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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1995-05-31, Page 4Page 4 Tinges -Advocate, May 31,1995 Publisher & Editor: Jim Beckett Business Manager: Don Smith Production Manager: Deb Lord Advertising; Barb Consitt News; Heather Mir, Chris Skalkos, Ross Haugh, Ingrid Nielsen Production; Alma Ballantyne, Maly McMurray, Barb Robertson Robert Nicol, Brenda Hem, Joyce Weber, Laurel Miner, Marg Flynn Trancoortation: Al Flynn, Al Hodgert &gat Office & Accounting: Elaine Pinder, Sue Roilings, Ruthanne Negrijn, Anita McDonald, Cassie Dalrymple • The Exeter Times -Advocate Is a member of a famI y of community newspapers . ' " M� providing news, advertising and information leadership • .• inion Publications ons Mail Rsmstration Number 0386 WM*, 40 Hies ( tun.) addressed to non Metter carrier addresses $33.00 plus $2.31 GS.T. Outside 40 miles (65 km.) or any letter canter address $33.00 plus $30.00 (total 63.00) + 4.31O.S.T. Outside Canada 08.00 plus $6.83 OST (Includes 588.40 postage) Published Each WebMsdsy miming at 424 Meta St., Exeter, Onto,* NOM OM by J.W. Wady Publications Ltd. Telephone 15192351331 • Fax: 519-23E070d &$.T. /R1aa23Aaif I;I)I'I'OR1A1.S The choice is yours his newspaper has given all the candidates for the upcoming provincial election a chance to tell voters in their rid- ings why they should be the one to best represent their interests in Toronto. Voters have had ample time to hear the official party line expressed by the leaders who are all masters of the game of politics. We've hard how the government can do more with less, how more jobs can be created, how health services will be pre- served, how government will be down- sized and how efficient the new regime will be. Voters this election, as in all others, must weigh their feelings for the party with the performance they can expect from their lo- cal candidate. Should the vote be cast for the person or the party? In some cases the decision is not difficult, while in others confidence in the local candidd'le could be running far ahead or behind a belief in the NDP, Liberals, Conservatives, Reform, Family Coalition, etc.. Sometimes it is necessary to look beyond the image of the leader, which more often than not is influenced by professionals, and examine the track record of your local candidate. What is the record of communi- ty service? Has the candidate been a good team player in his or her own community? Have you heard any original ideas instead of a repeat of comments already stated by the party leader? As voters, we all have a duty to make an informed choice. While differences in polit- ical parties are hard to pick out from the speeches and promises we must assume that there is indeed a real reason why you will choose one from among all the others. Most voters in Ontario have had the op- portunity to have been represented by all three of our main parties, however, Bob Rae is the only leader who has had to face the test of being premier. Voters should exam- ine: his attitude, his methods of dealing with controversy within his government, his labour policies, his innovative social con- tract and his campaign of blaming Ontario's position on the federal Liberals. If you are still confident that Rae has done a good job and deserves a repeat performance by all means vote for him....but only if your local NDP representative inspires the same confi- dence. With a large number of candidates run- ning in the three ridings served by the Times -Advocate we would not attempt to recommend one candidate from each riding who deserves your vote. Whether it's fair or not, Bob Rae is the only candidate who can be judged on what he has done for or to On- tario. Somehow we feel most voters will take this into consideration and reduce their choice to deciding between the Conserva- tives or Liberals. . Guaranteed revenue source rand Bend's 24 weekend, which resulted in OPP laying almost 500 charges, brings no surprises. With over 40,000 teen- agers descending on the village, in what has become an annual pilgrimage, it is to be expected that a token number of them will be forced to dig into their wallets and pay the price of "having fun." It's a form of teenage Russian roulette with only about one percent of them cross- ing paths with the law. To many a fine of over $100, is worth the excitement. The conversation value with your peers and the excitement of getting special attention from the police, in the minds of many who celebrate the first big weekend of spring, is almost worth the token amount of that money that ends up in the province's cof- fers. What's a few bucks to a person who is walking around with a bulging wallet? Paying the fine could be considered part of the overall entertainment budget. Even the people who set the fines could be part of a very smart marketing program. Charge just the right amount ant, '"ey'lI pay....and many of them will keep coming back to possibly do it all over again on the next big weekend. We do not know how much it actually costs to police the village on one of our major holidays. If some creative account- ing is used it can be argued that the esti- mated $60,000 collected in fines will more than balance the strain on the OPP budget. Some would even venture to argue that the fines are actually a profit source because the police officers would have to be paid whether or not they are on duty in Grand Bend or serving elsewhere. Show a strong presence, cover your costs, protect the rest of the community and con- tinue a tradition that has been going on for years. The questions that need to be asked are: Are enough charges laid to convince visi- tors that they can only go so far or they'll be arrested? Is policing action at a level where they have control but not too strict that they will convince the party people that Grand Bend is not the place for them? Or, did the police do just the right amount of enforce- ment that bar owners, other businesses and visitors expect in a resort town? After all, you can be sure that if the prov- ince got $60,000 (or whatever their share is) that the 40,000 visitors left behind another $500,000 or so. With that kind of money involved there is reason to let the party continue, but under control. Putting up with a few who urinate on lawns or do other equally distasteful things is not too much of a conven- ience unless it's your lawn. Alcohol is, whether we like to believe it or not, a major part of the economy. 11. A View From Queen's Park TORONTO - Ontario voters are being tempt- ed by more promises than in any previous elec- tion - the big question is whether they can trust anyone to deliver. The two parties battling for the lead in polls have published entire books of promises. Liber- al leader Lyn McLeod's include balancing the budget and cutting provincial taxes by five per- cent and Tory leader Mike Harris would bal- ance the budget and cut provincial income tax 30 percent. Both have churned out so many numbers try- ing to prove their promises are feasible and en- dorsements by so-called independent experts some of whom are clearly partisan that many voters probably are bewildered trying to figure out who they can rely on. The New Democrat government is forced to watch this bidding war from the sidelines, be- cause it broke so many promises after being elected in 1990 that few would believe more and this was recently enough that voters re- By Eric Dowd /Ye/WI, ifr -gain . y Ross Haugh ; No place like home The Canadian population is aging. That's right. As each day goes by all of us are getting old- er. By the year 2031, Statistics Canada is predicting that 25 per- cent of the general population will be 65 years of age or older. Of the projected 8.4 million sen- iors in the year 2031, 4.4 mil- lion will be age 75 or more. The higher proportion of those aged 75 years or older means more people who may be frail or have disabilities. Activities which were once easy for them can become more difficult. These include the activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, cooking, and even moving about the home. Safety also becomes a major concern, especially in kitchens, bath- rooms, and on stairs, places where most accidents involving seniors occur. Each year in Canada more than 67,000 seniors are hospital- ized as the result of an injury. Statistics indicate falls, many of which occur in the home, are the second leading cause of injuries and fatalities in this group. An overwhelming majority of seniors want to live in their own homes as long as possible. Be- ing in familiar surroundings en- hances their sense of security and independence. However, homes occupied or owned by seniors tend to be old- er and in need of varying de- grees of repair. Furthermore, many of these homes were not designed to accommodate their changing needs. As a result, many seniors have no option but to move into a nursing home or similar insti- tution. Home adaptations to respond to changing needs and prefer- ences can be a less costly and more appealing alternative for seniors and their families. So the bottom line on this sub- ject is, there is no place like home and seniors should be kept in their own establishment as long as possible if any changes or adaptations in housing ac- commodation can be made. What is the most dangerous room in any home? If you said the bathroom you are absolutely right. The most injuries in the "little" room are mainly from slips and falls and this happens very often to seniors. A lot of injuries happen be- cause we assume things are safe when they're not and this ap- plies to all of us and not just seniors. Following are some tips from the Canada Safety Council's Home Adaptation Checklist for seniors. Iitstall shelves beside the basin for storage. Place a grab bar within easy reach. Install non- slip flooring throughout the • bathroom along with lever -type faucets or a faucet with a single lever to control flow. Adjust the hot water heater or install a device that will prevent the water from reaching too high a temperature. Install a hand-held shower on adjustable rod or high -low mounting brackets. member. The Liberals and Tories are more comfortable offering the moon because they have been out of government for years and feel they have no records to haunt them. But both have broken their share of promises. The Liberals govc:ned from 1985-90 and a major reason they got there was because leader David Peterson promised to permit domestic beer and wines to be sold in corner grocery stores. Peterson suggested it almost as an after- thought to help small grocers survive against big chains, boost Ontario wine -making and make it easier to take home a drink. It was a minor issue, but it caught public imagination because it implied the Liberals were more modern and in tune with the times and helped them gain enough seats to push out the minority Tory government soon after and govern with the NDP's support. A few people could have died of thirst wait - A .matter of trust ing for the Liberals to bring in legislation on corner stores, but after a year of being remind- ed they got around to it and it was defeated by Tories and New Democrats. The Liberals won a massive majority in 1987 and could easily have pushed through a law, but were put off by people worried it would in- crease drinking and the Liquor Control Board and Brewers Retail Inc. fearing competition and quickly admitted the promise which helped them win an election was officially down the drain. Peterson as premier also promised in the 1987 election, when the cost of auto insurance became a major concern, that his party had 'a very specific plan to lower insurance rates,' but never explained what it was and even allowed premiums to continue rising. McLeod may argue that she is a new leader and not responsible for a predecessor's promis- es, but she was happy to be a minister in his government and there is no record that she bad- gered him to carry them out. Harris is not the first Conservative leader to promise to balance the budget. Premier Wil- liam Davis survived an election by the skin of his teeth,by saying he would have a balanced budget by 1981. Instead the Tories had only budget deficits, as high as $2 billion, huge compared to govern- meut spending at that time. The Tories in winning in 1981 promised oil exploration in Hudson Bay that would bring Ontarians immeasurable wealth and energy se- curity, but car -owners are still waiting to top up their tanks with gas from their frozen north. Hams also is a new leader, but was an MPP through the 1980s and did not push his govem- [Hent to make good its promises. Voters can be forgiven for thinking they have heard much of this before.