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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1996-11-13, Page 4Letters THE EDITOR, I am writing in response to the letter written by Cheryl Webster in last week's Citizen. Her brother, Brian Searson, was injured in an unfortunate accident involving his motorcycle and a tractor towing a grain buggy. While I do not disagree with her statement that farm vehicles should be better equipped with lights and mirrors, Ms Webster failed to mention that drivers of regular motor vehicles should take the time to learn and understand what flashing lights and slow moving vehicle signs mean, and to slow down when they come upon one of these vehicles. As a. farm employee, I am frequently required to be on th4 road with oversized equipment. Whenever possible I try to take the lesser travelled roads, but often I am forced to go into high traffic areas. Ms Webster, if you have never driven a tractor or combine down the road, you would be amazed at how fast and how close some drivers pass you, not to mention how rude a few are. I can't believe that some people can't wait 20 or 30 seconds to wait to pass if I am climbing a hill or if there is oncoming traffic. More than once I have been forced to go to the ditch to avoid an accident. Ms Webster, I truly am sorry for your brother, but I feel you are placing blame where it doesn't belong. I hope your brother has a quick recovery. Sincerely, Marc Barbour, Brussels. THE EDITOR, Last Tuesday evening I attended a meeting in Blyth concerning area hospitals. When I left, I was upset with Premier Mike Harris and the PC party again, which automatically ignited the Irish in my blood! What is the importance of our hospitals and who benefits from them? I would like to take this opportunity to answer these questions from my own perspective. As a citizen of Blyth for the past 21 1/2 years, I can honestly confirm the importance of our hospitals in the area. Doctors have looked after me from head to toe, in Photo by Bonnie Gropp Clinton, Wingham, Goderich, Stratford and London. Each in their own excellent way was of great benefit. Little do politicians realize the necessities of hospitals, unless of course they were to experience significant health issues themselves. It is so ironic to be looking at the cutbacks in hospitals and the possibility of closures when not too long ago Helen Jolms and Mike Harris stressed in their campaign as quoted in the Clinton News- Record: "We will not touch a penny in education and hospitalization, if elected." Well obviously enough people bought their stories. I guess they are not liars in one sense - for they are not touching pennies, but rather millions of dollars in education and hospitals instead. It's equivalent to their promise to create jobs — the only part they seem to be carrying out in this field is through a process of elimination — eliminating jobs that is! This is one reason why our hospitals are needed more — thanks to their increase in job closures /losses, causing insecurities.. Thus, heart attacks, strokes and nerve problems to name a few will be on the increase. Perhaps my brain surgeon, Dr. Continued on page 21 cn Citizen P.O. Rex 429, P.O. Box 152, BLYTH, Ont. BRUSSELS, Ont. NOM tHO HOG 1HO Phone 523-4792 Phone 887-9114 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 $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 Thee North Huron Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising Manager, Jeannette McNeil VERIFIED CIRCULATION PAID PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1996 Tax cut looks expensive Have you noticed the extra money in your paycheque since the provincial government cut income tax July 1? When you look around at cutbacks to road maintenance and possible hospital closures does it seem to be worth it? The tax cut, the first installment of a planned larger cut, worked out to $2.39 per week for someone with a $25,000 a year income. The idea was that people were going to spend the extra money and stimulate the economy. So far no dice. A $2.39 tax cut seems hardly worth writing about, but given the convulsions this province is going through in provincial government cuts, it becomes a little more serious. The thought arose as Clinton Public Hospital officials explained last week that the hospital is operating on the same level of government support as it received in 1991. Now 1991 was only one year after the provincial government of David Peterson had a small provincial budgetary surplus. Things were only starting, in 1991, to go bad as the recession set in and the NDP tried to counter it with additional spending. So if this hospital is operating on the same money it did in 1991, how come it is fighting for its future, afraid it may be swept aside in a hospital reform proposal that has to cut a minimum of 18 per cent from hospital budgets in Huron-Perth? How much pain will we go through in the name of a tax cut? Similarly, while Monday's early snowstorm and the resulting terrible road conditions can be explained by road departments not being prepared yet, it seemed like a preview of what we may expect as cuts to road budgets continue. Huron County, for instance, must take over 70 km more road with the province sticking it with Hwys. 83, 84 and 87, yet the county has also had its road grants cut by the province. There are one-time-only grants from the province, but no word of continuing support. There are also indications that Highway 4 and 86 and perhaps parts of Hwy. 8 will also be dumped on the county. No matter how efficient the county roads department is, we can't expect them to properly patrol 70 kilometres of extra road for less money. And when these two factors come together, the possibilities are truly frightening. What happens if, as in the proposed hospital reform in Grey-Bruce, Huron and Perth are left with only two hospitals? What will it be like for county residents travelling farther to get to a hospital over roads that are far worse than we have today? No one doubts that we must make sacrifices to fight the government deficit. The problem is we're being asked to make additional sacrifices in the name of delivering an income tax cut that will benefit the wealthy but not middle and lower income taxpayers. The damage these additional cuts will make to our way of life is far more serious than anything we can gain from the tax cut. — KR Working together necessary On the surface, Huron County councillors looked petty last week when one after another they announced they didn't want any part of county funding to help Morris Twp, and Exeter upgrade their landfill sites to accept garbage from other municipalities. Under the surface, the councillors were fighting in the name of small government. Councillors were debating budgeting $250,000 a year for the county to co-ordinate the best use of landfill sites and help Morris and Exeter buy new equipment to make the most efficient use of the capacity of their sites so that down the road a few years they can become regional landfill sites. Since the proposal to use the town municipal sites allowed the county to end its expensive search for a county landfill, and thus saved taxpayers an estimated $10 million to develop a new site, arguing over $250,000 a year seemed a bit much. Understandably, Morris Twp. • Reeve Bert Elliott was upset by the talk. What councillors were really fighting, however, was creating a continuing county bureaucracy to administer waste management even if the county had no landfill and no collection system, At a time of government cutbacks, they didn't want a new department being created when they felt none was needed. The rest of the county must work together to compensate Morris and Exeter for helping us all out, but we need to do it without creating unnecessary bureaucracy. — KR ditorial