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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2006-03-29, Page 2Page 2 March 29, 2006 • The Huron Expositor SEAFORTH INSURANCE • BROKER LTD. 527-1610 IT • Home • Commercial *Auto • Farm • Out of Province Travel Insurance 41 Main St. S. Seaforth Ken Cardno, Joanne Williamson, Christa O'Neil and Barb Watt Thank You to all my loyal customers for their patronage over the.past years. I hope you will follow me on my new adventure as I will now be serving customers in their home or mine. All services remain the same • Reflexology • Deep Muscle Therapy • • Ear Candling • Reiki Gift Certificates Available For more information can Jennifer McClinchey Reflexologist 519-262-2952 News Agriculture .not forgotten in budget, insists Mitchell From Page 1 election,"'he said. According to Carol Mitchell, Huron -Bruce's MPP and member of the governing Liberal party, agriculture was not forgotten in this year's budget. "There was an increase to the agriculture budget. It's gone from $863 million to $880 million and that's the general operating. And there was a commitment to a multi-year strategy," she said. That strategy, however, requires federal government's .participation as a full partner to support the agricultural industry the way it needs and deserves, Mitchell said. In the past, she said, the federal portion has provided 60 per cent of the funding while the provincial government has picked up the remaining 40 per cent. Mitchell commented that since the Liberal government took power three years ago, they have committed $800 million to income stabi- lization that was caused by situations such as low commodity prices or BSE. "What I see in the budget is a commitment to move forward with a multi-year strategy. Quite honestly I believe it's too. hard for the ag community to move forward in that manner. We have to move forward with a strategy that they can depend on every year," she said from her office at Queen's Park. Mitchell added that Ontario's Minister of Agriculture, Leona Dombrowsky, recently met with her provincial coun- terparts to discuss income stabilization programs. The risk management proposal put forward by the corn, grain and oilseeds producers, Mitchell said, is also something the govern- ment is looking further into. Critics from other provincial parties called the budget a failure when it came to farm funding. Provincial Progressive Conservative leader John Tory called this "a pay more, get less budget." "We've got a situation in this province where farmers are worse off than they have _ ever been. They're in a crisis, a very real cri- sis, and there was no response from this gov- ernment," Tory commented. "What we need is a long term plan for farm- ers. That's what farmers are saying and I agree with them in this. Instead, this govern- ment will write a one time cheque but will not develop a long term plan that will allow farm- ers to become viable. They don't seem to want to take agriculture and rural Ontario serious- ly" NDP leader Howard Hampton said this gov- ernment does not understand farmers and the current situation they face. "I know how much you've been ignored by this government and I think that hurts the most," he said. He added that farmers were not looking for a hand-out, just a sharing in the risk of unde- pendable market conditions. "Farmers should not be left on their own to handle all the risks. Risks should be shared throughout society. Risks should be shared by our governments. Not just put on the backs of farmers to sink or swim." Plans for further bus trips to protest the plight of farming in Ontario are planned for the upcoming weeks. with files from Rob Bundy and Susan Hundertmark Huron .East will use sign study while replacing signs Susan H u n d e r t m a r k The need to replace signs in Seaforth in preparation for the Communities in Bloom competition had Huron East council deciding to begin following a sign study it com- pleted several years ago. At its Mar. 21 meeting, council was told the Seaforth sign near Teatero Motors on Main Street is in poor shape and needs to be replaced. "The judges will stand right in the flowerbeds and look at the signs," said Deputy -Clerk Brad Knight. Work on signs at the four entrances to Seaforth is estimated to cost $12,000, which Knight said will "eat up a good chunk of the Communities in Blooms' $15,000 budget." But, he added that since some of the signs have been standing since 1993, they "have served us well." Deputy -Mayor Bernie MacLellan said it should be up to Seaforth, not Communities in Bloom to fund the new signs. Brussels Coun. David Blaney added that signs are an area -rated expense. Mayor Joe Seili said the new signs should follow a sign study done by Huron East a while ago. "Now's the time to adopt the sign policy and make the signs match it or we wasted a bunch of taxpayers' money," he said. Knight added that flowerbeds and shubbery around the signs also need some work. He presented tenders for $4,449 in work to the entrance signs, ranging from $175 to the north sign to $2,078 to replace the south sign. Another tender for $6,675 was for landscap- ing around the signs.