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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-04-29, Page 4Page:4 Times -Advocate, April 29, 1998 Publisher &t Editor: Jim Beckett Business Manager: Don Smith Production Manager: Deb Lord Advertising; Barb Consitt, Chad Eedy News' Kate Monk, Craig Bradford, Brenda Burke, Ross Haugh Production Alma Ballantyne, Mary McMurray, Barb Robertson Brenda Hern, Joyce Weber, Laurel Miner rransoortation Al Hodgert Front Office & Accounting; Sue Rollings, Carol Windsor Ruthanne Negrijn, Anita McDonald, Cassie Dalrymple, Ruth Siaght, The Exeter Times -Advocate is a member of a family of community newspapers providing news, advertising and information leadership Publications Mad Registration Number 07511 14111100P110t1RAISL 0e• year rata for Canada subscribers - 535.00 ♦ 067 Two year rats for Canada subscribers - $63.00 ♦ OOT J•, J9l -r .- as •ss 1': 1)1'I'()11114 One door closes, another must open 66 hort term pain for long term gain" is how the most recent joining of major Canadian banks is being de- scribed. The merging of the CIBC and Toron- to Dominion will lead to an estimated job loss of some '10 per cent of the present workforce in the two compa- nies, we are told. But we are also being told it paves the way for an actual in- crease in jobs Somewhere down the line highly skilled jobs. Th_is.is_little consolation to a commu- -nity like this one. We know the highly skilled jobs will be at head offices, not small rural branches. Here, the immedi- ate and long term effects will be the same - job loss, accompanied by more technology -and less personal ser- vice. This is neither good nor bad - it is simply a fact of life in this fast -paced society of ours. Things change. Those who fail to keep up with the changes Will be left behind. In the past' century - a mere drop of water in the river of human existence - mankind has gone from using horse- power to using atomic power. Where once a trip to the city was a daunting task; a space ship is now circling the world, carrying scientists who are con- ducting experiments into -neurological and physical growth. Who knows what wonders the next century will bring? This fast pace offers many opportuni- ties for those who are healthy enough, wealthy enough and intelligent enough to take advantage of it. But the faster the pace, the greater the chance of get- ting 'left behind. Our society is starting to take on the look of a spindly plant that has grown too tall, too fast, and needs some leaves if it is to survive. While merging large companies into huge companies may result in a healthy bottom line, and look wonderful to in, vestors, we must not lose sight of the manager of the local branch - the guy who coaches minor soccer and serves on the executive of the chamber of com- merce. We must not lose sight of the six staff members who participate in every fund raising event the town has, who shop here, have children who go to school here, who pay taxes, and in gen- eral add to the life in this community. We really don't want to lose them for the 'sake of some world -scale investment bottom line few of us understand. "Bottom line" has come to be synony- mous with "pink slip". Toa small com- munity, merging two banks means one. is going to go. And the other branches in the area are not large enough to absorb more than a few fortunate individuals. The others will have a limited number. of options. Some will seek jobs else - ,.where. Others will learn new skills, and seek different careers here. And a few will create their own opportunities here. It is wrong to think we must sit help- lessly while big business pulls our. strings. Our local leaders can work to at- tract a diverse set of businesses and in- dustries, and encourage new businesses. A diverse and flexible economy, con- stantly growing and changing, is not only a goal to'be strived for, brit a neces- sity. And it isivett within the'feach-of this community. Our local leaders must make sure that when one door closes, another opens. We need to keep that bank manager and his six community -minded staff mem- bers here. They are our neighbors and - friends. reprinted from Saul een City Nrri•s • 0.1 MUM= Outelds Canada _ $102.00 Published Each Wednesday Morning at 424 Main St., Exeter, Ontario, NOM 138 by J.W. Eedy Publications Ltd. Telephone 1.319-2331331 • Fax: 519-235-0766 *nut tae.eey.coen O.S.T. *R105216835 THERE WILL BE No BANK MERGERS UNTILI/ 1 1 ff //II ,ty8,3 What's on your mind? 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, NOM 1S6. Sign your letter: with both name and address. Anonymous letters will not be published. Kate's takes By Kate Monk The aches and pains of a new season It's spring and I feel we. re' on the verge of summer, The birds are sinking. the flowers are blooming. the muscles are aching and the joints are creaking. It's the changeover in sports seasons. Out with the volleyball and cold arenas. In Vi ith hall hockey. slow -pitch. tennis and golf. You may think my orifi exercise is clicking the mouse and tracking down stories but I also play sports an and sore. This past.week. winter and summer .ports. "Thursday night was volleyball ' practice, Saturday morning was hall practice and 1 threw in some garttening as well. Sunday was our volleyball playoff • tournament (we won the- •bronic ). Monday night was hall hockey practice! I can barely, move. - • It's the same every year. 1 feel great the first time out. i run, throw and -sometimes I even jump. Who really stretches before they exercise'' Who runs at half speed? Not nie! • But does it ever hurt the next day!. The real question is, "Why does this happen''" • Havel played sports before'' Yes. Am I ever stiff and sore after the first few practices of a . new season? Almost always. • When will 1 ever learn? Not this year. : 1 see aches and pains as a spring ritual. Running . • 'w illy nilly is a way to celebrate the end of snow boots. winter coats and shovelling driveways. 1 don't run ►r jump during the winter monthsAs much as 1 lore the season. I'm dust not built to nin in snow. 1 played • snow-pitch'once and spent the tournament falling down . • running to first. catching frozen fly balls and wading back to the bench. . But I can run in springtime. I have to put a qualifier on this. You'll never see me out jogging around town. But put a ball in front of me and I can run all day. Soccer. ball hockey. 'slow -pitch. you name it_ It must come from owning a Labrador retriever. The instinct to chase.a ball keeps me going. So let's hear it for spring and the new sports season. In spite of all the aches and pains. it's a happy time. The days are long and bright. 1 am almost a Morning person. I get up "early" and form sentences when 1 greet the world. Believe me. 1 may be smiling on the outside but I'm hurting on the inside. A View from Queen's Park Harris needs to get back to the barricades TORONTO -- Premier Mike Harris has trapped an army of disabled children and home- less mothers into helping him force more gam- bling on residents who have already said they don't want it. The Progressive Conservative premier has en- listed•these strange bedfellows, because the dis- abled and homeless and their organizations do not normally clamor for increased gambling, as part of his latest manoeuvrings to attract still more money for his government from those who bet. . Harris already takes in $1.66 billion a year in profits from lotteries and casinos, which many feel is too much and is considerably more than previous governments, but wants to squeeze a few hundred million more. His eyes fell on the small, roving, three-day casinos which provided hundreds of mostly stnall charitahle.groups with a total $10 mil- lion a year. • The premier decided to replace them with 44 permanent casinos, smaller than the three exist- ing major casinos, but each with 40 tables and By Eric Dowd open around the clock, located to cover all areas of the province. He still calls them -charity casi- nos, because people object less to gambling for charity. . But their revenues would be much larger and - - the most- attractive innovation for the premier - - the charities and province would share them. But Harris's plan has changed because of op- position. The Tories said no municipality would be forced to have a new casino and most held referenda with their elections, the vast majority voting by wide margins not to have thein. Most felt residents have ample opportunities to gamble. Harris held out the lure that the new casinos would provide jobs, but municipalities sniffed that this was not the sort of worthy eco- nomic development they are seeking. They also worried that casinos would bring crime, particularly people stealing to gamble, and the municipalities would be left to cope with it while the province took off with the mon- ey. Although Hams in opposition promised that he would hold his own referendum before allow- ing mote casinos and still tells the news media daily that he wants to consult people, he has not admitted the slightest defeat. • Having abolished the roving casinos, he says he will proceed with establishing his 44 new ca-. sinos only where municipalities accept them, and charities will receive about $180 million a - year from them once all are established and his own government will get .$255 million (plus another $205 million from slot machines to be installed at racetracks.) Harris also offered cash advances to help the - charities until the new casinos are up and oper- ating, when they will have to pay them back. This has placed the charities in a difficult po- sition. They were set up by public-spirited citi- zens to help those in need and serve such de- serving groups as disabled children, abused women, alcoholics and youth sports. Their natural inclination is not to want more gambling with its stresses that create a new. group of needy, but they also have come to rely on revettyp from casinos and feel that unless the new cast are set up their incomes are inse- cure. .Some worry that without the casinos they will have to cut programs. A coalition of charities has gone so far as to charge nastily that coun- cillors who support refusing casinos are saying no to charities and yes to crime because if gam- bling is prohibited by law, it will take place il- legally. Some proponents of the new Casinos have melodramatically accused councillors of strik- ing "a death blqw to the social fabric of. the community' and inundated them with letters urging them to accept them. Municipalities which rejected casinos are also •being warned that if they continue refusing, they could wind up finding them in neighbor- ing municipalities, which will benefit from fees paid and jobs created. All this puts a lot of pressure on municipali- ties to change their minds and accept Harris's casinos, but the cry they will find hardest to re- sist is that without them they are hurting crip- pled kids.