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Times Advocate, 1995-11-22, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, November 22, 1995 Publisher & Editor: Jim Beckett Business Manager: Don Smith Production Manager: Deb Lord Advertising: Barb Consitt, Chad Eedy News; Heather Mir, Chris Skalkos, Ross Haugh, Brenda Burke Production: Alma Ballantyne, Mary McMurray, Barb Robertson Brenda Hern, Joyce Weber, Laurel Miner Transportation: Al Flynn, Al Hodgert Front Office & Accounting; Elaine Pinder, Sue Rollings, Ruthann„ Negrijn, Anita McDonald, Cassie Dalrymple The Exeter Times -Advocate is a member of a family of community newspapers '«,p%AN COMM 40 providing news, advertising and information leadership • • inhon Publications Mall Registration Number 0386 ;;UBSCRIPTION RATES: CANADA Within 40 miles (85 km.) addressed to non letter carrier addresses 833.00 plus 82.310.1.T. Outside 40 miles (85 km.) or any letter carrier address 833.00 plus 830.00 (total 63.00) + 4.31 Q.S.T. Outside Canada 899.00 plus 88.93 QST (Includes 888.40 postage) Published Each Wednesday Mornktg at 424 Maln St., Exeter, Ontario, NOM 156 by J.W. Eedy Publications Ltd. Telephone 1-519-235-1331 • Fax: 519-235-0766 O.$.T. *N105210635 ---11111111=131111111111------ Legion keeps memories alive ith November being undoubtedly the most important time of year for Legion branches across Canada, it is a fitting time to commend this organization for working so hard to keep Remembrance Davy in the forefront of important annual events. As each year goes by there are a growing number of Canadians who have never seen the ravages of war or experienced the trauma of having many of the world's countries living under oppression of us who have had the good fortune to live in freedom in a democratic society owe a debt of thanks to the veterans of both World Wars and the Korean Conflict. It's up to our local Legions to make sure the contributions of those who served, often in horrendous situations, are remembered with all the honor and respect they deserve. Canadians have earned a place in history. They sacrificed their lives in unequaled numbers when the size of our armed forces is taken into account. Rod MacAlpine, a 35- year member of the regular force, was the featured • speaker at the Exeter Legion's annual Remembrance Day banquet. He brought home a statistic everyone in this area should remember. Exeter lost 31 men in WWII and 52 men in WW1. It is difficult now, living in the best country in the world, to imagine what life would have been like without the contributions of thousands of Canadians. Legion branches all across the country are doing their best to make sure the memory of -our fighting men lives on....but Legions themselves are slowly fighting a losing battle as the number of living veterans decreases every year. Soon it will be up to historians and those fortunate enough to have lived only in peace to make sure Remembrance Day is observed in a way our veterans deserve. We are confident the Legion will be up to the task of making sure the rest of us never forget. Your Views Letters to the editor Reader tired of 'sob stories' ...1 am tired of having to support a lot of others 1 don't even know." Dear Editor: After reading your feature "Living on less" I feel compelled to respond. I am really tired of reading 'sob stories' of having to change my attitude and be more compassionate. The phrase "been there, done that" comes to mind. Twenty years ago I became a single mom with a four-year-old and a brand new baby. No Phoenix House for me or mother's allow- ance. I had to work and find a babysitter for two kids. I did not have the use of a food bank but lots of macaroni and cheese dinners, no car, just a hike. But I made it. Today my daughter is happily mar- ried and has two beautiful children and my son is at- tending university. They seem to be well adjusted. For Linda Cowell to state that she does not want to find a job but be a full-time support parent at home for a 14 -year-old daughter - give me a break. A 14 -year-old is in school most of the day and does not need a babysitter. As a matter of fact, the daugh- ter herself could babysit and earn some money to help her mom. For Linda to stay in,the Phoenix House for at least a year and quote: 'then she will try to get off wel- fare' is ludicrous. Maybe it will mean for her to try to get even a minimum wage job now and why not. If she wishes to become self-supporting the sooner she gets on with her life the better. I support my own family willingly and with pride but I am tired of having to support a lot of others I don't even know. I resent people implying that they are supporting their family on social assistance when in fact they are being supported. Maybe if I can get one of those people to shovel the snow in my driveway or cut the grass while I'm out working to support them I might feel different. I am compassionate and am willing and do help others, but only if people are willing to help them- sel ves. Susan Dolphin, Exeter A View From Queen's Park TORONTO -- Premier Mike Harris is ad- monishing the poor to be content with their lot at a time oddly when a record number of concerns are being raised about how fellow Progressive Conservatives live off the fat of the land. Harris and company keep assuring welfare recipients that they can survive on $520 a month by shopping around for dented cans of tuna. It also is difficult to recall a time when as many questions have been asked about ways members of a party make mon- ey as are being asked about Tories. These include Alberta Premier Ralph Klein, whom Harris sees as a role model and inspiration in cutting costs and services mostly to poorer people. Klein believes governments should inter- vene as little as possible, but twice publicly boosted a company in which Tory asso- ciates and his family own stock and they made a profit of millions. An ethics com- missioner ruled that Klein did no wrong, but such commissioners are political ap- By Eric Dowd pointees and it is ironic that a premier whose number one creed is that people should stand on their own feet should give a leg -up to political friends. In Saskatchewan, a minister and top offi- tial in the former Tory government have been jailed for roles in a scheme in which shell companies submitted false invoices to government that were paid and money passed to Tory MLAs for party and person- al use. Ten other former Tory legislature members still face charges and a judge has called it "the most serious fraud ever perpe- trated on the people of this province by elected members. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police this week asked Switzer- land to freeze bank accounts through which a European manufacturer allegedly fun- nelled $20 million to "politicians and oth- ers" connected to the former Tory govern- ment of prime minister Brian Mulroney to coax Air Canada to buy $1.8 billion worth of planes. Our favorite snow sport : winter driving Because snow has hit early, there's no avoiding winter driving. With recent road conditions ranging from thick slush to flakes flying at windshields in a dizzying frenzy, I don't think we're ready. But is anyone ever prepared for the fish -tailing, the cautious braking and the where's -the - centre -line anxiety of it all? Some people absolutely refuse to drive in winter weather, even when roads are bare. Are their fears understandable or should they get out there and battle the elements with the rest of us? Really, once you know exactly how to handle your car in every imaginable situation, it's just a matter of keeping your eyes on the road, your hands glued to the steering wheel and your brain in a constant panic. My common misconception is at any given moment, no matter what I do, the car will just magically slip into the ditch. Uncontrollable. Unavoidable. The weather's fault. Someone once told me the trick to winter driving is to avoid all sudden movements and to stay in control at all times. That means no jerking the steering wheel, no driving with thumbs and no breathing. No radio either. "And please be careful out • there," croons every D.J. on the dial. "A heavy snowfall warning is underway," you hear as you putt along an icy stretch of highway at 30 kilometres an hour, your arms aching from the tension. The sounds of cheery Christmas jingles ("Have a safe and happy holiday, from all the staff here at K & K Collision") don't help. And what about those two horrible winter words - FREEZING RAIN? Of course everyone knows freezing rain is worse than snowstorms, more feared than polysaturated fats and more dreaded than Monday mornings. With freezing rain, there is no control. But it doesn't happen very often, does it? What we do see a lot of is white -outs, snow drifts and ice patches, especially along good old highway 4. Okay, so we're all scared. There's nothing we can do but wait and worry while our loved ones travel along their way for merry Christmas cheer. And when we absolutely have to get somewhere we can't just sit around immobilized in a get-up-and-go world, can we? "Don't be on the roads unless you really have to," everyone advises. Alright. So we only drive through a blizzard to get to a movie on cheap night or we brave an ice storm to hang out at John's house to eat pizza. Let's face it. In an age of technological everything to make us lazy, and advice on low-fat this and cut-back that to depress us, maybe we don't get enough instinctual challenges these days. I'm talking about the physical stamina an mental calmness it takes to se se your way through a freshly fallen heap of snow when you don't know the road, are running out of gas and about to be late for something really important...Iike a birthday party. It takes real skill to survive winter driving. It makes us strong, determined, brave and Canadian. I hear we're in for a mild winter. Attention friends Reminders of Mulroney's own financial opportunism keep popping up. A sale of furniture by the retiring prime minister to a grateful government for $150,000 was can- celled after a public outcry, and now the furniture has finally been appraised at a modest $39,050. Welfare recipients must wish they could find someone so generous in buying their used sofas. Closer to Harris's home turf, the saga continues long past overtime in which Alan Eagleson, a former Tory MPP and Ontario party president who used to get written up in U.S. papers as a future Tory prime minis- ter and ran the convention that made Wil- liam Davis premier, refuses to go to the U.S. to answer charges of fraud while he was executive director of the National Hockey League Players' Association. Some former stars have now launched a lawsuit against him. On nowhere near as serious a level, for- mer Tory minister Dennis Timbrell, so ad- mired that he could have been leader in- stead of Harris if he had run in 1990, has lost some respect because -- while the legal wrangle is still going on -- he clearly tried to prompt the Ontario Hospital Association to pay him a healthy $1.1 million when he left after four years as president. Claude Bennett, another former Tory minister, has resigned as supposed part- time chairman of the federal Canada Mort- gage and Housing Corporation, a position to which he was appointed by Mulroney, after criticism that he billed it for more days work in a year than most people work full-time, and on top of his MPP's pension. Harris may not be to blame for the ac- tions of Tories in other provinces and those here who are not part of his government and some may argue they are being unfairly raised against him. But Harris has launched a crusade to cut government spending and "tighten belts for the public good. Clearly some Tories are not will- ing to share the pain.