The Citizen, 2004-06-03, Page 4P55T, SCOOT..,5CRAM...BEAT IT
DALTON! GO HIDE FORA WHILE!
Looking Back Through the Years
PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 2004.
Editorials
Opinions
Publisher, Keith Roulston ' Editor, Bonnie Gropp
Advertising, Jamie Peters and Alicia deBoer
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The Citizen
Where do the taxes go?
A recent study by a right-wing think-tank estimated that the average
Toronto household paid $17,000 in federal and provincial services that it
didn't get back. This, of course, confirmed to Torontonians that they're
getting a raw deal from government.
A radio biography on Conservative leader Steven Harper last week
pointed out he got into politics partly because he, like most Albertans,
was upset that money collected by the federal government in Alberta was
going to other parts of the country instead of helping build Alberta.
Earlier this week, CBC television's The National broadcast a feature
on voter alienation in British Columbia, leading off with a voter who
complained that B.C. taxes were going to help Ontario and Quebec.
Yet the Bloc Quebecois makes hay in that province by complaining
that Quebecois are getting their fair share from the federal government.
No wonder there are so many disaffected voters when everyone thinks
they're paying for government services that somebody else gets. But how
can it be possible that so many people think they're getting a raw deal?
Somebody has to he reaping the benefits, unless you believe in the myth
that money somehow goes into a black hole in Ottawa or Toronto.
It's easy to see the inequities in taxation. Here in northern Huron
County, for instance, every driver still pays provincial tax on every
gallon of gas, a tax that was originally intended to pay for improvements
to roads. Yet with downloading from the province, there are no provincial
highways left in the area except Hwy. 21, and the province provides no
support to the county or municipalities for roads.
If we buy furniture or a car, we exchange money directly for a service.
With government, we .pay every week with deductions from our
paycheque or through taxes on purchases, but we don't often relate that
to services received. If government is to be successful, the relationship
between what we pay and what we get needs to be explained better.
Otherwise we create the situation where cynics will claim there are huge
amounts of waste when there is far less than is perceived, as we found
out when Mike Harris's government slashed services to offer the kinds of
tax breaks they thought they could find simply by cutting waste. — KR
We bring out the negatives
Polls this week show why politicians adhere to the truism that people
don't elect governments, they vote against who they don't want.
In one poll, 66 per cent of people questioned over the upcoming federal
election said it was time for a change in government. Respondents weren't
saying they wanted to vote for the Conservatives or the New Democrats,
they were saying they just didn't want to vote Liberal.
It's hard to remember the last time voters chose a party because of
positive feelings — perhaps you have to go all the way back to the 1968
Trudeaumania election. Mostly people have turfed out a government.
So we have Steven Harper of the Conservatives reminding voters how
angry they should be about Liberal waste. We have Paul Martin running,
not so much on his vision of the future, but on fear of what Harper might
do if elected. We have the NDP's Jack Layton saying you can't trust
Liberal promises because the provincial Liberals changed their tack
between last fall's provincial election campaign and last month's budget.
It would be nice to vote for a party or leader for positive reasons, for his
or her vision of the future but we voters have proved negatives work better
than positives in campaign. Sadly, we brought this on ourselves.— KR
Letter to the editor
THE EDITOR,
The wonderful, but too few, sunny
warm spring days have been marred
by the powerful odour of toxic
chemicals that are being applied to
kill dandelions and other weeds that
appear in our lawns and gardens.
Although we don't have as yet any
way to measure all of the collateral
damage inflicted by these pesticides,
there are some known negative
consequences which should at the
very least give us pause.
Some people in this village are
immediately made ill by even a brief
encounter with these toxic fumes.
There are many health and medical
organizations that have been raising
serious concerns for many years
about long-term harmful effects of
pesticide use — especially on
children, older adults, people with
weakened immune systems, as well
as effects on unborn babies.
These concerns are based on
independent scientific research
findings pointing to demonstrated
negative effects.
In addition, many authorities are
pointing out that there is so much
that is not known about the side
effects that, at the very least, we
should all be exercising caution
because the risk level is so high.
Many municipalities have banned
or severely restricted the use of
pesticides for cosmetic purposes,
Many others are considering such
measures. These measures are
opposed by those who have a vested
interest in promoting "anti-
dandelionism", and by residents
who place a higher priority on solid
green lawns than on their own health
or that of their neighbours and their
children.
It's time that we re-examine our
values. 1 believe that the only
reasonable decision for any
community is to ban the cosmetic
use of pesticides.
Brock Vodden
June 4, 1952
A letter was sent to the editor
regarding inappropriate behaviour
from youths who got a head start on
the long weekend holiday. The
youths reportedly, were under the
influence of alcohol and threw lit
fireworks at the Brussels Village
Hall where a dance, hosted by the
Ladies Rebekah Lodge, was taking
place.
More than 100 women from the
surrounding district attended the
Young Women's Guild of Melville
Presbyterian Church for a violet
tea.
Mr. and Mrs. L.D. Thompson of
Brussels, had a Hallman Electronic
Organ, model 20, installed in their
home and used it to teach organ
lessons.
A story told of the Christmas menu
from the famous Voisin restaurant in'
Paris, France. During the siege of
that city by the Germans in the
Franco-Russian war in 1870, people
were unable to get food from outside
the city, so they were forced to kill
and eat the animals from the Paris
Zoo, including a stuffed donkey's
head as an appetizer, clear elephant
broth, kangaroo stew, roast rack of
bear, leg of wolf, antelope pie with
truffles.
June 5, 1969
June Wilbee was one of 94
graduates from the Toronto General
Hospital School of Nursing.
Ontario Hydro's Exeter area office
merged with Clinton and Strathroy
offices "as part of a province-wide
program of re-organization that will
affect a considerable number of
communities, but achieve as saving
to electric power consumers of more
than $1 million a year while
preserving and improving our
standard of service in rural power
supply," said former Ontario Hydro
chairman George Gathercole.
T-bone steaks were thought to be
somewhat .expensive at $1.39 a
pound- in 'Brussels, but in Toronto
they were $1.53 a pound.
ETr. Ron Culbert, the future
resident dentist for Brussels, and Mr.
E. Inch, general manager for
Dominion Dental Supply Co. were
in Brussels to complete final
arrangements for the dental
equipment to be installed in the
dental suite of the medical-dental
building.
Five contestants were competing
at the Clinton Spring Fair for the title
of Huron County Dairy Princess.
They were Anne de Grott, Dawna
Reynolds, Donna Ritchie, Marie
Trewartha and Lynda Walden.
'William J. Turnbull of Brussels
sold both the top priced boar and
junior bred gilt at the annual
consignment sale of purebred
Yorkshire swine in Stratford. The
gilt sold for $325 and the boar sold
for $305.
June 4, 1989
Brussels council was searching for
a replacement to fill a vacancy
created by the resignation of one of
its councillors, who said for
"personal and business reasons," he
could "no longer function in any
political area."
Concern was expressed by a
ratepayer at a Brussels council
meeting regarding the presence of
farm chemicals in a residential
neighbourhood. She said in the
previous year, there had been a leak
of ammonia from a neighbouring
business and wondered if council
had a disaster plan in case a similar
accident occurred as the one in
Canning, NS.
The Grade 4-5 class at East
Wawanosh Public School took a trip
to the Toronto Metro Zoo.
The junior level winners of the
Brussels track and field meet were
Jeremy Albrecht and Stacey Hahn in
the Tyke Division and Sheri Huether
and Tim Machan in the Mite
division.
June 1, 1994
A Seaforth District High School
teacher was arrested by London
Police in connection with the child
pornography ring that city.
The students of Blyth PS chose the
student council representatives
which included Nathan Shannon,
Angie Walden, Ashley Howson and
Jamie Black.
The combined choirs from Grey
Central Public School performed at
the Huronlea in Brussels. The choirs
competed at the Straford Kiwanis
Festival and took home three first
place finishes.
George Langolis of Brussels,
Lieutenant Governor of. Zone 2
welcomed the Blyth Optimists'
newest member, Brian Wiersma.
A dedication ceremony of the
Masonic Chapel in Brussels was led
by Rev. Paul Acton of the Brussels
and Blyth Anglican Churches.
June 9, 1999
Former Huron-Bruce Progressive
Conservative, Helen Johns was all
smiles after hearing she defeated her
Liberal opponent Ross Lamont to be
re-elected in the riding.
Since 1994 when the OPP began
their aerial eradication program of
marijuana in Ontario, Huron County
was number one in the province for
having the most plants.
The new playground equipment at
Brussels PS was officially opened
with much thanks from the Grade 1
class.
The Canadian Imperial Bank of
Commerce celebrated its 100th
anniversary.
The Brussels Tigers donated
money to the Seaforth All Girls
Marching Band and to the Brussels
Optimists for netting at the diamond.
It was bonanza for book lovers at
the Blyth Memorial Hall's annual
book sale -