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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1986-10-01, Page 4Pogo 4 Times -Advocate, October 1, 1986 Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgams 1924 HL UE R(Hf4O% A�bANP` imes dvocate Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter, Ontario, NOM 1S0 Second Class'Ma8 Registration Number 0386. 1 \ Phone 519.23S-1331 cn PCNA Serving South Huron, North Middlesex & North Lambton Since 1873 Published by 1.W. Eedy Publications limited LORNE EEDY Publisher IIM BECKETT Advertising Manager BILL BATTEN Editor HARRY DEVRIES Composition Manager ROSS HAUGH Assistant -Editor DICK IONGKIND Business Manager • • SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada: $25.00 Per year; U.S.A. $65.00 C.W.N.A., O.C.N.A. CLASS 'A' f Changes questionable Changes being proposed in the municipal election process and rules ap- pear geared to major urban centers and could present serious ramifications for smaller urban communities and rural municipalities. Two of the suggested changes are primarily aimed at eliminating frivolous candidates, and while that may be a pro- blem for some municipalities, it is seldom the case in rural Ontario. In fact, many area communities have difficulty filling election slates, let alone discourage some potential candidates. An advisory committee has sug- gested that potential candidates should have the signatures of 50 ratepayers on their nomination papers. Presently, can- didates need only 10. The new require- ment would present an onerous task for rural candidates who would have to visit at least 25 homes along their concession roads to get that number of signatures. It has also been suggested that can- didates post a $100 deposit and it would only be returned to those garnering at least 20 percent of the total votes cast. Surely those who offer themselves for public service and are rebuffed by the electorate do not need the added blow of -- forfeiting some money. Granted, elections can be costly and the expenditure appear wasted when it is contested by people who appear to have no hope of winning, but our democractic system should never be seen to discrimate against anyone, regardless of that person's abililty to win or to post deposits for a cherished freedom. Another proposed change calls for municipal election campaigns to be eligi- ble for tax deduction whereby con- tributors to candidates' expenses would get some income tax relief for that con- tribution. Again, that may appear valid in large cities where -candidates spend enormous sums to run for full-time posi- tions, but it is not a consideration in rural Ontario and could well lead to situations where winning would become dependent upon spending lavish amounts and hav- ing the proper connections to generate those funds. Candidates should be able to deduct their personal expenses to stipulated limits for income tax,purposes, but there is no need for others to get that benefit. People in rural Ontario have usually viewed public service strictly from the standpoint of civic duty and some of the proposed changes could dissuade many from offering their services. Many municipalities now face pro- blems in getting qualified people to run and any changes that would add to that problem should be strenuously opposed. An alternative suggested byone local civic official is to have varying iules bas- ed on population figures and that, io something that could be considered to reflect the different needs of urban On- tario and rural Ontario. It is incumbent upon current elected officials in the area to review the propos- ed changes and ensure that they reflect the needs of their communities. Needs periodic push Some members of the London medical community have been criticis- ed for their part in a public appeal to secure a suitable liver for a youngster whose life depended upon a transplant. The criticism is warranted from the standpoint that guidelines for securing organs were not strictly followed. Those guidelines are established to ensure that all recipients get equal consideration when suitable organs become available. There would be obvious problems if recipients were selected on the basis of any public popularity that was generated through such appeals or if other factors such as status or one's potential contribu- tion to society became a consideration. However, the criticism must be tempered by the acknowledgement that it did generate considerable public awareness of the acute need for donor organs. It put a face on the usually anonymous recipients and hopefully led many who saw that face to understand what the gift of an organ can mean. Organ transplants are not science fiction events, nor are they experiments undertaken by over -zealous medical ex- perts. They have advanced to the stage of being a normal part of medical treat- ment where the odds are now greatly in favor of the recipient leading a normal life. In fact, the prime stumbling block in helping other waiting recipients before they die is the lack of enough donor organs. Many, unfortunately, are buried. Hopefully, the happy story that un- folded last week for one youngster in Lon- don will encourage people to consider more seriously the need for donor organs and to make them available when cir- cumstances warrant. If the guidelines must be broken periodically to keep that life-saving message and challenge in the forefront, so be it. Back in fashion As you get older you're able to see that fashions and customs seem to go in cycles. The last few months I have been watching with interest the current hair styles among the younger set. I guess it all started back about fouror five years ago with the so- called 'punk rockers' in England with their hair dyed pink and green then cut into wild strips which jutted out in all directions. These styles hit the streets of Toronto shortly afterwards and have gradually begun filtering in- to the smaller towns of Western Ontario. The other day 1 saw a - youngster of about 12 going down the street. Ilis hair. which was. about as red -as mine was at hig age, was trimmed off into what 0 we used to call a brush cut, that is, about half an inch long all over his head. What really amused me was the look that a fellow of about lic)1By the Way by Fletcher twenty with hair down to just above his shoulder was giving the little gyy. I heard him mutter in disgust to a friend, "What an idiot!" The amusing thing of course was that not that many years ago the hippies and the other long-haired people of the sixties were getting the same kind of disapproval from those who were just slightly older and just as intolerant of change. I can remember my cousin Johnny getting a blast from my aunt because he had got his hair cut in a "duck -tail' and had then smeared a big glob, of Brylcreem on -it to stick it down. The youngsters now are doing exact- ly the same thing and it looks just as greasy, doesn't it. You know, the way styles are swinging back I'm sure going to regret sending all those wide ties to the good -will. Sure as shooting they'll be coming back in fashion within the next year and I'll end up buying all new ones. v • • I • "MY OPINION OF THE SPEAKER OF THE NOUSE? ASK VIER YOURSELF —SHE'S W ATCHIN G TV." A one-way street "You promised ..." How many times do I hear this every day? "You promised you would read me a story." "No, Stephanie, I said that if you cleaned up your room by yourself and if you didn't dawdle..." It doesn't matter how I qualify my projections, they're always construed as straightfor- ward promises. "You promised you would buy me a toy." I didn't promise. "I ,said that the next time I get to a toy store I would try to get you a very small cheap toy, but I haven't gotten to a toy store yet." The truth is that I haven't had the time to get to a toy store because I've been too busy keep- ing all sorts of other promises that people claim I made. Why do 1 constantly fall into this trap? I should have learned by now that when my answer isn't outright negative, it is inter- preted as a promise. When Elizabeth asked me to -nail down the loose board on the 'back stairs, 1 should have said: "No. I have no time to do this in the near future. Please ask me again some other day." Instead I acknowledged her request and probably said something like "O.K. I'll do it when I have some time to spare." That response was later distorted into: "You promised me faithfully to fix that board last Saturday, and it still isn't done. I guess I'll have to call a carpenter." I don't have any trouble keep- ing real promises. I pay my bills on time, and I keep appoint- ments. When I promise to be at a certain place at a certain time, I break my neck to get there and not to let people wait. I think I have kept all the promises con- tained in the marriage vows. I have never betrayed my country or my Queen. It's my remarks that people call promises that I have pro- blems with. I should learn to keep my mouth shut. Or to say no first and to think after. Life would be much easier if I would not shy away from con- frontation. "Will you buy me...?" "No!" "Will you fix the...?" "No!" I might get tears for a few minutes or sulking for a few hours. But nothing could be worse than the constant allegation that I do not keep my promises. In fact, why don't you all let me start afresh? Did I make any pro- mises, semi -promises or almost - promises to you? Did I say or write anything that could be con- strued as even remotely resembl- ing a promise? I hereby declare a total moratorium on all past promises. From now on, you can- not tell me I promised something unless that promise is engraved in stone, executed at a lawyer's office, witnessed, sealed and registered. Yes, I may continue to do things for people. I may still mow the lawn, trim the hedge, take the car to be serviced, tell bedtime stories, glue broken toys, change light bulbs, bring milk on the way home from town, remember.bir- thdays, empty the garbage, leave my rubber boots on the boot tray, paint the picnic table and clean up my desk occasionally. But I, will do all those things voluntari, ly, when I am ready, when I feel, like doing them. Not because I promised. There is a strange phenomenon connected with promises. Everybody always tells me'that I promised this and that. Nobody ever reminds me of promises they made to me. I can't remember when was the last time somebody came to me and said: "I promised you I would do this wonderful thing for you. Well, I am here to keep my promise." I'm going to keep a balance sheet of promises given and pro- mises kept. My own and those of others. Instead 'of filling my dai- ly journal with meaningless prat- tle, I'll use it to keep track of who promised me what. And at the end of each month, I'll enter everything into an account book. Anybody who hasn't kept a pro- mise will receive a monthly state- ment. If after 90 days the promise is still unfulfilled, I will send a "first reminder", and so on until after 180 days I'll turn the ac- count over to a husky bailiff for collection. Too drastic? Perhaps. But why should I be the only victim? I'm going to turn the tables once and for all. From now on I will be the promisee instead of the promisor. Until you all learn to tell the dif- ference between a promise and a casual remark. Communication gaps If Don and I ever sever the matrimonial bond, the reason will not be incompatibility but in- communicability. You would think that after more than three decades of living together we would be on the same wavelength. Not se. We both speak in English, but seldom hear each other in that language. Usually after going our separate ways at a shopping cen- tre, i end up waiting for him under the clock, and he's pacing impatiently back and forth beside the fountain at the far end of the mall. Once I cooked a beef roast and left the gravy in the roasting pan to be used the following, day for hot beef sandwiches. Th-Einext morning the pan was sitting on the stove - shiny, scoured and empty. Don's explanation? Ile had mistaken the gravy for dirty water, and dumped it. I don't know which was worse - to have my culinary efforts maligned, or see my meal plan go down the drain. Another time I came home with a fine -quality pair of sum- mer pants I had picked up at a bargain price at a sidewalk sale. My husband did not share my Reynold's Rap by Yvonne Reynolds joy. Ile informed me that 42 was the measurement of his chegt, not his waist. Recently we made our first visit to the Pinery flea market. The one item we had agreed to look for was a pitcher for orange juice. As usual, we separated and met half an 'lour later. With great pride, Don unwrapped his pur- chase. Within minutesolie had found just what we wanted, a •gracefully -shaped, good quality clear glass pitcher. The size was perfect, and so was the $5 price tag. Don guarded his treasure for another hour while I poked around the incredible army of merchandisb on display. We met at the agreed time and place (an unusual occurrence) and stepped oiit the gate and onto the road. "Hold this for a minute while I light my pipe", said the trium- phant shopper, and held out his purchase. The next thing 1 remember is the terrible sound of breaking glass. It was another acute care of communication gapitis.• Don had let go before 1 grabbed on. I often think of the long - married couple I saw being inter- viewed on TV. They were asked if they had ever thought of split- ting up. I'll neverforget the rep- ly, in English that anyone could understand. "Divorce? Never. .Murder? Often.