Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1997-02-12, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12,1997 C itizenTheNorthHuron (ZcNA P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOU 1 HO Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 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 E ditorial The untouchables For those who have to deal with the results of the Ontario government's downloading of programs, delivered during the "Megaweek" announcements in January, the subsequent rise in the government's popularity must seem bitterly ironic. The provincial government, at least for the moment, is getting credit for cutting costs, but the municipal leaders may be the bad guys for having to raise local taxes to pay the price for the province's "savings". Huron County estimates show that for every dollar saved by the province taking over education, local municipalities will have to pay $1.40 in new expenses, from roads to welfare to seniors housing to ambulances. And yet over and over you hear people praise the government for "keeping its promises". Actually, the Harris government is keeping one promise: the promise to slash costs and give people a 30 per cent reduction in their provincial income tax. This is the one promise the government seems to care about, and it's the one promise the public seems to see. In order to deliver this promise, however, the government has broken a lot of others. When Harris promised, during his election campaign, not to cut healthcare costs, it's doubtful that many people had in mind that hospitals would be closed so that money could be reassigned in higher pay for doctors. The government promised university tuition wouldn't increase, but last week, Education Minister John Snobelen allowed universities to increase tuition another 10 per cent. Over and over again the government promised not to cut further money from funding for agriculture. Last year it made huge cuts and recently, farm group leaders were told there would be another 25 per cent to the budget of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food over the next two years, on top of the ending of the Farm Tax Rebate program. Yet all these things are forgiven and the government is credited with keeping its promises. The government's Megaweek announcements were accompanied by advertisements with Premier Harris promoting the "untangling" of the wasteful overlap of jurisdictions. Yet the promise was better than the results. Now we have municipalities picking up more welfare costs, while the province sets provincial standards. Municipalities pay more for public health, yet the province sets the rules. The province will take over the education share of commercial and industrial taxes from municipalities. The province will require municipalities to operate ambulances that go to provincially-administered hospitals. Rather than untangle things, there seems more mess than ever. And yet the government is more popular than ever. Many taxpayers, it seems, care only for the bottom line on their income tax form. The bottom line for bottom-line taxpayers may yet be on the way, however. Barring a sudden influx of new money from the province's Community Reinvestment fund, local taxpayers are either going to be hit with a huge tax increase, a huge cut in services — or both. There is no free lunch, nor is there a free tax cut. We are going to pay big in order for Mr. Harris to keep his tax cut promise. If he can maintain his popularity when those tax increases occur in 1998, then we'll know he really is an untouchable. — KR Ignoring reality Today's right-wing, free enterprisers like to let on they are the people in touch with reality while their critics are ivory-tower dreamers. Sometimes, however, they're totally out of touch themselves. Discussing this week’s meeting of cultural industries' leaders to discuss government policies in the arts and culture, Reform Party spokesman Steven Harper said government cultural policies are just old-fashioned protectionism for powerful industries that don't need it. Canada should be looking at export opportunities, he said. Well Canada does have one powerful cultural sector bringing in export dollars, the pop music industry. But the only reason we have so many big name international stars is because we adopted a quota that said a percentage of music on Canadian radio had to be Canadian. Until then, Canadian radio stations just played international stars. Over and over, the story is the same: private business will take cheap imported entertainment if it can get it To even get a chance to be heard and seen, our artists and writers need help from their government. — KR Letters THE EDITOR, I am writing to thank the Blyth community on its support of the Huron United Way. Special thanks to Mary Ann Howson for her help and dedication. Her contribution cannot be measured. Thanks to the generosity of the Blyth community, the needy in all of Huron will be able to be better assisted in the coming year. Well done! Carol Randle for: Huron United Way. THE EDITOR, At a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Seaforth Community Hospital, held on Jan. 28, general support was expressed for the direction being taken by the DHC Study Task Force in the release of the preferred option. The recommendation being put forward for the Seaforth hospital was nearly identical to the eight hospital option endorsed by the board earlier this month. This option presents significant challenges to our hospital due to a reduction in the number of acute care beds. The hospital, through the co-operative team approach which has been adopted by our physicians, nurses and hospital staff, has been able to achieve significant utilization efficiencies over the past few years and expressed its confidence that the Seaforth "team" will be able to meet this new challenge. I am pleased to note that Obstetrics and Midwifery services will continue to be provided at the Seaforth hospital. Of particular interest is the opportunity given to the Seaforth hospital, through this restructuring study, to develop a regional chronic care program to address the health care needs of our growing elderly population in the Huron/Perth District. The development of this "Centre of Excellence" is an exciting opportunity for our hospital and one which our Board Photo by Bonnie Gropp will aggressively pursue to establish in co-operation with our fellow Huron/Perth hospitals and other health care organizations. This program could include a combination of inpatient hospital beds, a specialized day hospital program and other services which would meet the health care needs of our elderly residents. On the issues of governance and administration support was ex­ pressed for working collaboratively with the other hospitals and the DHC Study Task Force to develop a "streamlined" governance and administration model. In adopting a district-wide systems approach to the delivery of hospital services a streamlined model is both warranted and needed. Bill Thibert, CEO at the Seaforth Community Hospital. THE EDITOR, A meeting is set for Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Brussels arena. The main concern of this meeting is to get input regarding the Brussels Morris Grey Catering Group and other ways in which our Continued on page 6