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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1996-10-02, Page 4Down by the riverside Letters THE EDITOR, On Wednesday evening, six municipal councils and interested citizens met in Brussels to discuss the amalgamation of municipalities as directed by the Minister of Municipal Affairs. The six councils have said no to amalgamation. Rather than allow the Minister to stampede and coerce our municipalities into something that is not beneficial to the citizens of our municipalities the six intend to oppose this merger mania. It is ironic that at a time when "downsizing" is the buzzword in business that the province wants municipal governments to get bigger. It has yet to be proven that a bigger municipality saves money. What has been proven is that rural areas suffer as a result. It should be noted that the considerable costs of amalgamation arc paid for by the ratepayer. What the Minister fails to see is that rural Ontario municipalities already share services. It is part of our rural tradition to share. It is also part of our rural community that the local elected politician is available to meet and discuss problems with the ratepayer. Fewer elected people means less accessibility and more decisions being made by the bureaucracy. This is not an endorsement of the status quo. Like everyone else our municipal governments have learned to get by with less money. If the Minister wishes to reduce provincial transfer to zero then rural Ontario will be able to deal with that. Our local councils continue to meet and discuss ways of cutting costs and maintaining the essential services which we are mandated to provide. We feel that we can continue to share and improve without the need to change municipal boundaries. Our councils will support any municipality in Huron which is the target of an amalgamation takeover by another municipality. We know that if we work together we can improve our system of local government. If we work against each other then the goodwill which has held Huron County together for generations will be shattered. Yours sincerely, Robin Dunbar, Council, Township of Grey. THE EDITOR, Again I feel compelled to remind our neighbours and friends, the many citizens of Huron County, that there are a great number of families in this county against whom the policies of the Huron County Board of Education (HCBE) and the provincial Ministry of Education are discriminating. These families (over 100 of them) from all walks of life have, for religious reasons, chosen to send their children to the Clinton and District Christian School (CDCS) and its corresponding secondary school, The London and District Christian Secondary School. The annual budget for running CDCS alone, is over $750,000. CDCS is not a church sponsored school. It is entirely independent and inter-denominational. The cost is carried solely by families who have children enrolled and by friends who support these families in this cause. Why do they do this? They are definitely not fringe fanatics. They are people like yourselves, but they are unique in that they are convinced of the necessity of making any sacrifice that might be necessary in order to continue their objection to the Ontario government's unjust monopoly on the province's educational system. They are protesting the Ontario government's unjustified attempt to grab the hearts and minds of the children of all of the families in this province. Let me explain. These Christian parents are convinced, that the Christian perspectives (including lifestyle and values) of our churches and homes cannot, and may not, be divorced from the learning that happens in our children's schools. They do not agree with the "humanistic philosophy (religion)" promoted by the public school Continued on page 6 PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1996 O C t i izen et, The North Huron cn P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1HO Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1HO Phone 887-9114 FAX 8874021 Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising Manager, Jeannette McNeil MM .R0 CMCULATION PAID The Citizen Is published weekly In Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions ere payable in advance at a rate of $27.00/year ($25.24 + $1.76 G.S.T.) in Canada; $62.00/year In U.S.A. and $75.00/year in other foreign countries. 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 Some example for kids! There was a time when young people looked up to athletes as examples of how hard work and dedication could bring reward. There was a time when. for Canadian youngsters, baseball player Roberto Alomar was an example of just how talented an athlete could be. Sadly, these times are no more. Already having sulked through a season, then leaving Toronto Blue Jays, the team that had given him his greatest opportunity for glory, Alomar this past weekend showed he's not getting older, he's getting less mature. He showed that, playing beside Cal Ripken, one of the classiest players in the game, none of the class has rubbed off. His new low in stupidity came, ironically enough, in a game in Toronto Friday night. Alomar was called out on strikes, admittedly on a terrible call from the umpire. He argued the call and was tossed out of the game, again by an umpire who was trigger-happy given the importance of the game for Alomar's team, the Baltimore Orioles. But Alomar flew into a rage and ended up spitting in the face of the umpire. Since then he has gone from being an admired player to being the most reviled player in baseball, He received a five-game suspension but, by appealing it, was allowed to play for his team in the playoffs. That, in turn, outraged umpires who, as this is written, are threatening to boycott playoff games if Alomar is allowed to compete. How sadly disillusioning for the young people who once made Robbie Alomar the most popular athlete in Toronto. Already these youngsters have been disillusioned about .the value of loyalty in sport. Three short years ago Toronto Blue Jays won the World Series for the second straight year. But rather than being able to savour those memories for a lifetime, young fans watched as that team dissolved, the players seeking more money to play elsewhere, or being let go because the team could find players who would work for less. Anyone who wonders why today's young people are so cynical and detached from feelings like loyalty, need only look at the opportunities they have to find model humans to admire. There are no heroes like John Kennedy or Pierre Trudeau in politics. Hollywood stars have all too human failings in these days when their reputations aren't protected by the studio system. Our athletes are seen as petty and greedy. Even the royal family behaves shoddily. Where's a kid to turn for inspiration? -- KR A nation of grumps? The surveys tell a strange story. The United Nations surveyed countries around the world and found out Canada was the best place to live when things like education, opportunity and social programs were included. Yet the World Values Survey of 38 countries (published recently in Maclean's magazine showed that when people were polled on whether they were happy or not, Canadians placed 21st on the list with only 78.4 per cent saying they were generally happy. Ah yes, you say, but it's our cold, dull northern climate that makes us unhappy. It doesn't seem to have that effect on other northern peoples. Leading the survey was Iceland where 97 per cent of people said they were happy. Next came Sweden, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands. Well, there's the problems with Quebec, right? So how come Northern Ireland, where "the troubles" were still meaning regular bombings when the survey was taken, ranked sixth with 93 per cent of people saying they were happy. There's too much crime to be happy in Canada? The U.S. has far more murder and mayhem but stands 13th, and 10 per cent more Americans were happy than Canadians. Heck, almost 10 per cent fewer Canadians than Poles were happy, and they face the daunting task of rebuilding their country from the debacle of communism. What makes Canadians so gloomy? Is it that we are a nation of discontented people who came here in the first place because we wanted out of somewhere else? Is it that we sit in envy looking across the border to what we think is a greener pasture in the U.S.? For whatever reason, Canadians need to look in a mirror and tell themselves to "get a life". We have a land, despite its problems, of security and opportunity. We should be the happiest people in the world to be fortunate to be born here, not be a nation of grumps. —KR E ditorial