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Home My WebLink AboutTimes-Advocate, 1996-05-15, Page 4Page 4 Titacate, May 15, 1996 Publisher & Editor. Jim Beckett Business Manager: Don Smith Production Manager: Deb Lord Advertising* Bath 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, Ruthanne NegriJn, Anita McDonald, Cassie Dalrymple SAM COa op The Exeter Times -Advocate is a member of a family of community newspapers providing news, advertising and information leadership r 1 inion Publications Mail Registration Number 0388 auasCRIPTION RATES; One year rate for Ontario subscribers - 635.00 + GST Two year rate fol Ontario subscribers - 863.00 + OST gAIPIAN ADDRESSES OUTSIDE ONTARIQ `71 One year subscription - 663.00 + OST Two year subscription - 6119.00 + GST OTHER.RATES Outside Caiiada - 699.00 + GST Horded Sec* Wednesday Morntg at 484 Mat lit.! Exeter, Ontnls, NOM 114 by J.W. Cody Publoetloas Ltd. Telephone 1.116.231-4331 • Fax: 5.14-2$407411 a.s.T. 111110 11210831 EDI I ORI \l.. Tax cut is a beginning e're not surprised that last week's income tax cut by the provincial government is receiving mostly posi- tive comments. After all, when was the last time we heard of any government actually reducing taxes. The initial effect most of us will see is a modest increase in our take home pay which should gradually grow as the full amount of the 30% reduction in the provincial portion of our income tax phases in. Critics were quick off the mark by condemning the Harris government's most recent attempt at kickstarting the economy. Harris firmly believes puting more money in the pockets of consu- mers is an important step in improving both the manufacturing and retail sec- tors. And his idea is supported by many economists. Many who oppose the Harris plan fear the tax cut will have to be funded by added borrowing as well as more se- vere reductions in government spend- ing and the imposition of user fees. While we are in favor of the tax cuts we also want to go on record as being opposed to the concept of user fees on many of the things we take for granted in our community. For example, adding user fees to recre- ation programs that are partially subsi- dized by the community at large could be short sighted. Making recreational ac- tivities like hockey and swimming oper- ate on a break even basis by imposing or creating additional user fees should not even be considered. There are many examples where a little money invested in young people will re- sult in tremendous savings in other are- as. It's possible, and many people be- lieve very probable, that a few thousand dollars spent on involving our youth in active recreation programs will result in saving hundreds of thousands later on. Added legal and other social costs could be the legacy of over aggressive pro- gram slashing. At the moment we agree with the Har- ris approach to cure Ontario's financial ills. We'll also be among the first to jump off the bandwagon if we think the cure will be worse than the sickness. Your sews: Letters to the editor fog 645 SAKE, PAWL QUEBEC, THE GST, wsuiGcRW►E, uttimPioY MENT AND cRuFIBLING HEALTH GORE AREN'T His FAULTSHHE's ONLY A CENSUS1AKER! Health Matters Community support appreciate "You have helped...to provide a better education for our children!" Dear Editor: We are all hearing,about the tough economic times school boards in Ontario are facing right now. Exeter Public School is trying to stay ahead in the game and we offer our thanks to those who have helped. Exeter Public School Parent's Association has just completed two very successful fundraising pro- jects. The first, a tree raffle, started in late March and ran until May 2, 1996. The second was a Penny Carnival held on May 2, 1996. Both of these events were extremely successful because of the support of the school community and the business community. Dave Dalrymple of Green - care Nursery donated and will plant a 12 foot Nor- way Maple for our tree raffle. Without the willing support of Dave or of the businesses and individuals who sold tickets for us this would not have been such a successful project. Our Penny Carnival was also a great success be- cause of the businesses in town who donated prizes or sold product to us at a reduced cost. We realize that many organizations are constantly asking fol, help and we do appreciate your ggnerosity. Thank you to Holtzmann's IGA, Stedman's Exet- er Big V, Darlings, Reel Time Video, Seip's valu mart, Greeting Card World; Purple Turtle, Star Time Video, MacLean's Home Hardware, New Or- leans Pizza, MacDonalds, Pizza Delight, Royal Bank, Horizon Pro Health, National Trust, South Huron Ree Centre and Tim Horton Donuts. We would not be as successful without your support. •" Our thanks also goes to the EPS Staff who are al- ways willing to do one more job for us. We also need to thank the Exeter Times Advocate for cover- ing our events. In these tough times we do need to work together and work a little harder before we see the benefits. Thank you to our school families for their help and to the business comittunity for their generosity and assistance. You have helped the'Exeter Public School Parent's Association d9 a little more to pro- vide a better education for our children! Jane Hefley, President, EPS Parent's Association TORONTO -- Premier Mike Harris has this strict principle on gambling -- he is against it, unless it can make his government a lot of money. The Progressive Conservative premier was fiercely opposed to expanding ways to gamble before he won last June's provincial election but since then he has approved a new casino in Niagara Falls and video lottery terminals at racetracks, licensed restaurants and bars. Casinos have proved a licence to print money for governments, and Harris's estimates that the VIM alone will bring it a profit of $260 mil- lion a year once they are in full operation. This is not quite what Harris and his finance minister and deputy premier, Ernie Eves, prom- ised when their party was in opposition trying to win votes. Hams, when he discussed expanding gam- bling, insisted, "I don't think the government needs more money. I don't want all this money pouring in. "Part of the problem is that the Ontario gov- ernment has too much vary, wants too much rnoney, borrows too much money and spends E ti too much money. Ilan -is went on to explain, "we've always known casinos generate cash, but we are not convinced this is the kind of way we wish to raise money. When the New Democrat government in,'* duced the first casino at Windsor in 1994, "Ar- ds sheered that it was "driven by thirst, hunger and-desite for more cash for government" and that "laid -off workersthere can look forward to minimum -wage jobs dealing blackjack and serving "watered-down drinks to Americans." Harris said the NDP had no mandate to intro- duce a casino and the Tories would hold a bind- ing, province -wide referendum before allowing any more. Eves in opposition was even more scathing. When the NDP announced its Windsor casino, Eves protested that "govemments of all stripes in all provinces seem to be more and more ad- dicted to the revenue that can be obtained from gambling." Eves challenged the NDP; "Are you suggest- ing the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Ontario Provincial Police would be in favor of introducing casino gambling into Ontario? I By Heather Mir Seasonal allergy tips #pril is usually tf kinth for seasonal sufferers, - - because Spring has been late arriving this, year, some experts say 'the pollen is, IC -lime intense as the dutdoors ctmes quickly to life. Spring flowers, pollinating trees followed by grasses in June and July and ragweed and molds in the late summer can make .outdoor activity miserable for an estimated one in five people. Allergies are inherited but • skin tests can determine the cause of allergic responses and a treatment may be tail- ored to individual needs. Symptoms of seasonal aller- gies include sneezing, a drip- ping nose and itchy, watery -eyes. . . Aiottgli the : symptoms of an allergic reaction may be similar. -to a cold,. the cause is very different. Allergic reac- DOA mites and mold can be tions occur when the body's limited by keeping the house defense mechanism treats a temperature between 20 and harmless substance, such as 21 degrees Celsius and the dust, pollen or pet dander, humidity between 25 and 40 like an virus. per cent. Beds should be While antihistamines can be placed away from heating effective in relieving some of vents and only air the house these allergy symptoms, pre- during the middle of the day vention is often the best cure. • when the pollen count is low - For example, if you suffer est. from hay fever, don't hang Animal dander, a common laundry outside to dry during allergic culprit, can be avoid - allergy season. Towels, ed by eliminating physical sheets and clothes collect contact with pets. Keep cats large amounts of pollen 'and or dogs out of the bedroom dust on the clothesline. and wash the animal every Other tips suggested in till, couple of weeks. Canadian Allergy & Asthma* As well, keep rugs and up- Handbook include using syttr holstered furniture out of the thetic or cotton blankets,, cidroom and wash ceiling, washing sheets weekly in hei f' is and baseboards at least water and using an electric: ,'alien or four' times a year. If dryer. It is also recommend+_ • ible, use an air condition- ed allergy sufferers avoid the '? -J_tiuring allergy season and use of quilts, comforters or ' icy to keep house and car .eiderdowns. . ,:,, Windows closed. Government and casinos • >t - would suggest they probably would not and it would be the furthest thing from their desires. He also warned that "wherever casinos ate found they are inseparable from organized rillOnal activities. There are going to be many ykttal and law enforcement problems." EJeS had immense fun twitting that the NDP beforeavleetion opposed casino gambling, but >rtey. won, they needed more nigney and Iintroduced casino gambling. All of a sudden their principles went out of the window, ?� He even had specific criticisms of VLTs, ex- plaining that Nova Scotia had dropped'them be- cause of quite a few instances of people becom- ing addicted to them. Such gambling there, Eves said, "was placing a great cost on the health system because it has to send the gambling addicts it has created to the U.S. for treatment." (A couple of months ago he was still warning: "My personal feeling is that VLTs could create a lot of social ptbb- lems.") Eves said five per ce{tt of those who gamble . become addicts and suggested the NDP should at least raise the gambling age from 19 years to 21. Other coneap'ns'can be raised about casinos and VLTs, particularly that the latter attract youth, but Harris and Eves jn opposition at least raised some. Many who worried because earlier Tory, Lib- eral and NDP governments opened more oppor- tunaies for gambling every time they needed money saw Harris's criticisms at the time as a promise to put some curbs on. Now he is expanding casinos and proposing to plaster the province with VLTs he was against and he still has not held his promised referendum on casinos or raised the legal age for gambling. Harris is getting a lot of praise as the politi- cian who does what he says, because he has de- livered a promised tax cut. But part of it will be financed by teenagers going into bars and shoving their money into slot machines. ' "` ' •