Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-05-20, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, May 20, 1998 Publisher & Editor: Jim Beckett Business Manager: Don Smith Production Manager: Deb Lord Advertising; Barb Consitt, Chad Eedy News; Kate Monk, Craig Bradford, Katherine Harding, Ross Haugh Production; Alma Ballantyne, Mary McMurray, Barb Robertson Brenda Hern, Joyce Weber, Laurel Miner Transoortation: Al Hodgert Front Office & Accotjnting; Sue Rollings, Carol Windsor Ruthanne Negrijn, Anita McDonald, Cassie Dalrymple, Ruth Slaght, C CPA* The Exeter Times -Advocate is a member of a family of community newspapers providing news, advertising and information leadership I':DI'FOR1A1, Bad timing for South Huron Hospital W ith South Huron Hospital fac- ing a shortage of doctors willing to work on the long weekend forcing clo- sure of the emergency services depart- ment the opportunity to take advantage of the eight -hospital partnership in Hu- ron Perth was missed. Using the newly -discovered team- work among the eight hospitals could have resulted in a decision to keep Ex- eter'.s hospital open even if it meant closing emergency services at another hospital where less demand is expected. With over 20,000 visitors in Grand Bend soaking up sun and suds it would seem logical the closest hospital should be staffed. With more doctors unwilling to work the long shift of emergency duty this problem will certainly surface again, however, the closing of the emergency department on the weekend seems sus- piciously close to last week's an- nouncement by the provincial govern- ment that more money will be spent on attracting doctors to areas where they are most needed. Doctors have diligently worked the emergency department over previous years keeping the service open. This time around some doctors brought this problem to a head, calling attention to a situation that has been de- veloping over a long period of time. Chopsing to be unavailable on a long weekend when accidents are expected to happen is a decision that will not sit well with the public. One local doctor, Jerry Jadd, did pro- vide service in the emergency depart- ment. South Huron Hospital recently sur- vived a major challenge where having a hospital in Exeter at all was brought into question. One of the arguments used to convince the District Health Council to re -think their decision was the impor- tance of the emergency department. The argument was made that the emer- gency service was vital. It was valid then and is certainly valid now. No one will disagree doctors work long hours...perhaps.longer than they should. It's a profession requiring high levels of skill and dedication, however, more than a few members of the public are asking where some of that dedication went on the weekend. Closing the emergency service at South Huron on long weekends will al- ways be a bad decision. y Letters to the Editor Exeter's decisions "We are going to replace a prime business lot with a gazebo!" Dear Editor: We've come a long way in five years! 1. We have the million dollar white elephant, ye Olde Towne Hall! 2. The library and former police station arc disin- tegrating! 3. We are going to replace a prime business lot with a gazebo! 4. We pay $2.00 for each bag of garbage but we only get one yard waste pickup per year! • 5. We faithfully use the blue box and find that 85 per cent of the material goes into the dump! (recent Toronto Star report) 6. The town is now run by one person, the admin- istrator! 7. The mayor and town council are redundant, proven by the fact that the T -A only reports Lucan council news! Ron Wessman • Speak Out Letters to the Editor 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 Iyith both name and address. Anonymous letters will not be published. A View from Queen's Park By Eric Dowd TORONTO -- Premier Mike Hams has start- ed to collect his expected payback from voters and already shown that he will be difficult to beat in an election. Harris and his Progressive Conservatives were virtually guaranteed to lose popularity as they pursued their program of cutting services to reduce spending and then regain some or all as they were able to cut taxes. The opposition Liberals have now said their polls show the Tories suddenly are back up to 42 per cent support, only slightly behind the Liberals' 45 per cent, after lagging far behind for two years. The New Democratic Party had a meagre 13 per cent. Polls had been awaited with special interest because the Tories have had a run of favorable publicity. The Liberals released theirs first, probably to take some of the sting from inde- pendent surveys, which also are likely to show the Tories threatening, and to eradicate compla- cency among supporters and spur them to greater effort. The Liberals' poll was taken just before the Publigetlons Mall Registration Number 07511 iiiiirdEMONAKOLL One year rate for Canada subscribers - $36.00 + OST Two year rate for Canada subscribers - $63.00 + OST OTHER RATS Outside Canada • $102.00 ♦ )rteas-wttYfia0w' Published Each Wednesday Morning at 424 Main St., Exeter, Ontario, NOM 1S6 by J.W. Eedy Publications Ltd. Telephone 1.619-235-1331 • Fax: 519235-0766 amall:taeaady.com 0.8.T, 18105210835 • N.%8 Dlorforl b. &Ow hang Spada. Kate's takes By Kate Monk Time flies when you're having fun Hard to believe, I've been at the Times -Advocate for an entire year. In my former life as a communications manager, I worked with the media to ensure our information (as we saw it) made it to the masses. In my new life, I receive information and sift through it. Both sides of the desk are enjoyable and have their merits. For me, the year has flown by..- Some y..Some T -A staff think I've been here forever (I'm not sure if that's good or not). What began on a trial basis as I filled in for a maternity leave has developed into a full-blown career change. I've learned several things during the year and here are some highlights. I. The job is all about our communities and people and fortunately, our coverage area is one of the best places to work. I get to meet many nice people and attend many worthwhile community events. 2. Volunteers make our community organizations tick. Some people pop up at one event after another. I actually have a mental "weekly sighting" list of people I see each week helping out at community events. You know who you are. 3. I strive to arrive at an assignment no more than five minutes early. If I have an appointment that starts on the hour, I'm thrilled if I walk in the door as the town (or village) clock is chiming. Time adds up. If I'm 10 minutes early for a meeting or event, and I have 15 events a week, that's 150 minutes or two and one-half hours I lose in a week. So don't panic if I'm not • at your event early. I am very rarely late. 4. Murphy's law kicks in whenever technology is involved. The more people there are watching, the greater the chances my camera equipment or my technical skills will have a glitch. In a one-on-one interview, things go smoothly but get 100 people watching and I'll forget some little thing or the camera batteries will expire. However, knock on wood, the photos have always turned out. 5. If you don't like Monday's, a reporter's life is not the life for you. Monday is a long, long day. So long in fact, it usually spills over into Tuesday. It includes writing and formatting articles, choosing photos, tracking down names of people, covering a council meeting and writing more than 1,000 words after council ends. 6. I'm even less ofa morning person now than I was a year ago. I can be sharp as a tack when' most people are winding down for the night. Covering up to four evening meetings each week, I have a difficult time unwinding afterwards. I'm the one walking the black dog through Exeter at midnight. I've always been a night hawk and this job is exaggerating the trait. Please don't ask me questions before 10 a.m. 7. When people ask me what's new, they really don't want to hear about the 20 things happening in the community this week. They're just making conversation. 8. I don't take praise or criticism too seriously. Both are probably linked to whether or not, I've communicated someone's side of the story. 9. That said, thanks for the feedback. It's great to hear you enjoy my articles or column. And keep those news tips and feature ideas coming in. 10. Perhaps the best part of all is I get to learn something new every day. I've always been curious and wonder why things are the way they are. This job has allowed me to get to know our world better and become a better citizen. It's been an exciting first year with some changes in store as I start my second year. You may not see me in town as much but you will see me combing the ' countryside more. I've taken on the position of editor of our farm newspaper, Regional Country News. I still have Times -Advocate responsibilities and will continue to cover Exeter council and several other beats. Thanks for a great first year everyone! • Tories' budget, but 'much of this had already been made public. The Tories got an obvious boost from saying they will fully implement their promised 30 per cent cut in provincial per- sonal income tax six months early, starting July 1. This will cut the taxes of a family of four earning $60,000 a year net by a useful $1,385 and, while Harris is less generous to the poor, he is not looking for their votes. Harris was able to announce also that, deipite cutting taxes and foregoing some revenue, he will still have a deficit this year that's less than half those of his NDP predecessors, and no defi- cit by the year 2001. Many independent experts feel Harris would be more prudent if he got rid of his deficit first instead of borrowing and paying interest to pro- vide his tax cut, but he has calculated correctly that voters will be more impressed by lower tax- es. More jobs are being created and Harris is pre- dicting unemployment will soon be cut to 7.4 per cent, its lowest in many years. Harris has Reward claimed, and many are accepting, that this is due to his tax cuts, which in fairness must have have promoted some spending. But less partisan observers attribute it more to unusually low interest rates, a strong economy in the U.S. and the weaker Canadian dollar, which it easier to export, all factors over which the premier has no control. The Tories clearly had the good fortune to be elected as Ontario's economy was improving. One measure of this is that they are raking in, even after cutting taxes, $5 billion a year more revenue than the NDP. But 1\in good economic times voters tend to thank government. Harris also has pleased many parents and dis- armed some critics by setting stricter rules for what students have to learn. He has taken a step toward the more compas- sionate image he needed by promising ahead of other leaders to compensate more hepatitis vic- tims, and few remember that he initially turned them down. Hams does not seem to have hurt himself by explaining that he ended an allowance for preg- nant women on welfare to prevent them spend- ing it on beer, for which he apologized. The main, harsh, theme of letters to papers has been that women on welfare should be respon- sible and not have babies. Harris has spent more taxpayers' money than any predecessor on advertising, supposedly in- forming where to obtain services, but blatantly praising his party, which has some effect. Ad- vertisers do not spend for nothing. The premier has cemented an alliance with business by cutting its taxes and weakening unions. Those who now give him standing ovations will fund him so he can far outspend opponents in an election. Harris has not created a paradise and many confirming this include welfare re- cipients on reduced benefits, university stu- dents facing huge tuition fee hikes and doctors warning that the air is so polluted children should not play outdoors. But their voices are not much heard in the clicking of cash.