to trade with Quebec, he argues. What he ignores is that if Quebec votes to separate, the hurt and anger will be so strong in Canada that a lot of irrational things will happen. Those outside Quebec will start to behave as the nationalists in Quebec have acted for years: we'll want to strike out, to hurt someone. Parizeau continues to try to sell both sides cti:the same argument: on one side that people in the rest of Canada are unreasonable and will never let Quebec have its due while on the other, that we will be reasonable after separation and want to get along. It's dishonest. We can only hope a majority of Quebecers see that. — KR E ditorial