Huron Expositor, 2007-01-17, Page 401
Page 4 January 17, 2007 • The Huron Expositor
ME=
Opinion
Proprietor and Publisher, Bowes Publishers Limited, 11 Main St., Seaforth, ON, NOK 1WO
Spending property
tax on healthcare
needs public debate
It was with a niggling feeling of deja vu that we
watched Huron East council come out of closed ses-
sion to pass a motion to provide a facility for the
Huron family health team (FHT) last week.
Just two years ago, Huron East council also went
into closed session to discuss whether or not to
begin contributing $50,000 a year towards the
Seaforth Medical Centre when upgrades were
planned to make the facility more attractive to
potential physician recruits. s y:
Financing healthcare is traditionally a provincial
responsibility - indeed the largest piece of the
provincial pie goes towards paying for healthcare.
But, more and more municipalities are feeling
the pressure to contribute towardsthe ongoing
campaign to retain and recruit those rare and elu-
sive healthcare professionals for our ever-expand-
ing numbers of' orphan patients.
And, while the decision to contribute property
taxes towards healthcare when taxpayers are
already spending a large portion of their provincial
taxes towards the medical system . might be some-
thing we all agree is necessary, there's no reason
why the debate leading to that decision shouldn't
be held publicly.
Discussing a facility for the new FHT while citing
a "property .issue" as the reason for the closed
meeting is confusing when both the municipality
and the community trust already own the land that
could be used for a new building.
And, if a new building is built, what happens to
the current clinic which just underwent a $250,000
facelift with a new entranceway, a new roof, paint,
tiling and other features? Can it not be expanded
and renovated to meet the FHT's needs? What is
the most prudent use of tax dollars?
Private discussions leave the public to surmise
and speculate and jump to conclusions that may be
far from the truth.
Having a council that's an active advocate for the
health of its residents - especially those without a
family doctor - is something to celebrate. But, keep-
ing ratepayers fully informed before, during and
after decisions are made is also the mark of a good
council.
Susan Hundertmark
Your Community Newspaper Since 1860
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•41,0.4•1•P•
Overconfidence is risky
when taking over the world
Since I consider myself
a bit of a war aficionado,
you can imagine my
excitement when I found
the board game Risk
underneath our
Christmas tree this past
holiday.
And finally, after several
weeks of waiting, I was
able to convince my girl-
friend Lindsay to give the game a try -
although it took more than a little convincing.
Our agreement: If she hated it, we never
had to play it again.
As I set up the board, analyzing each piece,
each territory and continent, I was already
planning my strategy (although no pieces
were even set up yet).
My confidence was as high as I imagine
General George Patton's was when he led the
U.S. army into Germany during the Second
World War.
How couldn't I be so confident?
While I've read a number of novels about
the First and Second World Wars, and my
movie collection contains several war films
spanning from the Revolutionary War into the
`90s, my girlfriend would much rather focus
her attention on watching and reading about
Grey's Anatomy (surely daydreaming of
McDreamy, rather than McHeuchert).
So we set out our pieces: Lindsay red, me
blue, randomly claiming territories until they
were all occupied.
By Jeff
Heuchert
And as it worked out,
my armies occupied most of
the Australian continent
and North America, while
her army was scattered
across parts of Europe and
into Asia. The other terri-
tories were occupied by
neutral armies, which
would be easily eliminated
as the game went on.
I began to plan my strategy in my head.
I'd build up my armies in Alaska for an
attack on Asia, and I'd strengthen my armies
in Eastern Canada for an attack up into
Greenland...then into Iceland...and finally
into Europe.
And once I'd fortified my positions in Asia
and Europe, I'd sweep down into South
America from the north, Band commence my
move up from Australia into Asia...eventually
meeting up with my other armies.
Oh what a sight it would be.
While I knew a quick, swift victory for me
would surely secure my fate when it comes to
ever getting to play the game again, it would
be worth it.
But then, as if George Washington rose from
his grave and sat down across from me, think-
ing it was 1775 all over again, the red army,
within a minimal..number of attacks, took
over all of Europe, before I could ever even get
one army there, since I was stuck fighting
See STRATEGIES, Page 6
Ron ®ave
(I. worry about
)
the future.
You mean the crisis
in the Middle East?..
Nuclear proliferation?
The war in Viet -Nam?
No...not anything like
that. I was worried
about what Mom's
making for supper.
by David Lacey
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