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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1997-05-14, Page 51. , A 1 ocate , ,� May 14, 199: Publisher & Editor: aim Beckett Business Manager: Don smith ?roduction Manager: Deb Lord 9sirvittstng: Barb Consitt. Chad Eedy _News; Heather Mir. Chris Skalkos, . Ross Haugh, Brenda Burke. . P Ochi cn Alma Ballantyne, Mary McMurray; 'Barb Robertson . Brenda Hem, Joyce Weber, Laurel Miner Transportation; A(.Flynn, Al Hodgen Froin Office &c Acco ,nting: Elaine Pinder, Sue Rollings, Ruth Sleight Ruthanne Negrijn. Anita McDonald, Cassie Dalrymple The Exeter Times -Advocate is a member of a family of community newspapers providing news, advertising and information. leadership Local issues will tell the tale. in this election lection fever is upon.us. The -official announcement came as an ,inti -climax because all major parties • have heen conducting campaigns for - weeks. We.have:known for quite some -time what the issues will he. Topping the list. is unity* . despite effort~ to take some of the pressure off by stressing thc.im'port.ince.of the economy: We have had theodd situation of hav- ii a• our ott1(ial opposition a group of pc �ipie .i hose main policy is to break This country apart. The prohlerr with . si;; ale issue groups is political tunnel- ision. true. but as single issues go. this One is :t real monster:.: Some people, will.tiurely saythere are • more.lmportant issues lacing this coun- try than Quebec's status. They are ig _ norin?g the fact that if.Quehec:is sue-- ces' tui .in separating from Canada. we_ willhave no country.- It isn't being alarmist to.point-out that the social and economic _impact of separation is likely to he devastating -on both sides of the Ottawa river. - It was the unity issue which dealt the first real blOw to the popularity of the Chretien government. and it may turn out to he the veru issue which brings this 4o.,:;etnme;u down. But unity issue e)r- mot: Chretien is a -strong. and popular. leader. The real question at this point is whether there is avalid alternative to the Liberals: -Traditionally. that role was played by the Conservatives. The last federal election left them holding only two seats: perhaps due to a strong reaction against Brian :Mulroney. perhaps due to the emergence of the Reform. The past few years have given the PCs•the • ' chance to rebuild. but they have also .given Reform a chance to solidify their position. The problem is, sometimes it's at hu hard to decide just what the Re- form position is. And the party contin- ues to be plagued by the occasional ra- cist foot -in -mouth statement from its blooper reel contingent. The.NDP has announced its intention to `go after a number of seats, but murmurings of the party's modest expectations don't 'seem promising. . As issues go in every province except -Quebec.- voters have heard the. jobs - taxes -unity song• before and..know the words -and tune too well to he terribly caught up in them. This is where the strength of the individual candidates takes on great importance. Even in this day of instant communications which al-. - low each candidate to reach a huge num- her of voters, .personal contact becomes' a vital factor on election day. Despite , television. the net and radio --1 or perhaps because of them - an honest srnile. a warm handshake and a face -to' --face greeting will win votes. . Voters might he confused by what is happening in Ottawa; annoyed by party .propaganda and frustrated by campaign promises; but they know their local can- didate: Just a prediction. but unless a new and interesting issue emerges in the course' of this campaign. or someone Of national importance -really messes up badly, this election more than any other in recent - -history will be fought riding by riding across the nation. Votes will be meas- ured in worn out -shoes and sore hands. • in meet the candidates nights at local schools: and speeches on the front steps of public libraries. • -One: of the beauties - and frustrations - in Canadian politics is the decision we • must make. •to vote for the party or the person. This is shaping up• to be a_ very personal election where local issues and local people take precedence. What's on your mind? The Tirnes-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, NOM 1S6. Sign your letter with both name and address. Anonymous letters will not'be published. `�► A View From Queen's Park Ri Eric Dowd 4 TORONTO -- Premier Mike Harris and his Progressive Conservatives can breathe a sigh of relief -- •but not too deeply. • . • Harris's delivery of more cuts in provnnci.il income tax as promised in the 1995 election .hould•prop up the Tories against any further .tide in popularity .and restore some of the opti- mist)) they have lacked for months. The; Tones new euts, effective July 1 and at -year-end. help make up a total 22 per cent re- duction since they took over government, and • they appear on target for the 30 per cent cul, . 'promised by l' 99. • . "Che Tones had fallen sharply in esteem first ' through a clumsy. transparent attempt to shift responsibilities costing hundreds of millions of . dollars a year on to municipalities, while pre- tending they would incur negligible extra cost, • :ind retreating without grace only when munic- ipalities raised opinion against them. -The Tories also angered many including some in their own party by trying to force mer - gees of municipalities that local residents did not .want and had -to back off some. They offended many. again including Tories. ' by announcing closures of 22 hospitals with many more more to come, although Harris had said in the election he had no plans for clo- - sur+es. A half-dozen Tory MPPs, including a minis- ter, rebuked Harris publicly for acts as diverse as closing hospitals and promoting video lotter- ies. Several called him unreceptive to advice and intolerant in the most outspoken revolt in an Ontario government since the 1940s. Another minister let slip that he is thinking of packing up. Harris and his government looked fumbling, disorganized and unsure of what they were doing. . • Those who voted, for Harris were attracted primarily by the tax cuts and smaller govern- ment he promised. They also liked his confi- dent style, which they have not seen as much of lately. ' Publications Mail Registration Number 0386 _ ;>UBSCRIP1ION RATES; One year rate for Ontario subscribers - $36.00 + GST Two year rate for Ontario subscribers - S83.00 + GST CANADIAN ADDRESSES OUTSIDE ONTARIO One year subscription - S83.00 + GST Two year subscription - S119.00 + GST OTHER BATES Outside Canada - S102.00 Publlshed Eacb Wednesday Morning at 424 Main St.. Exeter, Ontario, NOM 1S8 by J.W. Eedy Publications Ltd. Telephone 1-519-235-1331 • Fax 519.235-0768 e -mall address: tfines.advocateeeedy.com G.S.T. SR105210836 y�v f/ ci! tal YfP4 bap mateatio 1114INK NE.'s GONE TOO FAR \NC11-1 ?HiS IMAGE MAKEOVER fl-BNG,,. Notional Man Of Destiny µms, fes,,, Sv-tw ttrr,t.YV . ear" Simple Criie1ties Brenda Burke Brown -spotted fever Mille at the vet clinic buying t ; O hag of clog 100(1. (my Dalmatian is allergic to protein and.therefore needs an ' expensive larnhiricc version of. - munchtcs i. i read :ui. Ittrigumg notice': "Dalmatian 10. ,iyc ,away. neutered etc.:' Tlnnktng that's ':ghat I iuddenly wanted tor Env • birthday. i called tip the .guy' and went to take a Zook at'this dog.. .\ brown -spotted Dalmatian. _Perfect. 1t would match the gine f had alt hutne..xnd 1 could tell people Ilett two doffs in the•un_ and that's how their spits faded fi•orn.hlack to brown.. .Llthough there is also a cat .tt •Ittnne•,inti .t habv•on its way. there was no doubt ;about it. 1• wanted another dog. . •the next day. following the huge irroiest ,11 my husband c a me -,log man.). I came to my ,crises. We don't need another dog like the- one we' ye already gut: .4 shedding, neurotic maniac who will do anything for food. stores up energy -like ar wind-etp clock. is .afraid of ,•a rhage bags on the side oI ;hc Bad and lets un like he'wi11'mingle strangers when they arrive .tt the door.•- Desplte all of his huge flaws. the critter has hecurne apart of • the family. I've heard.uf people Toiling their pets to the point Where they:re'treated like people.,of even better. Why not? not:' The do have feelings. Besides. they never .rtticrze your cooking. notice when ytnu'rc late for work or rry to &ell.'-ou vacmtm cleaners. It doestn:l :take.a lot to make [hem happy.• .Take our at: !or example. So affectionate. he just Iooks•ait you and -starts purring: He even.talks hack. Ycni ask iiim ,t key r . . question. "A. re-vou.hungry " and you get your-:nswer every time.- Soinetitnes-I feet sorry for the cat because he loves ttie doge .o much. Livery .:hance he gets. lie .wars at his. tail. grabs at his eyes.antl looks for hen Mien Ile' s .zone. Che dog. he just- • ignore:; all this attention. Leftovers from .upper or talk of taking at Walk., these Issues interest him most. • Su pets' demands afire •iinple._.inost-of the time.. :\hiving very quickly however, is .01 appointment for +fur annual .. art vaccination. dOg and "eat flea treatment and dog - heartwurm chewables. ibis equals one hi: vet `till 'lien of course. there's dog vaccination 'time in December. Lots to look forward to. Pete are also .r problem when all want to. go SWay. Do von S'end the dog to. a friend's house and hope it doesn'rrttn;acva . keep it at home and get a - - neighbor to d) tiailv'a'ounds or r Ttve'it inolo a kennel for the j weekend? ' \Ve've tried kentlels before. While...I was leaving the dog -behind at one of them. he climbed a 10 -toot fence and • , ehased,rnv .:at.tut thedriveway. Daring another kennel visit. he ' ended up cvith.hite marks. reseiribling Dracula's • trademark.. Once. kennel keepers had to vedate him • • because. he got.too hyper: 1 hope the search for habvsitters won't he .is ;litficult. • The :�t an look atter himself if we're away .but it means - locking him indoors with a never-ending supply of food and a big cat'litter. Normally he eats measureif-port%ons you give him and is accustomed to going outside about 20 times each day ind making .t little hammock on • top of the covers between your -sect ".it night. • Alright: animals ;tre a big responsibility. :qty family doesn't need more dogs and cats. So...where do they sell . rabbits around here?, Tories anger voters ('he new .urs will remind them of why they supported Hams and that for good or ill he is still keeping more promises than most politi- cians. The Tories had tumbled to 35 per cent in . polls. behind the Liberals' 39 per cent. which should not have struck terror in them. because they were much further behind the Liberals he - fore the 1995 election and still won. The Tones also should have been resigned to losing popularity between tax cuts, because their reductions in services hurt users and cost jobs. "their new tax cuts on schedule should . snake them more respectable in polls and pro- vide some comfort. Harris will face escalating charges by the opposition parties and others that he is cutting services and hurting the disad- vantaged to provide. tax cuts which many don't need. . The premier also will have to contend with a growing argument, particularly during the fed- eral election, that governments benefit more by • reducing their deficits and paying Tess interest than by cutting taxes and hoping residents will spend their extra cash to create sates and jobs. Harris takes the second view, that putting more money in taxpayers' pockets will increase spending and jobs, but does not have much evi- dence to support this so far. An increase in con- sumer spending is being attributed more to unu- sually low interest rates making financing of purchases less costly. Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chretien says it is more useful to cut the deficit and he will eliminate it first and then cut taxes; about 1999. Reform Party leader Preston Manning also is opting to eliminate the deficit before cutting • taxes, and only federal Tory leader Jean Char - est is promising tax cuts in his first year. Hams has his own tinietable for wiping out Ontario deficits by the year 2000 and could do this earlier if he was not intent on tax cuts, but their attributes include coming along at conven- ient times to hearten his troops.