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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1991-07-03, Page 6Page 4 Times -Advocate, July 3, 1991 Publisher: Jim Beckett News Editor: Adrian Harte Business Manager: Don Smith Composition Manager. Deb Lord L CNA Second Class Mall RegistratIon Number 0386 5UBSRIPTIQN F(jijES_ _CANADA Within 40 mos (65 km.) adibwssd to non lotto, cauls, addresses $30.00 plus $2.10 Q.S.T. Outisds 40 nrliss (85 km.) or any letter carrier address 530.00 plus 530.00 postage (total 880.00) piss 54.20 O.S.T. Outside Canada 888.00 I • • into EDITORIAL Hard to believe is hard to believe, but it's true. In a province where govern- ments are inventing new things to tax - the NDP's new scheme to put gas -guzzler taxes on all but a dozen "acceptable" cars is but one ex- ample - we actually have a local gov- ernment which has been able to put the- ory into practice, and lower taxes. The theory always was that as infla- on increases m tip u gets,e 'tfssessment of the municipality also in- creases, and should be able to keep tax- es stable. And yet this never happens. The de- mand for more services and improved public facilities usually results in mu- nicipal budgets which exceed the rate of inflation and the rate of increased as- sessment. Consequently, the taxpayer ends up paying an inflationary tax in- crease, or more. However, Usborne Township has been able to put together a 1991 budget that actually calls for a decrease in the general mill rate for the township. Res- idential and farm properties will be taxed at the rate of 4.387 mills, down from the 5.225 mills of 1990. While . we aren't yet ready to submit this to Ripley's Believe it or Not, one has to agree this is a fairly unusual oc- currence. Unfortunately, once the school board and Huron County tax increases are add- ed into the equation, the final result is not nearly so impressive, but still ends up roughly equal to last year's tax rates. How township council managed to cut some $60,000 from this year's budget has not 'yet been revealed, but the overall impression is one of fiscal responsibili- ty. Instead of finding out what money can be raised by taxation and setting a bud- get to match, we instead see a council deciding what needs to be budgetted and setting taxes to match. Theory may often have no bearing on the real world, but it's nice to see it work out sometimes, A.D.H. HAVE AN OPINION? 1111 The Times Advocate welcomes letters to the editor. They must be signed and should be accompanied by a telephone number and address should we need to clarify any information. The newspaper also reserves the right to edit letters. Letters can be dropped off at the Times Advocate Office or mailed to: Exeter Times Advocate Box 850, Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6 An urgent phone call It was one of those rare occa- sions. An adult time. An adult dinner. Alex has just passed his offi- cial babysitting examination. So why not use child labour when it is se readily and eagerly avail- able? Stephanie and Duncan weren't exactly crazy about the idea of being minded by their brother. But we gave them no choice. Lobsterfest. No, not at Lunen - burg, Nova Scotia. Maybe it'll be Lunenburg next year. But this time we were glad to dine at the local mall eatery. With most of Elizabeth's family. Minus the children. Grownup talk - what a treat! What do parents talk about when they're among them- selves? When they have an op- portunity to discuss the burning issues of the day? You might think that the conversations cen- tred around national unity, touched on the lacking integrity of politicians, or zet'ocd in on the dismal economic situation. You might assume that we seized this opportunity to dis- course on matters of social, cul- tural and intellectual impact. But you'd be dead wrong. We talked about our kids. We learned about overrated camps and stubbom poison ivy, about the merits of soccer in compari- son with baseball, about de- manding teachers and unfair re- port cards., about lazy, ungrateful kids and tired, up- tight parents, about braces and hormone attacks and collect phone calls from 10 -year old girl friends at 7 o'clock on a Sunday morning. "Let's change the sub- jeeeect!" I screamed. Every- body looked at me in surprise. Had I gone bonkers? "This is our evening out," I explained. "We're supposed to have fun. Instead we're turning the evening into a parenting Peter's Point • Peter Reuel workshop." Just then, the maitre d' came to our table. "Mr. Hessel, there is an ur- gent phone call for you." My heart stopped. Alex had burned the house down. Or Stephanie had fallen down the attic stairs and broken a leg. Or Duncan had nun away from home. I don't know how I got across the restaurant to the phone be- hind the counter. But I do re- member knocking my chair over and colliding with an un- suspecting elderly lady who was just leaving the place after finishing her dinner. In my panic I didn't even apologize. Then I finally reached the phone. "Yes, what is it?" I askegmy voice trembling. It was Alex. "Dad, Stephanie is having a problem. Tell me what to do!" "Good God, Alert, what hap - petted? Where -fists ie-? Ts she badly hurt?" "She isn't hurt at all. She is having a temper tantrum. I only want your advice. She won't lis- ten to anything I say." I was never so telieved. A temper tantrum. Was that all? I told the boy what to do. "Thanks for calling, Alex. You did the right thing. See you later. Bye." "Men are never so likely to settle a question rightly as when they discuss it freely." ... Thomas Macauley Peldisked islossitsy w* Essig MI by LW. E.ifr PubN .tlo . Ltd. TNsphsus 141 5-, at 424 Mals tit., a.s.T. $11 1.06210113$ Patriotism, at the beach As I begin to write this I sit on the Grand Bend beach. It is Canada Day and I'm surrounded by what appears to be several thousand people, all waiting for the fireworks display. Many arr waving the luminous tubes that a few enterprising gentlehien are selling a little fur- ther up the beach. Several more seem to have invested in the "kaleidescope" glasses which the Chamber of Commerce, who sponsor the fireworks, promise will give a more enhanced view of the display. I buy a pair myself, and they appear to be simple diffraction grating lenses In a cardboard frame. As the twilight fades, the lights of the boats offshore are growing brighter. A few of them are already holding fire- works displays of their own, adding to the anticipation of the crowd. So what's missing? Well, I can't see any of the Canadian flags that were in evidence at last year's display. Either no one is selling them, or no one feels particularly patriotic this year. But no, there are balloons be- ing handed out this year to the children. They are printed with a Canada Day inscription. May- be not as symbolic as flags, but it's the thought that counts. In all, it's a fairly low key ccle- I turned around, and then I re- alized that Elizabeth had fol- lowed me to the phone. She was biting her nails. "Trouble?" "Na. Just a temper tantrum" "Stephanie"" "Of course." I went back to the table, hold- ing my head high, whistling the Colonel Bogey March. Eliza- beth followed in step. "Trouble?" Everybody wanted / to know. "No, all is well. It was just Stephanie having a temper tan- trum. Alex did what he learned in his babysitting course. Chap- ter 3, section 7 of the textbook: 'When sitters feel they can't handle a situation, they should contact the parents and ask for advice." "What advice did you give him?" "I told him to ignore her." I tried to enjoy my lobster. It was very fresh. But very cold. Never mind. All was well at home, and in good hands. We really must do this more often. An adult evening. Among grownups. Without the kids. bratior} perhaps in keeping with the current national mood; perhaps because of the very na- ture of Canadians themselves. I'm trying to compare this elEmemeEme Hold that thought... By Adrian Harte scene with what will be witness across the United States later this week. No doubt there will be the imagery of the Gulf War included in every Independance Day celebration, almost as if the Americans had beaten back the Iraqi armada from the very shores of Florida herself. But then that's what Americans do best, isn't it? Even the creation of their country is based on a mythology of justice triumphing over oppression. Canada, instead, was formai 124 years ago out of some kind of convenient political arrange- ment. No battles were neces- sary. And the fireworks begin. An impressive display. I read some- where that Canadian profession- al fireworks displays have a character all of their own. They do not use the lingering, Letter to Editor thoughtful techniques favoured by the Japanese, nor are they the sky -filling tumultuous barrages typical of Americans. Somehow we fit in between. And yet, this is what Grand Bend does best. Everyone from miles around comes to sit to- gether on this beach. All oohing and aahing with each burst and explosion. Canadians joined to- gether on their nation's birthday.' I like this. Even the lake itself has taken on an unreal appearance, like it. is shrouded in fog. I can only. guess that smoke is drifting' across it from the fireworks launch pad. All too soon the show is over and everyone is heading back ei- ther to the pubs or to their cars, and homes. The streets are crowded with people. The: whole place is alive with people, the stores and the food stands. are still wide open and doing a: roaring trade, even at this late hour. As I head back to Exeter along Highway 83, I can't help but no • - lice that I'm but one car in a very long line of traffic. Red tail' lights stretch for miles into the distance and white headlights are reflected in my rear-view mirrors. • Red and white, I muse. But no, that is reaching a little too far, even on Canada Day. Garbage in all our environment Dear Editor: Were all interested in coe s- lag Ontario's natural environment. But an apptuent policy reversal by Ontario Environment Minister Ruth Grier wilt inevitably lead to more garbage in all our local fields, streams and trails. Last October, Mrs. Grier prom- ised is that the soft drink industry would have to produce more refill- able containers, se that leas of their throw -away bottles and cans would be strewn across the prov- ince. Starting April 1; all soft drink manufacturers who didn't provide at least 30 percent of their product in refillable containers were to be , with fines ranging 10 $10 , Mrs. Grier r said. But now, she had reneged. Al- though the in- dustry is only mar- keting about 15 111 percent of its total product in refillable containers, the ministry still hasn't laid charges - and there's no indica- tion they plan to enface their own is instead, we will have to tolerate floating pop cans on our treasured lakes and streams sand plastic bot- tles littering our favourite hiking trails. The soft drink industry ceidinly doesn't bear the entire waste crisis on its shoulders, bet dee posnised 30 percent quota would set an ex- , ample for all other packagers. There has to be a starting point to put an end to unnecessary packag- ing, and this is it. We at the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters have written to Mrs. Grier, reminding her that our natural heritage must take prec- edence over consumer convenience and corporate profit. • But without public outrage, On- -tario's Environment Ministry is: : likely to be quite happy with the: wasteful status quo. Yours in conservation R.O. Morgan Executive Vice President :