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Times -Advocate, February 22, 1995
Publisher & Editor: Jim Beckett
Business Manager Don Smith
Production Manager: Deb Lord
Advertising: Barb Consitt
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Production: Alma Ballantyne, Mary McMurray, Barb Robertson
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I;I)ITORIA I,S
Not time for babysitting -plan
f there's any good news com-
ing out of NDP headquarters in Toronto
it's that the concept of sending three-
year -olds to school has been sent back
to the drawing board. Negative public
reaction has fortunately slowed down
plans to eliminate the fifth year of high
school as a way of making educating
our babies affordable. •
The day care, disguised as education
policy, may help buy votes in city rid-
ings, but it is certainly a very long way
from being accepted in Huron County.
While there are many people who
think, parents should be taking more re-
sponsibility in raising their children
there are others who would have us be-
lieve teachers should be the dominant
factor in the lives of our children from
the age of three to 18.
Let's hope enough people make
enough noise to stop what could be the
biggest waste of our tax dollars since the
invention of the fully -indexed pension
plan.
Now is not the time to add babysitting
to our already overloaded education sys-
tem.
I
MPs should lead by example
is time for federal MPs to
bite the bullet.- and agree to changes in
their salaries and pension plans.
Treasury board president Art Eggle-
ton recently proposed radical slashes to
the politicians' "fat -cat" pensions, but
met with a brick wall of resistance from
within his own caucus. (It should be
noted that Liberals elected in 1993
seem more amenable to the pension re-
form.)
As it stands now, after serving only
six years in office, MPs are entitled to a
minimum annual $23,000 pensions,
starting as soon as they are turfed. After
15 years' service, an MP collects 75
percent of his highest six-year salary
average.
For example, Perrin Beatty, 44, who
lost the last election, collects an annual
`pension' of $70,000.
Some MPs admit the pension is lav-
ish, but say it makes up for a salary that
is less than ideal.
Okay, your basic MP makes $64,000
a year (taxable). They also receive
about a $23,000 (tax free) expense al-
lowance, for entertaining, etc. They
also receive about $1,000 (tax-free)
monthly housing allowance to pay for
their Ottawa digs.
They are entitled to about 64 free
flights to and from their riding annually,
and their wife or children are eligible for
between six and 12 free flights as well.
Their meals in the parliamentary cafete-
ria are subsidized, as are their haircuts,
and picture framing is free. They also
have free access to a workout gym.
Many of us on the other hand, can only
dream of such an income. Many of us
hold down good jobs that we work hard
at, yet we live from pay cheque to pay
cheque. Not by choice, mind you, not
because we fritter our money away, but
because it takes every penny to pay the
bills and keep our families clothed and
fed.
Many of us didn't even think about
how we'll live after we retire, we're too
busy wondering how we're going to live
today, next week and next year.
Yes, MPs should be paid well for what
they do. They work hard and no doubt
it's not an easy job.
But why, one has to wonder, when
they are our repres ntative in the na-
tion's capital and are working on our be-
half, is their bottom line so different
from ours.
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Po You Ifs
JUTA COINCIDENCEI
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LAW,e,
Any party that can convince voters that it is
serious about cutting the cost of delivering gov-
ernment programs stands to win a lot of support
in an Ontario election within months, but the
parties so far are merely scratching at the sur-
face.
The public's yearning for significant savings
has been emphasized by the approval it has giv-
en provincial governments which have imple-
mented them and the Liberal federal govern-
ment is now talking about eliminating 45,000
jobs.
In Ontario the New Democrat government
has its so-called social contract, which aimed to
cut $2 billion a year from the payroll of
900,000 employees in the broader public sec-
tor, which includes municipalities, schools and
hospitals.
The NDP rarely is given enough credit for
cutting pay despite kndwi'ng this would alienate
many of its traditional supporters, who now say
they will not vote for it again (although clearly
it would not have been cut unless forced by the
Health
afters
By Heather Vincent
Prevention is the key
As the spring break approach-
es and the worst of the winter
storms seem to have passed,
families may be thinking about
taking a holiday.
Driving to a holiday location
may be a less costly means of
taking a well deserved -break af-
ter the winter season.
However, long drives can give
the pilot a real pain the the neck,
and back. If you find this to be
a problem, here are a few strate-
gies to help alleviate back and
neck pain.
Physiotherapy Active Treat-
ment Toward Health is a group
of 50 to 60 physiotherapy clin-
ics across Ontario which spe-
cialize in motor vehicle injuries.
P.A.T.H has distributed infor-
mation to clinics which help cli-
ents prevent possible injuries.
The key, physiotherapy spe-
cialists seem to agree, is in good
posture. Sitting close to the
wheel and avoiding slouching
will help prevent neck and back
strain. Placing hands at eitheE
side of the steering wheel rather
than at the top or bottom will
also help reduce fatigue in the
back and neck.
To prevent a neck injury in an
accident, position your headrest
so that it is high enough to keep
your head from being jerked
backward.
A rolled towel or lumbar sup-
port placed in the small of your
back will help with lower back
pain.
Frequent stops on a long drive
to stretch will reduce achy mus-
cles and unnecessary tension.
One stretch which can be done
on a break or while driving is to
roll the shoulders forward and
backwards several times.
To help align the spine, while
looking forward, place finger-
tips on chin and gently push
head straight back into the head-
rest. This can be repeated sever-
al times but only when the car i5
stopped at a light or during a
rest.
A final suggestion from
P.A.T.H. is to use salt or cat lit-
ter rather than sand, which is
very heavy, for traction in haz-
ardous situations. Keeping a
shovel in the trunk along with
the litter will avoid undue strain,
from lifting, on the back.
Keeping in mind a few of
these suggestions on long drives
will likely make the trip more
enjoyable for all concerned. Af-
ter all, getting there is half the
fun.
recession.)
The Liberals and Progressive Conservatives
despite promising cuts now, were far more to
blame when they were in government for build-
ing a public service grossly inflated in size, pay
and perks and shied even from supporting the
NDP in the vote on its cut.
But the NDP's reduction which horrified
many in the public service has still come no-
where near close to curbing unjustified spend-
ing.
Among some recent high-profile examples,
many teachers are allowed to take a specified
number of days off sick each year and accumu-
late any theyjlo not take off, so they retire with
up to $30,000 sick pay on top of handsome
pensions simply for going to work, as healthy
employees are supposed to.
Police also commonly collect similar perks,
so that a police chief recently retired with sick
leave pay of $207,000 in addition to a $70,000
pension, although moving to another well-paid
r•W
Cut government spending
job in the public sector.
Examples of excessive pay include a director
of one school board receiving $164,000 and ex-
ecutive assistants ,making up to $91,000.
Reporters who cover the legislature find it
difficult to gauge the worth of many in the re-
cesses of government, but notice mediocre col-
leagues going into the bureaucracy and quickly
getting into pay ranges up to $100,000, double
their pay in the media, which was sometimes
more than they were worth.
Deputy ministers, the most senior public ser-
vants, are retiring in their mid -50s with lavish
pensions of $70,000 after only 25 years in gov-
ernment and it is lifficult to blame them for
grabbing the money and running.
An obvious example of government being too
big is the legislature itself, where a large staff
has been set up geared to keep it operating eve-
ry day of the year, although last year it sat only
71 days.
Cabinet ministers sometimes have a dozen or
more so-called executive and special assistants,
while those of a decade ago got by comfortably
with two.
A government which stopped this unwarrant-
ed spending could cut taxes or alternately avoid
reducing help for handicapped children and
threatening university students with more tui-
tion fee increases, or do a bit of both.
Tory leader Mike Harris says he will reduce
the government's own workforce by 15 per-
cent, where possible through attrition and re-
tirement incentives, but 'where necessary
cutting some positions.' Liberal leader Lyn
McLeod says even more vaguely she will elim-
inate waste and duplication and streamline the
bureaucracy.
But the parties are not rushing to say they
will stop teachers and police being paid lavish
sick leave packages on top of generous pen-
sions. They are not anxious to take on these
powerful voices before an election and from
experience there is some question whether they
ever will. •