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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1997-03-12, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 1997 itizen (Zc^A The North Huron P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 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 I 1 Business prescription failing There are two different worlds these days: the world of good news and optimism from business leaders and economists, and the real world for ordinary people. Unfortunately, most of us live in the real world. Listen to the bank economists who note low interest rates, declining government debt and a booming stock market, and we should be in a boom time. In fact, some even warn about the inevitability of a recession after all this growth. For most ordinary people, however, the last recession never left. In Ontario, 20,000 jobs were lost in February. Despite low interest rates, people just don't have enough confidence about their future to borrow and spend. Since 1988's free trade election, the policy of all governments in Canada has been increasingly tailored to the needs and desires of business. The belief has been that government cannot create jobs, only create conditions for business to create jobs. Supporters of free trade will say, for instance, that the only area of the Canadian economy that is strong is the export sector. Yet Canada has a real unemployment rate of about 14 per cent (counting those who have given up registering with Employment Canada) while the U.-S. has five per cent. Business wanted government to tackle the deficit, and now even business agrees the federal government is doing a good job. Interest rates are low (which helps the deficit fight), and yet the economy isn't being stimulated. The business prescription isn't working. The reason is that for a decade, Canadians have been scared stiff about their future. First they were hit with private sector restructuring because of free trade. Next, in answer to the wishes of business, governments started slashing payrolls to fight the deficit. With hundreds of thousands of government workers being laid off, with family members and neighbours affected, it's not much wonder people worried about their own future. Now, for instance, with thousands of hospital workers in jeopardy because of hospital closures (6,000 nurses in Toronto alone last week), a new wave of fear will be sweeping the province. But never fear, business can always find a reason government is to blame. On Canada AM on CTV television this week, a bank economist claimed the reason the economy isn't working is because people need a tax cut. A Chamber of Commerce economist said businesses will create more jobs if only government will cut Employment Insurance premiums. Yet the Ontario government has tried to stimulate the province's economy by a tax cut and since the first part of the cut came into effect, the province has lost 57,000 jobs. (Though to be fair, the full tax cut isn't yet in effect). But perhaps it's time someone looked at the truth. As thousands get laid off, they won't spend. Moreover when their friends and neighbours are scared of their futures, they won't risk spending money. Governments must make the cuts they must make and then stop talking about it. They need to give people confidence in the future instead of constantly scaring them. Business must make profits translate into jobs. Instead, businesses are so worried about being "competitive" that they're laying off employees even as they make record profits. In fact it is the greed of shareholders (including pension funds) that is driving some businesses to fire employees to maintain 15-20 per cent profit levels. Business hasn't been delivering its part of the bargain. Perhaps it's time to stop thinking that if we please business eventually ordinary people will benefit and instead look to meet the needs of people first, so that business can benefit from happy customers. — KR Blaming each other A disturbing trend has come out of last week's announcement of massive hospital closings in Toronto: rural Ontario is taking the blame. The Toronto media are zeroing in on Health Minister Jim Wilson's decision to look at a new rural health care policy before closing more rural hospitals and claiming that it proves the government has a pro- rural, anti-urban bias. As well as being unfair, this attitude is destructive. Unfortunately this is happening more and more as communities fight over scarce government dollars. We may save tax dollars but if we start bating each other it will be a hollow victory. — KR Photo by Bonnie Gropp Letters THE EDITOR, In 1994 the council of the township of Morris reconstructed part of Cone. 2, my understanding was that this was to stop the flooding of the road. I disapproved of this project as it would cost the taxpayers a lot of unnecessary money, destroy our farm near the construction and would flood two other roads. Tile construction blocked the natural flooding of the river. Maitland Engineering of Wingham was in charge of the project. Even though they admitted to never seeing a flood on this stretch of river, they said their numbers indicated that there would be no change in flooding and council agreed. Maitland Valley, their engineer and myself had an onsight meeting. I pointed out that the ice associated with every spring flood would jam due to the road construction and cause water and ice to flood over our land and destroy our fences and flood the two roads south of the bridge. They appeared to feel my concerns were justified. Maitland Engineering said their numbers did not take ice jams into account because ice jams do not block water or the water goes underneath the ice. The flooding of the roads to the south of the bridge would never happen. At another meeting the road superintendent also stated that ice jams do not block water because the water goes through the ice. Council agreed and said my claims of damage would never happen. This spring flooding and ice jams have destroyed parts of our farm and flooded two roads south of the bridge. We suffered damages to our property due to ice jam. Council informed me to fix my fences myself because they don't pay damages. I reported the damages this year to the reeve who told me that my fences weren't any good to begin with. (He has never seen the fences and I have yet to see a fence that can withstand four feet of ice and water). Now that our farm has been destroyed and my farming operation is in doubt, I think the taxpayers of this township should show our support for the town of Durham and send them our experts on flooding. They will be able to tell the people that ice isn't their problem but it is the fact that they don't build their structures to withstand four or five feet of water. We would take Durham's council which has a new attitude towards floods. Even though we were told this damage would never happen and that my predictions were ridicu­ lous, no one has explained why this has happened. Keith J. Elston. THE EDITOR, I'm seriously concerned about the representation we are receiving from our elected MPP, Mrs. Helen Johns regarding education issues, and particularly about her attitude shown on Friday, Feb. 28 at her office in Exeter, If you had constituents coming from the farthest comers of your riding, wouldn't you be willing to extend your office hours by a few minutes so their concerns could be heard? Mrs. Johns did not. If you have constituents who had arranged days ahead to present a brief, (Part of a province-wide, grass-roots movement "PEOPLE for EDUCATION) to you regarding their concerns, wouldn't it be only right that you be in your office to keep your appointment? Mrs. Johns was not. If you had 348 constituents in front of your office, who had taken a considerable amount of their own time, at their own expenses, to present their concerns, wouldn't you want to hear them out and respond to their concerns? Mrs. Johns did not. If the Minister of Education and Training had brought but a proposal to replace hard-working, college-trained educational aides (who are family supporters) with outsourced, minimum wage personnel, wouldn't you be standing up in the legislature to defend these workers' rights to a fair wage and job security? Mrs. Johns has not. If you belonged to a government seemingly determined to under­ mine and dismantle a world-class educational system with mindless cuts, deliberate chaos, politically- motivated change serving only special-interest elites, forgetting the children in the classrooms of Huron County, wouldn't you say, "ENOUGH!" Wouldn't you say, as a number of Conservative MPPs did in the Legislature regarding health-care restructuring recently, "I' not toeing the party line any more, Mr. Harris!" Mrs. Johns has not. The 348 plus education workers, teachers, educational assistants, and custodians of Huron County who came to the Huron constituency office on Friday, Feb. 28 deserve better than is. The parents who see their school system being underfunded and gutted deserve better. The children in our classrooms deserve better. Please, Mrs. Johns, remember the needs of the children is that most important "C" - the classroom. Brent Bowyer Teacher, Wingham P.S. Through the Years From the files of the Blyth Stan­ dard, Brussels Post and the North Huron Citizen 1 YEAR AGO MARCH 13,1996 A strike by Ontario Public Ser­ vice Employee Union members forced meat packers, slaughter house owners and butchers to shut down as meat inspectors were off the job. School boards received an "empty toolbox" from the provin­ cial government. The report was to have helped boards trim several million from the budgets. The Brussels Crusaders held a 3- 2 series lead in their semi-final con­ test against Wiarton. Wingham and Area Seniors' Day Centre was forced to find new accommodations when negotiations with the landlord were unsuccess­ ful. Erica Clark of Blyth earned her Silver Duke of Edinburgh award at the annual Scout and Guide Ban­ quet.