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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1997-10-15, Page 41 'Page 4 Times -Advocate, October 15, 1997 . Publisher & Editor: Jim Beckett Business Manager: Don Smith Production Manager Deb Lord 91 1fl a9-; Barb Consitt, Chad Eedy • Nth Heather Mir, Craig Bradford, Chantall Van Raay Brenda Burke, Kate Monk, Ross Haugh Production; Alma Ballantyne, Mary McMurray. Barb Robertson • Brenda Hem, Joyce Weber, Laurel Miner . ILdnsoortabor2LAI Flynn, Al Hodgert . front Office & Accounting; Sue Rollings. Carol Windsor Ruthanne Negrijn, Anita McDonald, Cassie Dalrymple, Ruth Slaght, Sheila Corbett •The Exeter Times -Advocate is a membeLr of'a family of community newspapers providing news, advertising and information leadership Publications Mail Registration Number 07511 SU8SCRUITION RATES: . One year rate for Cant. subscribers - $35.00 + GST - Two year rate for Canada subscv$bets - $88.00 + tis<i OnigaBATES 'Naps 6N COMM a,r Outside Canada -3102:00 1919- 1141 •s/ties As%O Published Each Wednesday Morning at 424 Main St.. Exeter, Ontario, NOM 1SH by J.W. Eedy Publications Ltd. Telephone 1-519-236-1331 • Fax: 519.235-0766 O.S.T. *R105210835 I-.i)i FOR! 1i.ti A crass bet o matter what you. think about the politics of the governing Tories, and what price you're willing to pay. for the admirable goal of reducing the defi- cit, there is something unpleasantly crass about a government which is_will-. Trig to achieve its aims through greed and the exploitation of the weak. In other words. to increase revenues by lit erally bribing municipal governments into allowing video lottery terminals -in their communities. Given the fact that so many local -gov- ernnients have not embraced becoming the home of 'charity' casinos with the enthusiasm the province feels they de- serve, the province -is trying a new tac- tic: accept -the money eating gambling machines and the province will pay you the - municipality it has been weaning from provincial grants - $1,500 a year. Ah, to think that the provincial gov- ernment believes local governments can.be had for so cheap.. Just as gambling often targets those who can least afford it. this latest move - targets a level -of government which can least afford the ongoing budget -cuts and transfer :of responsibilities. Munic- ipal governments have few other ways of raising funds than raising property taxes. _So $1300 a year might not look too bad. especially when the province - tries to sugar coat,its coffer by remind- ingmunicipalities that the casinos prof- its will help. charities (charities the gov-. ernment is also withdrawing funds • from). This isn't to paint gambling entirely as a social evil. For many -people. a day at Casino Rama is a recreational outing. - Theymay spend $10. $20 -but it's. no more than the cost of going 16 a movie. - It's fun and unlike those who gamble because they seriously believe they can make more money than they could through work. -they don't take gambling seriously and therefore don't take them -selves seriously as gamblers. • The casinos the province is trying to induce municipalities,into accepting are - to replacethe makeshift casinos that used to tour the province. With these travelling Monte Carlo nights, local communities did the lion's share of the work -in organizing and promoting the . event, and'in return, got -a share of the profit. Because those local profits were . usually ear -marked for charitable organ- izations. people who wouldn't normally gamble came out and supported the casi- no. [fit was only one night every year or Two, what could he the'harmof it'' After the previous NDP government. said it would allow legalized gambling on a more permanent basis, there was a fierce bidding war between communi- ties. First Windsor got a casino, then Raina. then N iagara. Falls, and now, tually.anyone with a Targe enough popu- lation base can get one. With the en- dorsement of a provincial government. the casinos were relatively free of any taint of organized crime or prostitution. People who point to the millions of dollars which are raised would -he wise to wait a year or: two, when American cities close to the Canadian border begin to fight hack by -allowing their own casi- nos to attract the crowds. By making casinos so.common, gov-_ ernments are also making them a bore and a social liability. When communities ' allowed gambling one night a year. they ' avoided many of the legitimate fears -about addiction and crime. Addictions ;'.have to.he-fad: and by strictly control- ling the diet of gambling, governments 10 a large extent were able to control the number of people who Became addicted: And now the -province is trying to bribe - bribe_- communities into allow- ing one of the most -addictive terms of gainhiing,-video lottery terminals. It's all so distasteful. so un- ennobling. The 'government has put a price to its.virtues by promoting gambling as a way to e'en - crate revenues without any regard to so= cial consequences, and doesn't see why local governments shouldnt he willing . to sell theirs. Frim the Haliburton County Echo Missiles anmusings By Craig Bead (aril A belated Thanksgiving story, Lucan style Here's a glimmer of welcome their horns about and prefer to do. Fight in these dark limes. Art McLean.- . 85.: - recently plopped 52.000 of his • own hard . earned cash . to - help- 'the Lucan- Biddulph FireDept.• huy a hydraul– ic pump to power their jaws-uf- life' equipment. A Lucan native npw of Lindon. McLean said he was simplyy-tol- lowing the lead lit his former boss. John -Labatt, who. McLean said treated his workers like. his .own family and never stopped giving hack to the simply -f • Though . living in Lucan's htg brother 10 the south because he needs .to be nearer to the kind of amenities a larger centre can offer . . after his wife. Eva, died in ianuary. McLean's heart hasn't lett Lucan. He often visits the arca and almost never •leaves without dropping in • on one of his favorite .haunts, the fire hall. ' "'That fire dept. and the boys there are the .greatest human ole- mem I've -come across in my 35 years." McLcan-said un Thanksgiv Ing Monday. Hc noted the.charity work and the odd jobs they do in the community including roof work fin seniors. work. they don't blow Speak Out Letters to the Editor rite nines -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 186. Sign your letter with•both name and address. Anonymous, fetters will not be •published. A View From Queen's Park TORONTO -- Some are beginning to think the unthinkable -- that there is a chance Premier Mike Harris coufd be kickedout in thenext election. • These thoughts are being prompted by the • dramatic fall from grace of the Progressive Conservative • premier and his -patty in recent weeks. • • • , • . For the first half of Harris's tenure since he. won an election in 1995 the prospect•of his be- ing defeated in an election four years later. de- . spite electors' renowned volatility. seemeti too remote to be worth considering.' • Harris had been elected with'a large majority and in commanding style. with voters enthused by his policies of cutting government "spending and taxes. Harris was also a totally fresh face. having been the obscure leader, of a miniscule third party -until the election. and it was presumed that if voters were to tire of him it would take time. The Conservatives had left the opposition' parties wrecked. The Liberals were dispirited and confused because they had been far ahead in polls but had victory snatched from them. Qu Eric Dowil • 7tlaietly. • That's why he made a much.ap- precrated donation to -a volunteer group that while gets paid- a pit- tance for their effi►rts and expertise. doesn't often • get the thanks •they rightfully deserve. want to snake another (dona- tion') when they need :something else." McLcan•aid. • McLean • was spending his Thanksgiving with his two daugh- ters. Dianne ot• London and Jose- phine of Toronto. who joined him for lunch.. He • was . thankful he could spend an important, holiday with his family. I'm thankful them rc people like - Art in this world.• • Two mdre 'missiles• and mus-. ings' (though this time more inns ing than missile throwing,: From the 000ps file ' .Sometimes in this crazy newspa- per business a mistake snakes it' through to pent that while the peo- ple it affects laugh it off it makes you feel like it downright bonehead none -the- less; .. . Last week Lucan Jr. D Inch hockey Club co -coach Jason BU KALA's name was spelt incorrect- ty. f had it right in, my nixes, on ga- mesheets, lust about evervwhere ex- cept on my computer screen. then • •On the newspaper page. then in the about 5.000 eopies-ot the T -A. A certain . very close relative of Ja- son's inadeithe.phone call to till the . in on the.error. • 1 appreciate that phone call in tact.- without getting a call, about what's wrong in the paper. be it a • big goof or the tiniest typo. the staff Of the T -A can't improve the news- paper to give you. the reader. the . hest community newspaper we can crank out each week. But remember..a carrot can be as good as the cane — give tis a call or write us 'a letter when we get some- thing right once and a while. It will 'make our days and might just- make. yours too. ' . Squirrel ahoy! : r . Ycs, !t finally happened: I've - Seen my first white squirrel i saw one of the extraordinary creatures - not while 1 was out on a quest to , See one. hut while I was hurrying 'to ' • an -assignment 1 was late for. Seeing •Exeter's pink -eared claim to tourist tame was the high point to that • busy early fall day. and had to choose a new leader and start build- ing.. . - ' The New Democrats, whom Hams succeeded in government, had been rejected mainly for high spending and it seemed unlikely voters' bad memories would fade quickly enough to consider restoring them to power in only four years. • • The NDP also was divided because its gov- ernment had abandoned policies the party cher- ished in trying to please a wider audience. cutting public servants' pay to save money and alienating traditional union support in the pro- cess, and would have both to build and unite. also under a new leader. The opposition parties did not seem to pose any early threat,.nor have they chosen new • leaders who have shown yet that they can ini- tiate a rout of Harris. • The opposition parties accepted that Harris would be difficult to beat. One way it showed. was that, while they kept up steady criticism, it lacked the customary boasts that they would • send him packing in an election and challenges to call one now. Hams, on the other hand, has proved unex- Conservatives fall from grace pectedly adept at digging his own grave or at least marking the site where it could be. His policy of cutting services was bound to . cause resentment that would reduce his popu- larity before his tax cuts hopefully restored it, but not many calculated that it would plunge for • the reasons it has. Harris's real troubles began when he intro- duced omnibus legislation to lay the ground- work for massive changes which ministers could not explain and had to lie re -written. and he became marked as acting before thinking and failing to consult. • • He has added to this image of not being sure what he is doing by retreating on several major fronts. the most publicized being from legislation that would have forced broader pub-• lic sector employees to accept new contracts and removed their right to strike during reor- ganization, despite saying it was essential and . raising questions why he drafted it in the first place. Harris had the reputation for two years of being a rare politician who does what he says, but it has diminished. He has intimated many. the latest being homeowners who justifiably tear huge increas- es in their property tax because he is making them responsible for more services and their • costs so he will have money for his tax cuts. He has upset many supporters who ask whether Harris or organized -labor runs Ontario. it is usually said they have no one else to turn to. but they could lose zest for working for biro and some have even renewed calls for Reform to run candidates because Harris has lost his right-wing zeal. Harris may have been damaged most be- cause, while cutting welfare cheques. he has been round quietly agreeing to overly generous pension payments to long -serving MPPs (in- cluding himself), which is a betrayal of all he stood for. • • Harris's new cabinetchanges, moving minis- ters exactly when they were under fire. shows signs of panic. Harris has begun acting as if he has a death wish, and while it would be going too far to predict he will be defeated in two years. it no longer sounds beyond the realm of possibility.