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Home My WebLink AboutZurich Citizens News, 1981-05-06, Page 6Pogo 6 Jack's Jottings Citisens News May 7, 19$1 OHIP fees upped By JACK RIDDELL, MPP According to the Provincial Treasurer, Frank Miller, the 14.75 percent fee hike for doctors in the Ontario Health Insurance Plan could cost every OHIP- payer an extra $20 a year in premiums, if passed onto the public. However, he refused to say whether the fee hike, which is expected to add about $170 million to this year's provincial $4.21 billion health bill, will be covered fully or partially by a premium increase. . Newly elected Liberal MPP Toney Ruprecht (Parkdale) has charged that Ontario's policies on releasing patients from mental institutions is too lax. The province's dein- stitutionalization policy means, he said, that people are being pushed out of our mental health institutions without being ready for discharge. Sixty percent of the people released from the institutions "have to go back again....forcefully . " The Minister of Health Dennis Timbrell, has stated that OHIP will pay doctors for examination of rape victims and compilation of evidence on the basis of these examinations. This decision is in response to a recent statement by the OMA president that doctors would refuse to conduct examinations for police in rape cases unless they are paid. Replying to the Speech from the Throne, Liberal Leader Stuart Smith accused the Government of failing to protect its citizens against inflation by ensuring adequate pensions and facilitating homeownership, and of thus eroding the middle class. He stated that due to inflation those who make enough money are able to profit by investing in condominiums, cottage homes, art work and an- tiques - or are putting their extra cash into registered retirement savings plans or into homes in Toronto. For the rest, without money left after spending their pay cheques on necessities, the result of inflation is a gradual erosion of their position in society. "A division is occurring in the middle of middle class. We will end up a polarized society." The new Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations, Gordon Walker, Bluewater opening Continued from front page Local greetings came from Hay Township reeve Lloyd Mousseau, and Fred Haberer, reeve of Zurich and Huron County warden. The presentation of keys was by Dave Grant, representing the contractor, Tonda Construction, and the architect Victor Marsh. Invocations were given by Jack Dressler, St. Peter's Lutheran, Rev. Fr. P. Mooney, St. Boniface Roman Catholic, and Rev. Clayton Kuepfer, of the Zurich Mennonite Church. The Zurich Choir enter- tained with a number of hymns, and refreshments were served afterwards by the rest home ladies aux- iliary. announced amendments to the Ontario Building Code regulations designed to improve access to buildings for people with physical disabilities to take effect April 25. The changes will apply to new construction only. The changes have both clarified and considerably extended the list of buildings which must be designed and constructed with physically disabled people in mind. For example, auditoriums, churches and other places of worship, lecture halls, restaurants, banks, public park service buildings, department stores and parking garages will have to make their public areas accessible to people who use wheelchairs. The Code will require that builders take into account wheelchair access when planning washroom facilities in office buildings. The requirement also makes it mandatory that new buildings have these washroom facilities available on each floor. Other changes in the Code recognize the participation of the physically disabled in recreation and sports events and ready easy access to locker rooms and showers. Liquor Licence Board of Ontario inspectors will continue to double as fire inspectors under revisions to the provincial fire code that will be unveiled within a few weeks. This was announced by Consumer and Com- mercial Relations Minister Gordon Walker. A coroner's inquest into the January 17 Inn on the Park fire in Toronto, was told that the liquor licence inspectors are not trained to evaluate hotel emergency evacuation plans. Liberal Leader Stuart Smith urged the Government. to place all responsibility for fire safety under the Ontario Fire Marshal's Office. Liquor board inspectors should not try to be both liquor inspectors and fire inspectors at the same time, he said in the Legislature. "In my view, everyone should deal with one office. That's where all decisions should be made, the records kept and the people trained." Dr. Smith added later in an interview. Further to my comments last week regarding the plight of farmers and small business men the Minister of Agriculture and Food, Lorne Henderson, challenged me to name five farmers who had gone bankrupt indicating his lack of concern for the problem. I had no difficulty naming the farmers in- cluding one in his own riding. Both Opposition Leaders have urged the Government to consider a provincial land speculation tax to curb rapidly rising house prices, which are fast putting homeownership out of the .4 reach of the average Ontario family. The Minister of Housing, Claude Bennett rejected the idea. Liberal Leader Stuart Smith pointed out that only one in ten people currently renting an apartment in Metro Toronto can afford to buy the average house in the city, and charged that it would take a family income of more than $36,000 to buy such a house, while the average family income is about $9,000 less than that. Premier William Davis says his Government would be setting itself up as a target for public criticism if it paid the legal bills in- curred by families of fire victims of a 1979 fire set by the Ministry of Natural Resources. Although the Government accepts liability for the deaths, it takes no responsibility for the families' decision to hire lawyers to represent them at, a long inquest into the fire last year. Stuart Smith, who had raised the matter in the Legislature, said the families had hired the lawyers only because they didn't believe the Govern- ment's story that the cause of the tragedy was a wind shift. BEST ZURICH bowlers Dickert, 197 in the BOWLERS Zurich ladies league. average and Pat Schroeder 749 triple. Trophies Fro were presented m the left are Diane Saturday to the top individual Ducharme, 344 single; Sondra T -A photo 4 44100.0.4. HARD GROUND — Bob Merner looks on as Zurich Public School students (from left) Terry Zell?, Dennis Schrader and D'Arcy Martin dig a hole to plant a tree on the school property. Just under the top soil, the students hit the old Edward Street road surface. The school's gym sits where the road used to run. A metal bar and a lot of sweat broke up the pavement and the trees were planted. TREE PLANTiiNG - Jason Steinman (back to camera), Rob- bie Diechert (top, from left) Mark Stephan, Ian Thiel, Marc Clausius and Kevin Neeb look on as Terry Zehr waters a newly planted. tree. Classes at Zurich. Public School planted trees along the front of the school, Friday. TRUST COMPANY GUARANTEED CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE Representing many trust com- panies, highest rates' usually available. For more information contact • John R. Consitt at 236-4381 or 236-4560 Vilioge Fioral &GlftShop "For Mother on her special day give a gift of flowers from Village Floral" • Flowering Plants • Cut flower arrangements • Silk flower arrangements Village Horal and Glft Shop 16 Victoria i►not, Iurkh (236-7779) L Profs sdsnal Furniture Reflnlglilng Spacial Attention paid to d.taiI No tank stripping Reci sonablo prices for Qualify Work Phony 228-6989