Times Advocate, 1994-04-06, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, April 6, 1994
Publisher: )inn Beckett
News Editor: Adrian Harte
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Composition Manager: Deb Lord
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inion
I',1)1'FOR 1A1.
Loud and clear
t would seem the time for
austerity is over. Holding taxes
down isn't the only thing on Ex-
eter residents' minds these days,
as was seen at last Wednesday's
Strategic Planning meeting.
The people of Exeter want to
see something for themselves in
this year's capital projects budget
- something more than hard ser-
vice projects for the fringes of
town.
This doesn't mean servicing
needs are being ignored. Most
are aware that water and sewage
expansion projects are well un-
der way. A few more might re-
alize the town is a couple of
years ahead of schedule on other
servicing projects due to favour-
able grant situations.
The townsfolk have told coun-
cil they want something to be
proud of, and the "Heritage Cor-
ner" seems to be that focal point.
It is hard to believe the Old
Town Hall was nearly demol-
ished 20 years ago. A kinder
gentler Exeter of the '90s recog-
nizes if that building were lost,
no one would ever build any-
thing like it here again.
The same may also apply to the
old Public Library, which many
say they prefer to sce restored,
enlarged, improved, but not de-
molished.
And what of the cultural and
recreational "frills"? If the South
Huron Recreation Centre had
never existed, how many fewer
children would travel out of town
to play hockey, figure skate, or
play ball? Can the arena be im-
proved, within reason, to expand
on present programs or add new
ones? Are there other, non-
athletic, pursuits that might flour-
ish given the right venue?
The message came through loud
and clear last Wednesday. Rath-
er than wait until Exeter has
6,000, or 8,000 people before
spending public funds on improv-
ing their lives, the citizens of this
town want to start building for
that future now.
This needn't be at odds with
hopes to see the town grow ei-
ther. If Exeter is to draw new
residents from other areas, partic-
ularly London, it must have more
to offer than the sterile subdivi-
sions that can be found else-
where.
Paved streets, new sewers, and
streetlights aren't the main draw-
ing cards for a community's
growth potential.
A.D.H.
0 AP
tip'
What's on your mire
The Times -Advocate continues to welcome letters to the editor as a
forum for open discussion of local issues, concerns, complaints
and kudos. The Times -Advocate reserves the right to edit letters for brevity.
Please send your letters to P.O. Box 850 Exeter, Ontario, NOM2S6. Sign your
letter with both name and address. Anonymous letters will notbe published.
By Eric Dowd
Eric Dowd joins us this week as a regular
contributor to the Times -Advocate. He is a
Queen's Park press gallery reporter.
TORONTO - If Progressive Conservative
leader Mikc Hams scores any more successes
like this, it may cost him any chance of win-
ning the next election.
Harris has won a byelection in Victoria-
Haliburion, which has been held by the New
Democratic Party since 1990, and may be
tempted to think he has found the formula for
winning the general election expected next
year.
Harris's Tories were able to make the most
discussed issue in the byelection a claim their
first priority is providing jobs, while the liber-
als and NDP are more concerned with ensuring
homosexual couples enjoy the same family
benefits as married couples.
The NDP has been preparing a package of
benefits for same-sex couples and a Liberal
MPP introduced a private member's bill pro-
posing benefits which most Liberals voted for,
but the issue is way down on both parties'
agendas and they have spent incomparably
more time discussing jobs.
Harris also capitalized heavily on immigra-
tion concerns, saying 'we're getting too many
from other countries who are coming here for a
free ride' and chastizing these immigrant 'free-
loaders.'
The Tory leader also has been warning blunt-
ly that welfare recipients who 'choose to stay at
home and do nothing will get nothing.' urging
tougher treatment of criminals and insisting po-
lice can do no wrong.
The Tories' choice of issues and harsh lan-
guage on them sound very much a right wing
agenda and appear to have served Harris in the
byelection, where voters could register a
protest. •
But Ontario has not elected a pa;,y of the far
right in memory.
This still does not rule it out completely in a
province in which politics have been turned up-
side down. Few expected the NDP to be elected
in 1990.
But the Conservatives stayed in power contin-
uously from 1943-1985 by avoiding steering
far right. Business interests were usually well
up in Tones' minds when they made policies.
HI Of
FilfiBON
AWAFIE)
1993
"Men are never so likely
to settle a question rightly
as when they discuss it
freely."
... Thomas Macauley
Published Each Wednesday Momh18 at 424 Main St.,
Exeter, Ontario, NOM 156 by J.W. Eedy Publications Ltd.
Telephone 1-519-235-1331
S.T. stt10521OS35
Hold that thought...
By Adrian Harte
Unfavourite things
As far as I can tell, I seem to
watch a bit less television than
most people, mainly because
many seem to talk about shows
I've never heard of, let alone
seen.
Nevertheless, I still probably
watch more than I should. I
should read more, get out more.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. When a book
or u bicycle conics with a re-
mote control...
The truth is, there's much on
television to annoy me. It
makes you wonder if the whole
medium is heading for some
giant flush. Who, for instance,
who decided that the Pink Pan-
ther should have a voice?
When I was a kid, the Pink
Panther was one of my favour-
ite cartoons. Those cartoons are
still classics, as far as I'm con-
cerned. That cool, debonair cat
that got by without a word did
not need to be put on afternoon
television with Matt Frewer's
voice. I liked him as Max
Headroom, but the Pink Panther
never needed to speak.
I'm also not a big fan of shows
in the ilk of Married, With Chil-
dren. If I ever needed a good
reason to sell my TV set, there's
one for starters. There are prob-
ably sitcoms worse than that on
the dial and I've just been fortu-
nate enough to miss them so far.
How are we ever going to
cope on an information super-
highway with 500 channels? I
already think we have too
n..
many. LC.ctcr just got two
more, and I think I'd be content
with just six, tops.
Of course, I doubt my choices
would match yours, but still...do
we need to be able to compare
three Detroit newscasts to
which murders were lead items
on which channels? Now we
can even flip to New York news
where only the juiciest murders
are worth putting on the air.
Well, there's probably still a
lot of good left in TV, if you
can ignore the bad. I have to
admit I'm hooked on Tuesday
night murder mysteries, am
slowly getting myself weaned
off Star Trek, and am beginning
to think bylaws are needed to
prevent meetings or other gath-
erings on Thursday nights.
Still, there's a lot more my tel-
evision can do for me. If my
VCR can be programmed to
switch itself on and record sev-
eral items a night, how come
my television can't be pro-
grammed to take care of all the
channel switching for an eve-
ning.
I could then keep the remote
oui of antis teach anti resist tiie
temptation to channel surf.
Don't you hate it when you can't
remember what channel your
movie was on? Why has no one
thought of this before?
Despite all the nasty things
Marshall McLuhan had to say
about it, there's likely still some
good left in that maligned black
box that lurks in the corner. But
perhaps now the right thing to
remember is that winter is over,
there's more light outside in the
evenings and we can shake off
the oppressive yoke of TV for
awhile.
Except, of course, for Tuesday
nights, Thursday evenings, Sat-
urday mornings....
Tories weren't always a far right party
Business provided much of the funds.
But Tory governments also brought in such
programs as medicare, human rights and consu-
mer protection, severance pay in plant closures
and a start on French -language services, prod-
ded by crimes and the need to win elections.
William Davis, premier from 1971-1985,
forced employers to check union dues off wag-
es, banned them from hiring professional
strike-breakers and launched a permissive era
in education that oddly is being curbed by the
NDP.
Davis had to fight off some in his party who
thought it strayed too far left, particularly in the
1970s and early 1980s, when Ronald Reagan
and Margaret Thatcher had legions of admirers.
Davis warned sternly the Ontario Conserva-
tives should not become 'caught up in theology
that is counter-productive and leads us away
from the reality of this province' and demoted
the right wing's chief spokesman, Gordon
Walker, to a lesser job in his cabinet after he
complained government poked its nose too
much in the economy.
Walker ironically is now a key fund-raiser
and adviser to Hams, who also has installed the
right wing's other leading spokesman, Tom
Long, party president in the mid-1980s, as his
election campaign chairman.
Davis won four elections. His successor,
Frank Miller, who was proud of saying he went
into politics to reduce government interference
in his life, lost the Tories their dynasty, partly
because of his right wing enthusiasms.
Larry Grossman, who followed Miller as op-
position leader, turned sharply right in the 1987
election, attacking what he called a hidden
agenda to make Ontario officially bilingual and
promising to be stricter with unions, and took
the Tories to their worst defeat since Confeder-
ation.
Some Tories recognize the current danger,
but have not objected publicly. One who did is
Sally Bornes, Davis's communications adviser,
who warned the Tories 'risk abandoning many
of their traditional supporters who consider
themselves moderates' and alienating those
who have a social conscience.
Harris is having so much success, however,
he may not want to listen.
11