Times Advocate, 1995-09-06, Page 4•
Page 4 Times -Advocate, September 6,1995
Publisher & Editor: Jim Beckett The Exeter Times Advocate is a member of a family of community newspapers
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pinion
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Published Each Wednesday Moming at 424 Main St.,
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Tough decisions in tough times
ast week this newspaper car-
ried an in-depth interview with Exeter's
reeve Bill Mickle who recently stepped
down as president of the Association of
Municipalities of Ontario.
The point Mickle made was that we
must do things "smarter". User fees
will be imposed, there will be reduc-
tions in the size and number of coun-
cils, staffs will be rationalized and there
will be a re -definition of administrative
and employee job functions.
This message was inevitable and rum-
blings were being heard when the big -
spending NDP was still in power. With
the anointment of Mike Harris as the
person who can pull Ontario out of the
financial snake pit it was in, it should
come as no.surprise that many others
are converting to "reality" thinking.
The days of trying to spend your way
out of financial trouble are over.
Grants, subsidies, incentives and a host
of other slick terms could all be a thing
of the past as a greater portion of the
burden of serving the public is shifted
downward to the municipal level,
which, incidentally is the lowest level
of government we have.
Mickle, who has been known for
years as a shrewd financial manager, is
expecting cuts from the province to be
as much as 20 per cent. We feel sure he
will be pushing the town council to be-
gin looking for immediate ways the
town can save money.
Discussions have already started on
bringing a more regional type of gov-
ernment where Exeter and surrounding
municipalities could work together
more efficiently. The same thing is hap-
pening between Lucan and Biddulph
township.
Could one level of administration
handle the same amount of work that is
currently being done separately in Exet-
er and surrounding townships and vil-
lages?
Would one skilled administrator be
able to work equally as hard for several
municipalities?
Could municipal workers do their du-
ties as one unit in a larger area under
one supervisor?
Could our Works Department and
PUC combine and take advantage of
any synergy that would be created?
Is there a point where it would be
more efficient to have one person, in
one office, answer the phone and direct
calls to a variety of departments?
How much could be saved if the same
pool of vehicles and equipment served
several communities?
Could part time workers replace full
time staff where the benefits and salaries
are much higher?
Is anyone looking at possible savings
that could be generated by contracting
our a variety of services?
If we take a close look at the villages
of Zurich and Hensall, the townships of
Usborne, Hay, Stephen and possibly
even farther, it could be practical to be-
gin some consolidation. Of course, there
will be objections and a desire to pre-
serve the autonomy that has been built
up in each community over many years.
Exeter appears to be willing and able
to prepare for the change in attitude
coming out of Toronto.
Big changes are coming in other areas
like health care and education. The re-
cent amalgamation of two large hospi-
tals in London is expected to produce
savings of 40 million dollars a year.
Boards of education will have to amal-
gamate to be more cost effective. We are
still so early into the new "efficiency"
mode of our higher levels of government
that the next round of cost saving ideas
could be something we are totally unpre-
pared for.
Mickle is quite right when he says
municipalities have been managing their
budgets well, bearing responsibility for
only three billion of the total capital debt
of one trillion dollars. With the afflu-
ence of the eighties behind us and the
memory of Bob Rae fading fast we can
be assured our belts will have to be
tightened more than a few notches.
Last week Dashwood Industries, the
largest employer in the area, permanent-
ly reduced salaried staff by 24. These
are 24 real people who collectively have
had a long involvement with their em-
ployer. Now, their jobs are gone as the
company fights to maintain a prominent
role in a highly competitive industry.
Decisions such as this have been reluc-
tantly made thousands of times over the
past few years in the private sector in or-
der to ensure the competitiveness and ef-
ficiency of companies.
Efficiency and competitiveness have
rarely affected the lives of most employ-
ees who have made a career in the pub-
lic sector. Many managed to sail right
through the last recession and not even
notice it was on. They cannot be blamed
for being part of a system that has grown
out of touch with reality. They are just
lucky.
The new focus on cost cutting will
force municipalities to look at all ways
that could lead to greater efficiency.
Taxpayers will also have to learn to de-
mand less or be prepared to pay more.
TORONTO -Progressive Conservative
Premier Mike Harris is trying to shrug off
his flirtation with the federal Reform Party,
but it will put strains on himself and his
Tory family.
Harris had a one-hour meeting in Ottawa
with Reform leader Preston Manning
whose party has 52 seats in the Commons
to the federal Tories' two and who offered
to raise issues there which worry Harris.
Harris is unhappy with the Liberal federal
government particularly for reducing cash
transfers to provinces and imposing nation-
al standards for programs which he says
provinces cannot afford.
The premier said he told Manning he will
be glad to form alliances with anyone who
can help Ontario and gave the same mes-
sage earlier to Tory federal leader Jean
Charest.
Harris may have felt he was merely re-
peating his long -held theory that party la-
bels have come to matter less than how
people feel on issues.
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On the road again...
By Ross Haugh
Here come the fairs
With the last of the hot, hot
days behind us, we hope, it's
time to look forward to fair
weather.
That's right. For the next
month or so a number of fall
fairs are within driving distance
and give us all a chance to see
displays and exhibits to interest
all ages.
This coming weekend, the
Kirkton and Parkhill fall fairs
are on tap followed by the Exet-
er fair on September 22-24 and
the Ilderton fair the following
weekend on September 29 and
30.
President Kevin Stephens and
his fair group in Kirkton have
lined up a busy and varied pro-
gram for three days. It all begins
Friday night of this week as the
Kirkton-Woodham Community
Centre opens at 7 p.m. for view-
ing of displays and a local talent
program.
Saturday's activities begin
with a parade at 12 noon fol-
lowed by an afternoon -long pro-
gram with Lee Paul at the mi-
crophone. This marks the 42nd
year that the popular entertainer
will be the master of ceremonies
for introduction of politicians
and keeping the pet and baby
shows moving along on time.
Also on the Saturday after-
noon agenda will be a 4-1-1
Achievement Day, Captain Mar-
velous from Laff Guards, a ped-
al tractor pull, horseshoe pitch-
ing,
mini -tractor pullers and a
pedal tractor pull.
Sunday's two top events will
be a demolition derby and a fid-
dler's jamboree.
There is always something
new each year. This time around
the special Focus will be on
Farm Machinery .
The Focus theme began in
[982 and has included wool,
wheat, corn, fowl, beans, pork,
rutabagas, horses, apples, beef
and honey.
This year's president Cathy
Seip says," The "Focus on Farm
Machinery" has been quite a
challenge but we have incorpo-
rated it in most parts of the fair.
You will see quilts depicting
dealer colors, toilet roil tractors,
antique machinery, new machin-
ery, the return of the mini trac-
tor pull and the Huron Farm
Safety Association with demon-
strations."
All non-profit organizations
are asked to have a representa-
tive participate in a surprise fun
event on stage at 8 p.m. as part
of Friday night's opening activi-
ties.
Also included will be crown-
ing of the Fair Queen and pres-
entations to the top exhibitors in
the homecraft and school divi-
sions.
Saturday's agenda begins with
Arabian and open light horse
shows at 9.30 a.m. followed by
poultry and pigeon judging at 11
a.m.
A large number of entries is
expected for the annual parade
at 11 a.m. After the parade
comes a Haflinger horse show,
pet show judging, 4-H calf club
show, cooking demonstrations,
a wildlife animal zoo, mini trac-
tor pull along with clowns,
clowns and more clowns.
Sunday morning at 9.30 a.m.
an Appaloosa horse show gets
underway followed a half hour
later by a brunch sponsored by
the Exeter Minor Hockey Asso-
ciation. These activities will be
followed by sheep and goat
shows, a bingo in the arena au-
ditorium and a SHDHS Moga
contest.
Exhibits will be on display in
the arena Friday evening and all
day Saturday.
Janet Smith was named Queen
of the Ilderton Fall Fair Thurs-
day night and Brian and Sarah
Milne were selected as Prince
and Princess.
Mary Kloostermans is presi-
dent of the Ilderton fair which
runs September 29 and 30 with
their usual full line of activities
and a Saturday morning parade.
He also may have been repaying Reform
which needs compliments for not running
against him in the June election he won,
helped by those who voted for Reform fed-
erally in 1993.
Having Reform speak for him will give
Harris a slightly louder voice, but he may
not gain a lot because Reform has not per-
formed effectively in the Commons.
For this Harris will undermine his federal
party and give ammunition to his Ontario
opponents. Tory premiers traditionally have
supported their federal part in elections,
the only recent exception being when Wil-
liam Davis was lukewarm toward Joe Clark
because he approved higher western oil
prices.
Harris signalled he had a different ap-
proach when Kim Campbell was chosen
leader and he said he would not endorse her
generally but support her on specific poli-
cies where they shared the same views. But
Harris then led the specific policies where
they shared the same views. But Hams
Harris flirts with Manning
then led the third biggest party in the legis-
lature and no one cared whose side he was
on.
Charest has been struggling to get his par-
ty taken seriously and viewed as a major
contender again and made a little headway.
Charest said Harris's victory helped him
because it showed the Tories have deep
roots and will not disappear. He could not
resist claiming the election was 'real bad
news' for Reform because it was not seen.
Charest said he also learned from Harris's
win and would keep it in mind in review-
ing policies and made a speech pressing for
tax cuts, greater individual responsibility
and keeping people off the dole that was
seen as inspired by Harris.
Charest has an intense rivalry with Man-
ning and accused him of 'pandering to hot -
button politics' by picking a few issues on
which the public has intense feelings and
taking positions, but neglecting wider con-
cerns. Charest also still describes himself as
'centre -right,' which would not fit Hams.
The "Tory federal leader will be disap-
pointed at Harris's implication that Reform
can better protect his interests than his fed-
eral party and there is not much prospect of
this changing soon.
Prime Minister Jean Chretien will relish
scoffing that when friends of the 'tory fed-
eral leader need help they turn to Reform
and have no confidence in the federal To-
ries.
Harris's getting himself on the bed cov-
ers, if not quite into bed, with Reform will
be seen by restless, more traditional Onta-
rio Tories as as further proof he has taken
their party too far to the right.
It could turn off some foot soldiers who
work in Tory campaigns at both provincial
and federal levels and may feel Harris is
not totally with them.
Harris's dallying with Manning also will
be seized by the Liberals and New Demo-
crats who will say he is really a Reform at
heart and has found his true home and they
will not be far wrong.
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