Times Advocate, 1997-01-01, Page 4Page 4
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Times -Advocate, January 1, 1997
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EDITOR I kC
Ring in the new year
ost people won't bet o sad to
bid farewell to 1996. This. was the year
that brought us a. public service em-
ployees' strike, welfare cuts; doctors'
protests and chaos in our,education sys-
tem. •
.Conservation authorities across the -
province reeled as they got hit with
massive budget cuts. Municipalities
reeled as they faced orders to "become
more efficient" under the threat of seri-
ous financial hardship.
Ordinary people were left wondering;
what disaster would come next. Then
came the news that Ontario's Conserva-
tive government is more popular than
ever. It does make one wonder.-
We face 1997 secure:in the knowl- •,
edge that it will be ayear of change.
We are promised the complete revamp-
ing of our medical system and educa-
tion -system. There are no guarantees
this-reyamping will work. We•dcna''
know whether the economy will ,tip,;: •
the recovery experts keep:proinisine.
They've been promising it for years, yet
there are still businesses closing their
doors and laying off staff on a massive
scale: Factories -are corning .up with
new;and interesting :ways of paying
staff less.
There will be Canadian soldier.s.kent
overseas to keep what passes -for peace.-
There will be police officers and fire
fighters facing danger on a daily basis.
And there will ,be .tragedies.
Yet the ringing in of the new year. al-
ways brings a renewal of'hope. People
make resolutions to begin that:diet,• quit
smoking,.get their finances in order and
upgrad heir_ education. --As it is cele
brat bur culture, New Year's gives
us the ce to start off fresh, to sym-
bolically get rid of all the excess bag-
gage we have accumulated over the
past 12 months: - ,
We will star 1997 with high expecta
tions, and with determination to make
the most of this new year, this fresh op-
portunity, this chance to accomplish'
something worthwhile.
What will the new year bring? Al-
though everyone dreams of -peace and
harmony at home and abroad, it `likely
won't happen. We want a healthy -econo-
my, with plenty of employment opportu-
nities. This likely won't happen, either.
But if each of us manages to meet one
small goal, to keep one simple resolu-
tion, 1997 will be better than 1996.
If every New Year's resolution list in-
cludes a plan to make even a small do-
. nation to -a charity; to write a lettereon-
gratulating a public official, teacher or
clergyman for a job well done; to smile
at -someone each day; and to get in touch
with an old friend, 1997 will be a lot
better. than 1996. `
And if everylist also includes a prom-
ise to help others - join a service club,
volunteer for an hour a week at the local
school, cut the grass for -an elderly
neighbor; participate in a hospital .or_l►-
brary fund raisincampaign - 1997 will
be a good year.
- There's the old story about the beach
'Covered with millions:of starfish, strand-
ed'by the outgoing tide, and the child
tossing as many as he'could into the sea.
- -"There are so many,.you could be here a
week and not make a:difference," some-
one
ome one told the ehilc4..The child:thought for r.
a moment, and tossed another into the
water. " "To that one', I made- a differ-
ence;" he said. • .
We face a wonderful neWyear, with
the promise'of many opportunities; Eve-;.
ry small act of kindness -makes a differ.
ence;. each wqrd spoken against injustice.
makes a difference. - -
Each of us holds the key to make 1997.
thebest year ever: if only in a small.
way.
Happy New Year.
-
Icki4Qff
4
The TimesAdvocate' continues to welcome letters 'to the ;editor gas a
forum forbpen discussion of'local issues, onoerris, :'complain
and kudos. The Times-Advocate'reserves the rightto.aedit letters fprbrevitgl
Please send your letters to PO -Box 850 Exeter, Antario, °NNOMia 6. Sign your{
letter with both name and address. Anonymous letters-*111>not be:published
Simple Cruelties
..Brenda Burke
Resolve to go easy on resolutions.
Quit.smoking. Lose weight..
Get mere-excercise. "
These ire -th.e'threc most - .
popular New Year's Resolution.
of all time. '
The almighty resolution tend,
to foci's 'Oil self- iingrtwentent •
ratherthan self-indulgence:
How many people resolve.tc --
take•a trip, Wend money.
frivolously or eat whatever they
want (without some kind of
guilt) fdr thenext 365 days? -•
• ,It makes sense to start -anew
year off bsa
y ying.to yourself;
':'i promise to..." Even if•it is just
to give the illusion of , . .-
improvement_ -- -,
Breaking bad habits is what
it's all about and it usually'
ores the elimination of
activities•most harmful tip'
ourselves.
But what about those cruel'
little habits that truly annoy • •
others such as biting your nails
in public, snoring at slumber
parties or;,hiibitually cho)sing •
bad rental movies'' •
We don't think of. those
because losing weight draws .•
met— visible results. This.goal,
like striving to be anon -smoker.
is.?;omethingeveryone notices -
inmmediately. •-
. -One- of the•biggest challenges.
in life has'got to be staving true
to a New _Years Resolution, On
Jani.,1 we all.stand-.proud and -
tall and proclaim our promises
to ourselves...to the applause•of
those who can't detect the .
- shreds ado* hanging on the
threads inside our pockets: •
• • All,the_pbwer to people who.,
do keep their -resolutions and tm
amazeinerfi goes out to others
wtio; consistently• year after
year. , just can't seem`te think of
any area they desperately want
4 to improve iti.their lives.
But when you stop. and
consider it.- that maybe one - 9. Freeyouurself from th• e
solution to this age-old problem. InlerNET:
'
'Don't make any resolutions `
this year,or. if you•have to, 10. Respondto the question: .
make oues that really count.. • "How are you today?" with how
you truh•feel. ,
RESOLVE TO: - - - -
I Never make your bed. -
Rely on animals for
intellectual stimulation.
3. Consider. money for' what its-
actually is • numbers on,paper.-
• -
4:Break your ajarrn clock and,
hide it with the socks -that have
--no mates., • , .•-
t.
' -5. Never slice onions alone.
6. Remember birthdays. not.
middle ranges. •
•
7. Eat what tastes good.
8. Don tvis t people you i
like. 1.
•
on't
A View From Que-en's Park mi , a
Toes obsessed with getting rid of po►l�t�
By Eric Dowd
7
TORONTO -- Ontario's Progressive Conser-
vatives are building -the cotintry's biggest local -
government here on shak-y ground.
The province will amalgamate the six munic-
ipalities which compose Metropolitan.Toronto.
yet so far has failed to show what benefits this •'
will bring the community.
Toronto, despite faults, was named by For-
tune magazine only two months ago as'.best city4'
tolive in in the world. A government should
Show some benefits before it radically changes .
what seems a reasonably successful status quo.
Premier Mike Hams and his advisers seem
to have beeh driven more by reasons which in-
clude their desire to be seen 'as men of action.
'decisive and swift -moving, one of their biggest
boasts. -
•
This image has sagged a bit as some of their
programs have bogged down and there 's doubt
particularly they will be able to stick tertheir
timetable reducing provincial income tax 30
per cen y 1998. _
The ories are obsessed also by getting rid
of politicians and because they are eliminating
• six elected councils and having only one, and
-45 elected politicians insteactof 106, they'will
please many for whom kie.ikAg politicians has
become the most popular, guaranteed-tc -'win-,
applause game in town. .
Amalgamation oddly was not even being.
considered until a couple of months ago. Two
govegtment-commissioned studies had turned
it down flat and a third was making a wider '
study of municipal issues (and tater also turned •
it down so no study supports amalgamation.
Barris and Municipal Affairs Minister Al
Leach then suddenly.emerged ac favoring aural-
gamalion and they have since run a campaign
so nasty and lacking in -information that, even if
amalgamation proves to have benefits, the
whole process still reeks.
Leach scoffed,"youdon't have to be a rocket
scientist" to figure out that eliminating six rnu-
nicipal governments and replacing them with
one must result in massive cost savings.
Leach is definitely not a rocket scientist and
not long ago became the first cabinet minister '
in OJnario history to ask opposition MPPs to
postpone questions on legislation he was,-pilot-
ing
as, piloting because he did not understand it.
Eliminating governments in theory should,
save costs,.but the more costly services in Met-
ropolitan Toronto, likepolice-and transit, are
already amalgamated, so there is less opportu•
-
nity'to save than -there might seem.- :.
When municipalities join, there also is a ten-
dency for those with lesser services and wages
to want upgrading to the others. Leach was. un-
able to name a single amalgamation which has
cut costs.
Apart from money, many residents are natu-
rally worried that orie centralized municipal of-
fice will be less responsive to neighborhood
needs. •
The condemned municipal councils, which
• also are elected, asked for public hearings or a'
referendum; but the Tories refused, although •
they recently passed a law specifically designed
to provide referenda so ordinary citizens can
ans
. make decisions. They presumably were worri
they might be defeated.
. The Tories leaked dubious polls claiming
overwhelming suppdtt for amalgamation, in-
cluding one found to have first asked loaded.
questions planting the idea municipalities du-
plicate and fail to coordinate services.
Trying to make the municipal leaders look
untrustworthy, the Tries 'dropped hints they
would need watchdo so departing municipal
leaders could not go n spending sprees vrith -
taxpayers' hard•earnect money. -
In their last, most ludicrous act the Tories,
having already decided on amalgamation blit
without figures to support their claim it would ,
produce vast savings. hired consultants to find
some and they did, but by such.bizarre means
as cutting police, who already are amalgamat-
ed, anyway. -
The quarrelsome Tories put all their efforts
into flattening opponents and still have not
shown why municipalities that, work reasonably
well cannot be left alone.