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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2009-11-04, Page 4: -7'77-°` •^- ',/.731WNWOMIMERWMIKINEVISC4Rifkv-WiWl Page 4 The Huron Expositor • November 4, 2009 Opinion Proprietor and Publisher, Bowes Publishers Limited, 11 Main $t., Seaforth, ON, NOK I WO needs to leadership The simple truth is: l.t's not likely toet any better any time . Every mean, woman and child in the province of Ontario is on the hook for $1,800, a debt that trans- lates/Wel a provincial total of $24.7 billion this year, ac- cording to best estunates. end ''unfortunately, it could get worse. he provincial government came under fire recently formin min forth. with any reasonable recovery effort Own cit in itc economic statement. econo ' ine that has driven the national and +iihal economy s su ering: and as manufacturing job lot e8 continue to mobil_, the provincial unemployment rate is likely to remainabove ninep er cent for the next three years. That leaves the government with little, if any, room to manoeuvre. The difficulty with ttie high unemployment rate is that the government standsz to collect far less tax revenue. And if Dalton McGuinty makes serious attempts to cut ()).0- -- r' -'nt spending or reduce the civil service, it only exacerbates the problem. Removing government jobs from the payroll only mag- nifies the unemployment rate. The government will undoubtedly have to look at cuts but with over 55 per cent of the budget going towards healthcare, .hospitals, :acs, colleges,universities and the school fr m, it oaf the $51 billion remain- ing of the $113 billion to be scrutinized for cuts. If five per cent is trimmed from the government's other depart- ments, it would amount to a paltry $2.5 billion in sav- ings. There is little room to move. Yet, as bad as it sounds, the projected deficit is man .; - a eable by today's standards. 'he government has to get smart at being efficient and spending money wisely. The eHealth scandal doesn't help either the government's fiscal standing or the pub- lic's perception that it simply doesn't care how it spends tax dollars. The government can control what it pays its employ- ees and what it spends on consultants and outside agen- cies. The taxpayers of Ontario should expect nothing less than prudent spending, wage and salary freezes and a healthy respect for the dwindling tax dollars coming from beleaguered Ontarians.>� ***044 ‘: Now is the time to show some fiscal leadership. The Goderich Signal Star Your Community li wtpspw Since 1860 Publisher • Dave Sykes Editorial and Business Offices -11 Main Street., Seaforth Thlephone (619) 627-0240 Fax (519) 627-2858 Mailing Address - P.O. Box 69, Seaforth, ON, NOK 1 WO Visit our home page at www. seal forthhuronexpositor. com CanacM suolllatika oui*c' R MHlltt • 'WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA, THROUGH THE PUBLICATIONS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (PAP), TOWARD OUR MAILWG COSTS." HlNlishereand tt'sallanyone-both adults and kids- can talk about Who's sick, what are the symptoms and is it H1N1? It's all anyone can talk about these days, it seems, as we try not to panic and get on with life as the predicted flu pandemic unfolds. Health care officials have been predicting a flu pandem- ic for so long that many of us haven't taken it too seriously over the past several years. But, as absentee rates climb at local schools and workplaces this fall and the shocking news of the H1N1 death of an otherwise healthy 13 -year-old boy in Toronto broke last week, I think we're all starting to take notice - and, I hope, starting to take the necessary precau- tions. Adults are talking about H1N1 when they'd normally be commenting on the weather and even my kids are talking about H1N1 on Face - book and MSN as they chat with their friends on the Internet. H1N1 is no longer something that might show up in the community - it's here and ev- eryone seems to know somebody who's been told by a doctor that they have it. I've been pushing vitamins and immunity - Ron & Dove Susan Hundertmark boosting food on my family and they've been humouring me with their cooperation. It's been more of an uphill battle trying to get everyone in a family with teen- agers to get enough sleep. But, sometimes illness shows up no matter what precautions you take. My daughter was off sick for a whole week from school recently with flu symptoms. While she was extremely lethargic with a fever, sore throat and headache, she never developed any of the scary symptoms of respiratory distress or blue lips and fingers so we didn't seek any medical attention. But, I must admit that it was never far from my mind that she should be watched a little bit closer this year just in case. She's fine now and the rest of the family have not come down with whatever virus she was suffering from. And, while I'm almost hoping she did have H1N1 - just because that would mean she's developed some immunity - I think the whole family will be standing in line when the H1N1 vaccine is available for the general popula- tion. Scientists are saying thcrt by the time we're grown up they will have conquered all diseases. Epidemics will be a thing of the past. They'll have a cure for cancer, and there'll be no need for doctors or hospitals. You here for the flu shot? by David Lacey I wonder what ever happened to those scientists Mat predicted an end to disease? They wer4, probably killed on their rocket packs. !iY SUBSCRIPTION RATE$: LOCAL - 38.05 a year, in advance, plus Q.S.T. SENIORS; - 36.14 a year, in advance, plus G.S.T. Foreign: 38.05 a year in advance, plus $195.00 postage, plus G.S.T. U.S.A.: 38.05 a year in advance, plus $99.84 postage, plus G.S.T. 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