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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1997-01-22, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22,1997 P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 itizen The North Huron P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising Manager, Jeannette McNeil 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_________________j E ditorial i ~i Honesty please A poll released last week showed politicians placed near the bottom of the ranking in terms of believability, just slightly ahead of arms dealers. The poll didn't mention if the arms dealers are gaining on the politicians but given recent events, they might be. If politicians feel hurl by the lack of respect they have with the general public, they have only their fellows to blame. Federally, we've had the apology to Brian Mulroney for the leaked news that he was under investigation of corruption in the Airbus purchase — except it wasn't really much of an apology. Then there was the government naming an enquiry into the Somalia scandal and saying it had the widest range of latitude in its investigation, then telling the commissioners they have a deadline they don't think will allow them to fully look at the events that took place. Provincially, we have the Harris government demonizing your local politician, the folks who get a couple of thousand dollars a year for working on your behalf, as the source of waste and duplication. Usually provincial governments make Ottawa out to be the bad guys but the Harris strategy has been to lake on the little guys who have a harder time fighting back. So it's the school board trustees who arc to blame for the mess in education. It's your local municipal councillor who is wasteful and must be eliminated if you are to save on your taxes. Nothing was more dishonest about last week’s massive downloading of government programs onto the municipalities than the government's suggestion that, if they manage things properly, municipal politicians should be able to deliver a 10 per cent tax cut by the year 2000. Now if your taxes go up because the province has stuck your local municipalities with everything from new roads to police services to ambulance services to welfare and homes for the aged, then it isn't the fault of the province, it's the fault of the local politicians. Few municipal politicians are experienced enough, or have enough to gain, to play this kind of mean-spirited politics. If there are politicians we should look up to it is those who give so much to serve you at the lowest level of government: the township or village council. To smear these people as the provincial government has done, reflects more on provincial politicians than local ones. — KR Beginning of the end? A small decision released by the World Trade Organization (WTO) last week, could spell the beginning of the loss of a Canadian identity. The WTO ruled that it is illegal for Canada to try to encourage a unique national magazine industry by discriminating against foreign magazines either through preferential postal rates for Canadian magazines, or through special taxes on those advertising in foreign magazines coming into Canada. The impact of the ruling could be to send Canada back to where it was 30 years ago before the government passed laws to encourage Canadian magazines. In those days, magazines like Time and Reader's Digest, published "Canadian" editions which were mostly the American editions with Canadian advertising. Because they had already paid for most of the editorial content, these magazines could offer lower advertising rates and larger circulation than any Canadian competitor. As a result, there were few Canadian competitors. But the government passed laws that said money spent on advertising in non-Canadian publications could not be claimed for tax purposes. With the rules changed, Canada developed a flourishing magazine industry, hundreds of magazines telling Canadians about their own country. Now, all that can be lost unless the government can find a loophole to control the monopoly of U.S. giants like Time-Life. Worse, the WTO ruling could also be the beginning of the end for other initiatives, like Canadian content on radio and television. A government ruling about the same time as the magazine legislation, created a flourishing Canadian music industry by saying radio stations had to play a certain percentage of Canadian music. Could that be lost too? Could there be no future Celine Dions or Jann Ardens because they don't gel a chance to be heard? This was the concern many had about Free Trade, that we would lose the ability to set rules to protect our own way of life and culture. Unless we can find ways to protect ourselves, we will lose something special — our sense of ourselves. — KR Riverside view Letters THE EDITOR, Brussels, Ontario will be celebrating its 125th Anniversaryon Aug. 1, 2, and 3, 1997. An invitation is extended to all those with an interest or roots in Brussels to attend the planned festivities. A book detailing the village's 125 years of progress is being printed and will be a wonderful historical addition to any personal library. We know there are many more people who should know about the festivities and are not on our mailing list. Please help us to contact these 'missed' families/ persons by sending us their names and addresses. Il would be unfortunate for those interested in attending to miss the wonderful events planned by the various committees. Thanks to those who have already responded and if you think of anyone else, please send their names and addresses to Jim and Leona Armstrong, Brussels, Ontario. NOG 1H0 or Fax 519-887- 9182. See you at the Brussels '97 celebrations. Leona Armstrong Homecoming Committee. THE EDITOR, The week of Jan. 13 - 17, 1997 will long be remembered by the citizens of Ontario. It was billed as a "megaweek" of big announce­ ments to "reshape Ontario". There were big announcements about education restructuring, property tax reform, social and public services...and the week ended with "big" weather in Huron County. Surgery is being performed on the Ontario education system. The surgery is being performed using a chain saw, rather than with a scalpel. It is abundantly clear that the provincial government wanted control of education. The government also recognized that whoever pays the bills has the control; so it was prepared to take over the funding of the $4.5 billion now raised locally through property taxes for education. The immediate impact of this move would be a significant decrease in property taxes with a corresponding significant increase in provincial income taxes. That was certainly NOT going to happen from the government that promised a 30 per cent provincial income lax decrease. They had to "off-load" about the same amount of other service costs to the municipalities. The government is playing the "old shell game". It is shifting money and responsibilities around quickly in the hopes that Ontarians become even more confused. It is all smoke and mirrors! Financial obligations are being swapped with municipalities. Government is making municipalities pick up more than $5 billion in welfare, public health, co-op housing, child care, policing and long-term elder care costs. As well, $500 million is being transferred in transportation, library and environmental costs to Ontario municipalities. In exchange for the transfer, the Harris government has taken over $5.4 billion in education funding by removing education from the residential portion of property tax bills. This is "slippery politics"! This strategy is clearly intended to provide cuts to provincial income taxes as promised in the "common sense revolution". Finance Minister Ernie Eves says that municipal taxes won't go up. Critics say they will; and municipalities must be concerned. It is the municipalities that will be painted as the bad guys when service cuts are made or when municipal taxes go up. The recent announcements from John Snobelen, minister of education and training, concerning school governance and education finance reform has indeed turned the Ontario education system upside down. But what will be the impact for the students, parents, and teachers of Huron County? There are certainly many unanswered questions remaining to be answered. Consider in your own mind the questions that begin with " what?... when?... why?.. .where? ...how?" I certainly don't presume to know the answers, but as a Federation president I may be involved in the rationalization process to help to find some of the answers. Effective Jan. 1, 1998, the Huron Public Education System will become the amalgamated Huron- Continued on page 14