HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2002-06-19, Page 4HEY, DOC, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HURT EACH OTHER, ARE WE ?!
PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 2002
Editorials
Opinions
Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp
Advertising, Alan Young & Mary Jean Kernaghan
The Citizen is published 50 times a year in Brussels, Ontario by North
Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance
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Member of the Ontario Prev Council mMAITIMI1
P.O. Box 429,
BLYTH, Ont.
NOM 1H0
Phone 523-4792
FAX 523-9140
The Citizen
P.O. Box 152,
BRUSSELS, Ont.
NOG 1H0
Phone 887-9114
FAX 887-9021
Exercising power
Many people in journalism breathed a sigh of relief when mogul Conrad
Black sold his newspapers in Canada. Black had come uncomfortably
close to using his massive power to try to choose the next prime minister
of Canada. Little did people know the worst fears about Black would be
realized in the new owners, the Asper family.
The firing this week of Ottawa Citizen Publisher Russell Mills because
he wrote an editorial calling on Prime Minister Jean Chretien to resign
confirms the concerns that diversity of opinion and freedom of the press
were endangered by the concentration of many newspapers in a few hands.
The only thing different between the rich and powerful men who owned
the Southam group of 14 newspapers and The National Post has been their
political slant on things: Black trying to unite the right while Izzy and
David Asper call themselves Liberals. It just goes to illustrate that you can
be Liberal without being liberal.
There's nothing liberal in the Aspers' stance that they will control what
goes in their newspapers. True liberals believe in diversity of ideas and
thought and the right of people even within a newspaper to express thought
different than the owner. The Aspers believe in exercising their prerogative
to run an entire chain of newspapers the way a small-town newspaper
owner might have run his newspaper years ago. In fact both Black and the
Aspers seemed to want to take us back to the bad old days of the 1800s
when newspapers were started as voices of the different political parties
and news coverage was designed to convince people that they should vote
a certain way.
Going back to the days when Roy Thompson was amassing a huge chain
of newspapers there have been fears about the power a single owner could
have by controlling much of the nation's daily newspaper circulation. The
fears were not realized under Thompson because he was in it for the
money. He once said he'd prefer his newspapers not to be so liberal in their
stances but the good reporters and editors all seemed to be liberals.
But Black, and now the Aspers, want not just the money but the
influence too. The Aspers have already caused a stir within the journalism
profession by insisting all their papers publish a weekly editorial written
at corporate headquarters in Winnipeg and forbidding staffers at its
newspapers across the nation to contradict that editorial in later editions.
Now they've taken the situation one step further by firing a publisher who
doesn't think the way they want to think.
But democracy only works when there is a full marketplace of ideas, and
as media chains grow-, it's even more important that diversity be allowed
even within the pages of the same newspaper.
This should be a concern for everyone who wants to be informed. More
and more newspapers, both dailies and weeklies, are being owned by
fewer and fewer people. We must either be guaranteed that staff of these
newspapers will be free to express their opinions or we must do something
to turn back the tide of corporate concentration. We can't continue on the
path the Aspers have put us on. — KR
Looking Back Through the Years
Faulty bookkeeping
While people continually say government should be operated more like
a business, the way books are kept for government gives a faulty picture
that private auditors would not allow. The provincial government appears
to be taking advantage of that flaw to try to balance a budget that actually
shows a deficit.
Part of the revenue to pay for new spending on health care and education
in Monday's budget will come from the sale of government assets. This is
a little like paying the heating bill for your house by selling off the front
porch. Yet that's the way government accounting goes.
It was working the opposite way when governments were under attack
for running deficits. Taxes could be going to buy capital assets that would
be around for dozens of years, but they were all treated as if they were
regular operating expenses. There's no asset column on a government
balance sheet as there is in a private company's financial report, so once
the government owns something there's no credit for it.
Now, however, the provincial government is trying to find ways to create
short-term revenue by selling off long-term assets. It hardly seems like
good business. — KR
Letters to the Editor
THE EDITOR,
Last week while driving west of
Brussels I was disheartened to see
that Maitside Orchards had been
bulldozed and burned. It is obvious
that the new owners have a flagrant
disregard for the asthetic value this
property had.
What a shame!
Jeff Cardiff.
THE EDITOR,
The Alzheimer Society of Huron
County would like to sincerely thank
our dedicated volunteers and the
generous support of Blyth residents
during the 9th Annual Tag Days held
May 31 and June 1.
County-wide $4,589.99 was raised
to help support local programs and
provide "Help for Today and Hope
for Tomorrow."
Sincerely,
Cathy Ritsema,
Executive Director.
June 23, 1960
The Brussels congregation of
Jehovah's Witnesses had been
invited to attend a four-day
convention at Exhibition Park in
Toronto. Lincoln Martin, presiding
minister, headed the local delegation
of about 15 persons.
Brigitte Bardot and Jaques
Charrier starred in Brigette Goes to
War, which was playing at
Wingham's Lyceum Theatre.
The double feature at Llashmar
Drive-in Theatre in Listowel was As
Young As We Are, starring Robert
Harland and Phillipa Scott and The
Hot Angel, with Jackie Lougherty
and Ed Kemmer.
Machan Hardware had a special
on home freezers. A 15-cubic foot
freezer cost $249, while the 17-
cubic foot one was $269.
Seven dollars and 95 cents bought
a muffler for your car, with a two-
year guarantee at MacLean Fina
Service.
June 24, 1987
Grey Twp. hosted a ceremony to
dedicate the J. Melvin Camochan
Memorial Park in Ethel.
The late Mr. Carnochan, who
lived beside the park, took a great
deal of pride in the area, cutting
grass, planting trees, etc. In June of
1985, the townships purchased the
property between the park and
County Rd. 19 and this was added to
the park.
Mr. Carnochan left a sum of
money to be invested to assist the
future maintenance and improve-
ment of the park.
The celebration in his honour
featured softball games, a plaque
unveiling and fireworks display.
Blyth architect Christopher Borgal
was hired by the Blyth Festival to
come up with "practical" plans for
expanding the facility.
June Warwick and Gerry White
purchased the Brussels Inn. The
hotel had been closed for nearly one
year.
The Blyth community welcomed a
new minister. Rev. Lorenzo
Ramirez, his wife Norma and their
children John and Abigail took up
residence in the United Church
manse.
Guest speaker at the Blyth
Festival gala 13th season dinner was
Harry Boyle.
Blyth's newest shop was A Touch
of Hands.
June 21, 1989
Blyth officially opened its
Extended Services Office. Const.
Mike Alexander of the Wingham
OPP was the community's liason
officer.
The show went on but the star of
the evening wasn't on hand as Blyth
Festival began its 15th season.
Lieutenant Governor Lincoln
Alexander was unable to attend
because the overcast skies meant his
plane couldn't land. His appearance
was cancelled by phone at 3 p.m.
Friday. Speeches were rewritten and
Dan Needles, author of the opening
night play Perils of Persephone, was
pressed into service as the opening
night speaker for the gala
dinner.
Students at Walton Public School
bid a fond farewell to Principal Gary
Jewitt, who was leaving for Liberia
where he was to be involved in a
program to educate Africa's
principals.
Brussels EMA Foods celebrated
its third birthday.
Michael Schneider of Auburn
received his Chief Scout award.
June 24, 1992
Record-breaking weather caused
extensive damage to local crops. A
widespread heavy frost hit Huron, as
far south as Windsor and north to
Bruce Peninsula. The damage to
corn, soy and white beans was
considerable.
The new owners at the Brussels
Country Inn were Joe Springer and
Helga Zimmer, formerly of
Waterloo.
John Harrison received
recognition for his service to the
Brussels Lions Club.
Sandra Hessels and April Bromley
operated the Blyth tourist booth for
the season.
June 18, 1997
Lila McClinchey, a school bus
driver for East Wawanosh students
for 30 years, was the guest of honour
at a special assembly.
McFadden Appliance opened in
Blyth.
The new executive for Blyth
Legion was past president, Gord
Haggitt; president, Bob Hillis; first
vice-president, John Stewart; second
vice-president, Sam Dougherty;
secretary, Bob McInnis; treasurer,
Colleen Bell; executive members.
Susan Haggitt, Alex Blair, Leo
Denine, George Ives, Clare Vincent,
Ralph McCrea; chaplain, Rev.
James Came; Sgt.-at-Arms, John
Battye; public relations, Mary Lou
Stewart; membership, Gord Jenkins;
assistant poppy chairman, Pat
Jenkins; track and field, Crystal
Taylor; youth education, Anne
Elliott; Nevada, Brad Montgomery;
sports chairman, Murray Black.
Auxiliary executive was: past
president, Mildred Ament;
president, Janice Henry; first vice-
president, Brenda Finlayson; second
vice-president, Betty Bowes;
secretary, Val Pethick; treasurer.
Debbie Stryker; executive members,
Susan Hubbard, Kay Hesselwood,
Edythe Glousher, Connie Shiell,
Bernice Pierce; Sgt.-at-Arms,
Connie Bromley; sports officer.
Debbie Stryker; auditors. Betty
Bowes, Renee Snell.