The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutTimes Advocate, 1998-12-16, Page 7Wednesday, December 16. 19')$ Exeter Times -Advocate. Opinion Forum t.ETTERS TO THE,f DITOR Wishes for Santa Dear Editor: 1 am writing to ask Santa if it is possible lo grunt Christmas wishes for five special boys within our communities. These boys are waiting to be matched with men who would be willing. to give to them some time and caring us 'Big Brother'. These children are not problem kids... they are boys who are trying to find their way in the world without a male to look up to as a role model and friend. Unfortunately, we have no volunteers to offer these boys. the opportuni- ty to experience this type of male friendship. Tell Santa how very special and eager these children are, so maybe their Christmas wishes' might be answered, Michael is 10 years old and hopes to find a Big Brother, who lives on a farm, needs help around his house, likes to play. and is funny. Michael enjoys animals, sports, riding his bike. computers and fishing. Sam is nine years old and .very eager to be matchedto a Big Brother who would like to go fishing and 'do neat stuff.' Sam enjoys movies, mini -golf, skating. fishing and talking. and would benefit from a Big Brother who could help hire feel more confident about himself. Joel is 14 years of age and..enjoys spurts. com- puter games. camping. biking and building electronic gadgets. He hopes that the I3ig Brother he will be matched with will be tall. buve u good sense of humour and is talkative. Matthew is 15 years old and his Christmas wish to be matched to a Big Brother who will offer him new interests, while enjoying his keen sense of humour and love of .basketball. Matthew enjoys sports and building things. . Mark is 10 years of age and hopes to find a. Big Brother who likes to do some of the same • things he enjoys such as drawing, hockey,' soc- cer and basketball. Ile would like his Big; - Brother to be 'playful' and kake him to the park. Santa, if you can find some men who can offer some time and raring to these children, these boys will have been granted their Christmas • wishes. These men do not have to be fathers to these boys. just u friend who will take and interest in the life oI a child. Please tell these men -to contact South Duron Big Brothers/Big Sisters .at 235-3307 for more information 00 how to make -Christmas wishes come true. Dlnxxl: I31:Ac:u. Lxer.utive Director. South Huron . • Big Brothers/Big Sisters Coats for Kids is here Dear Editor: Do you need a wintercoat for your child or perhaps yourself? Call the Huron United ,Way at 482-7643, we may be able to help! - • The Masonic Lodges of Huron County have spent the past several weeks collecting used winter coats in a program called 'Coats for Kids'. On Dec. 1 the Huron United Way was presented with these .coats.: and would be delighted to assist anyone who has need of them. The Seaforth .office of the Huron County Christmas Bureau was presented with sever- al coats.as well. • • - Unfortunately, we do not have separate distribution points set up, due to time constraints, but- please call the office, and we will assist you as much as we are possible. We have sizes ranging from infant to adult, both in jackets and some snow suits: A very sincere than .you to the Masonic Lodges -for allowing us to partner with them in this much .need- ed program. Kiat Bu.cxt: Executive Director, Ilurori United Way Conspiracy with the government and Canada Post? 'Dear Editor: 1 believe that the Government of Canada is conspir ing with Canada Post to drive .postal franchises out of business`by implementing a. proposed new commis- sion structure on December 1. In other words, there goes mail service again. Here are some facts: The pre)posed changes will mean a 71 percent reduction 00 stamp sales. Stamps represent. over 50 percent of sales by volume for most outlets. The change in fee structure is effective immediately with no regard for the existing contract. 11ati out- lets have incurred debts in setting up their business- es. They reasonabl\ believed they shad a contract. They had noway of knowing the Corporation would covet their earnings and try to change the. rules. Unexnecle'd.reductions in revenue, snake it difficult. sometimes impossible. for the _owners lei survive. For, many, these changes will spell financial ruin and bankruptcy. . As for the consumer, they are ante again at the mercy of the g o%erntnent and Canada Post. may expert mail disruptions and lark of serV ice ati these outlets are forced -to close, , , • 1 believe that the. Government ,of Canada is'tan accessory to Canada Post's deceptive practices. Canada Post signed contracts with fral'it•hisees and •. businesses were set' up' based un 'that contract. 4!\c►w Canada Post is changing this comniission structure in a manner that will cause most franchises' to lose Money. The justification seems to be that franchises were never intended to make itionej 1 That could bt , construed as fraud. • in essence the Government of Canada is allowing Canada Post to .steal- from its Iranclusl►s. 'l ile profits' of these small business people, who. signed cor►ir•artS in good faith,,ar`e being plundered_ 1f the Minister does nothing ht lends c:redence to • the observation. "the -Corporation is currently beyond . any effective control by_,the govicernrnent.' ("hi:: • .Future pf Canada Post ,Corporation:, Canada, Past Mandate Review 199'6). 'This is a serious acrusation• indeed. •Yours sipcerely, 1V'1:'t\Iat SCIta11n". MP. Uflicitil Opposition'Critic fur Canada lost 613-992-7006 1. Round we go. Grand Bend Public School students turn up the speed duringT-hursday's school concert. Driving force TOtioN"I.1) — 'fhc• tik)Dorni , which Ontario's Progressive Conservatives created and called modestly "the world's greatest entertainment centre" bus turned into a house ofhor- rors and raised.doubts about their ability to realize their lat- est dream. a Summer Olympics. The domed stadium. which the Tories said would be built lin• Si 50 million , but cost nearly $600 million mostly of taxpay= crs' money. is now so unprofitable the private operators to •which government almost gave it. 'awa) have had to obtain court protection from its many creditors. The high-tech stadium with the retractable roof has found its novelty worn oil'. It is not -attracting enough baseball and football fans, its luxury hotel lacks patrons. it has difficulty competing with other venues, private companies that invested amazingly little in it are bleeding it through sweet- heart concessions and it owes $1.2 million in municipal taxes. One bidder has offered 5100 million for the whole haunted house and •some estimate even this is more than it is worth.. Premier Mike Harris and his Tories are hurt in two ways. The SkyUome was the brainchild of a Tory. 11'illiam. Davis when he Was premier in• the 1980s, and Harris served compliantly under him ,.throughout its planning., Davis pushed his dream through and deliberate - l) avoided -an) real debate in the legislature or• elsewhere on issues including whether the public • •wanted. it, butt man% spectators it might attract., whether it could compete with other -facilities and lu,w-much taxpayers- would cough up in the end. Davis evert dt•vised an exercise specifically to get around debate. on these issues. He never asked �•hether there should be a dome, but: appointed a ` group of .friends to recommend where one should be located if it' was ever derided to .build one. 1)n -is insisted throughout'this process he had mit derided whether to help builda dome. There w as ,barely any public demand for one ',when he started. liut his strategy stampeded municipalities who had never thought of having a dome to say ti►at if one was to be built: creating local jobs and helping local businesses, they sh.ould,ha\e it and at the end of the exercise virtu- • ally every municipality.within 40'iniles of Toronto waste rr record as favoring a donne. .. A1'terhis.c•ronies' group picked a,site, Davis said quickly the provinre would help build one and would -deed to put into it no more than 530 million which proved the understatement of any year. Davis also appointed so many executives of news media to boards -planning the donne and so rilany others were involved as part-owners of the arena or sports teams `that wanted, to play in it that' 04 were left to ask questions. • The Liberals under premier David Peterson, after Davis I(•1't, bear ,some blame because they [vent on ►s itlr construction 'although Peterson in opposition had said taxpayers across Ontario should not pay for a dome ill Toronto, but under pressures including:that of 'alrn'ost all Toronto media went along. 1 'I'h5• New Democrats tinder Bob ltae• carry the byrden that -they nwstly stayed silent because ron- strul•tion unions w•hiise votes they relied on want - ed jobs. ' Harris never spoke tip against 010 dome. The Only Tories who opposed it were the current solici- tor general, Bob Bondman, and legislature Speaker Chris Stockwell. who, aptly called Ain; pruter'ss 1.'01)b0•5- without a gun. 1 Farris looks bad because the basic i•lairn of his Juries is that they take rare of taxpayers' money and the dome's failings are among Several recent reminders their party also- pours cash down the drain. ' Harris also has committed- himself. to help. the city of 'Joronlo bid- for and t age the'20Wi; (llynlpirs, for Which as another example of improvident planiiing the Skylonle is nut suited to be -die main stadium because it larks space fur• a full running track and (,5,000 seats for the open- ing and closing sessions. • The Tories will have to be. the driving force because the 'city has smaller resources, but it is not easy to have confidence in then' because an Olympics is nwch more complex to get and keep ERIC DOWD A VIEW FROM QUEENS PARK