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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1997-08-20, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20,1997 C itizenTheNorthHuron 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 E-mail norhuron@huron.net Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising Manager, Jeannette McNeil PA10 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 © CopyrighL Publications Mail Registration No. 6968 E ditorial 1..................................................- Tax cut costing plenty The costs Qf the provincial government’s income tax cut are beginning to mount in smaller municipalities. The government has maintained that it will stimulate the economy by putting more dollars in our pockets through a 30 per cent cut in provincial income tax. Recently, however, the residents of Huron County’s villages and townships have been informed they will now have to pay $171 per household a year for OPP services — services that haven't been on the local tax base until the recent downloading of provincial services to the municipal level. The figure alone will eat up most of the income tax saving for someone earning $25,000. Buy there’s more. Municipalities will also be responsible for ambulance service. Nobody quite knows how much that will cost yet (although municipalities get stuck with these costs Jan. 1, most are still struggling to get enough information from the province to find out how they can budget for the added costs). Municipal Affairs Minister Al Leach claims there will be no need for municipalities to increase their local taxes, if they just cut two per cent from their spending. As municipalities struggle to find out what the effects of the downloading will be, more and more feel Leach is incompetent or just plain dishonest. Municipal politicians can see themselves being blamed if large tax increases result — and few doubt they will, while Leach points the finger at them (it seems to be part of an orchestrated campaign by (he government to blacken the reputation of municipal councillors and school board trustees — every provincial announcement about an amalgamation starts off by saying how many municipal council positions will be eliminated). The provincial government seems to have learned well the lesson of the federal government — pass on your costs and make the guy below you look bad while you balance your budget. The province added a twist, however. Not content to balance the budget, it threw in the costly tax cut. The result is a shuffling of responsibility that will cost the ordinary homeowner a pile of money while rewarding the big income owners who will save big on the tax cut. All this chaos, and it’s likely going to cost you more in the long run anyway. — KR Power to the middle As expected, the provincial premiers came away from their meeting recently calling for the transfer of more power from the federal government to (who else) themselves. Given a recent court decision in Ontario, however, giving the provinces more of the power in the country would create powerful governments with little ability for checks and balances. The provinces, through the Canadian constitution, hold the ability to act as a check on the power of the federal government and the federal government keeps the provinces in check. Many might assume that the same kind of relationship exists at the level of government closest to the people: the municipality. We all know the province has power to prevent municipalities getting carried away, both by setting the rules municipalities must follow in making their local bylaws, and by requiring financial reporting to the province. An Ontario judge, however, has said that there are no checks on the power of the province. In passing the Omnibus Bill, which gave the provincial government the power to totally change municipal boundaries, municipal funding and just about everything else involving municipalities, local hospitals, local schools, the province took all this power to itself — and the judge said it had the right to do it. Municipalities are the creation of the province and it can do whatever it wants with them, no matter how undemocratic that might seem. Decision poses some troubling issues. It seems to give provincial governments almost dictatorial powers to rearrange whatever they want. Ontario residents paid little attention to the passing of the omnibus bill and are only now starting to see the power the province appropriated. If it takes power from municipalities at one end, and the federal government at the other, we’re creating a new kind of super government that controls everything in our lives. And if municipalities have no rights, what does it mean if a new Quebec referendum and a majority votes to separate? Do dissenting municipalities have any right to separate from Quebec? — KR Photo by Janice Becker Letters THE EDITOR, I have a couple of comments about your editorial on the Homecoming weekend. You said 'There was nothing small town about this well-run, organized function'. I am left wondering why we have to compare ourselves to the large municipalities all the time. Just because it was so well done doesn't mean it can't be small town, does it? We have a lot of talented, caring people in our small community. If I were to make a comparison I would say that the statement should have said something to the effect that this was a typically well-run, organized function as is usually done in a small town. In the cities things are so large and so anonymous that individual talents and abilities are unknown so the best often goes unnoticed and quality suffers. In our small communities it is harder to hide and the best person for the job is usually found. We should appreciate our village and what it has to offer and not think that the large communities can even do as well as us, never mind better. The goodwill and camaraderie you mentioned is a prime example of what we have to offer. Il is somewhat scarce in the larger centres. Sandra Clark. THE EDITOR, We would like to vote a great big thank you to the Homecoming Committee for the great weekend Brussels had. We're sure it was a lot of work on their part and all the volunteers, service clubs and all other organizations involved. The town looked great, the parade was one of the best as were the old cars, pictures and displays downtown, the church service, the events at the arena, everything that was done to celebrate our 125th birthday. Our Story, I haven't had time to read it all yet, but it looks very interesting. All this shows that we are a community that works and plays together. Howard and Joan Bernard. THE EDITOR, We would just like to take this opportunity to thank the youth of Brussels for not destroying the sand castle on Homecoming weekend. There have been many people in town that have blamed the youth of Brussels for this. In actual fact Charles broke the castle himself early Monday morning when he removed the last form. Once again we would like to express our thanks to the youth of Brussels. Abi and Charles Corbett. THE EDITOR, This is to congratulate and thank Murray Cardiff and his Homecoming committee, and all the others loo, for their tremendous efforts. I think that it was an overwhelming success! The history book about Brussels, which you and your colleagues published, was very well done, and will be a lasting remembrance of days gone by for everyone who reads it, including me. I was very proud of my father, Continued on page 7