Times Advocate, 1994-8-10, Page 4Pale; 4 Times -Advocate, August 10, 1994
Publisher: Jim Beckett
News Editor: Adrian Harte
Business Manager: Don Smith
Composition Manager: Deb Lord
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Transvortation: Al Flynn, Al Hodgert
front Office counting; Norma Jones, Elaine Pinder,
Ruthanne Negrijn, Anita McDonald
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EDITORIALS
Shape of things to come
his fall, voters will go to the
polls in some 800 municipalities across
Ontario. Three years from now, when
election time rolls around again, there
may be fewer municipalities in setting
up polling booths.
The news that Lucan and Biddulph
Township are considering amalgama-
tion may come as some surprise to
those who have lived there for years
and always considered their lives and
needs somewhat separate. After all, the
demands placed on rural and urban mu-
nicipalities are quite different.
Still, a snow plow is still a snow
plow, no matter whose municipal crest
is on the door. Township residents are
finding they need access to water pipe-
lines and full-fledged sewage treatment
systems to keep up with the environ-
mental and developmental demands of
the late 20th century.
Biddulph residents, of course, view the
Lucan library and Lucan arena as their
library and arena. They have long since
contributed to their support.
The lines that traditionally separated
urban and rural municipalities are blur-
ring, if not fading away. The province is
encouraging, if not outright insisting,
that the services of towns be extended
out into the townships, making the need
to differentiate the municipalities almost
meaningless.
Although only a preliminary investiga-
tion into the notion of amalgamation, we
should not be surprised if one day one
council represents both Lucan and Bid-
dulph.
Further up the highway, we should
also not be surprised if a town and a
township or two in South Huron decide
to find a cheaper, more cooperative way
of doing things through amalgamation.
A.D.H.
If you drive, you must park
hile other municipalities are
trying to green up their images by
planting trees, Exeter seems to be plant-
ing "no parking" signs.
Every new ball diamond or soccer
field seems to be an excuse to ban on -
street parking. The fear is that children
might run-frorn between the cars into
traffic. It does happen, and for every
tragedy in the province, there are quite
a few heart -stopping near misses.
Still, to eliminate parking from every-
where children frequent seems a bit
much. People have to park some-
where. Surely the parents parking their
cars are responsible enough to accom-
pany their children across the road.
We live in an area where there are
green leaves on the treesiwly 17 weeks
out of 52 in a year. If parking is a con-
cern near summer recreational facili-
ties, then certainly restrictions need
only apply when appropriate.
A.D.H.
Lettersto the, editor
Doug Gould will be missed
..Doug faced his adversities
with great courage.
Dear Editor:
Triviti Memorial Church had the biggest turnout
in many a moon at Doug Gould's service. The old
church was packed with Doug's friends and family,
a visible tribute to his life and times.
Bc Heywood did a wonderful job in conducting
the service and singing "Amazing Grace" in a taste-
ful duct. Ann Marie Hoffman and Sharon played a
subdued piano and sang beautifully.
The eulogy was delivered by Mayor Bruce Shaw.
Bruce chose his words well, paying his last respects
to an old and valued friend. He mixed humour and
pathos, reminding us all of Doug's active sense of
humour, his ability to spin a yarn, a joke, an anec-
dote, always with a smile.
Doug faced his adversities with great courage. In
all my years of knowing him, I never heard him
whine or complain and he had reason to do so. As
Brucc said in his nostalgic remarks, he enjoyed sit-
tjng in his warm friendly kitchen dicing words with
Kim and Gibhy.
How true, I'll never forget him, a good friend.
Yours truly
Gibhy (J.M. Gibson)
Hold that thought...
By Adrian Harte
A referendum here, a referendum there
The Town of Lindsay is now
toying with the idea of "direct
democracy" patterned after
what Rossland, British Colum-
bia has been using since 1991.
Basically, citizens in the mu-
nicipality have the right to vote
on council bylaws, the right to
initiate their own bylaws
through petitions with 20 per-
cent of the vote requiring a refe-
rendum, and the outcomes of
those referendums are binding
on council.
The Ontario Taxpayers Feder-
ation is excited about Lindsay's
move to such a system, and are
trumpeting this initiative as
_"empowering" (one of my fa-
vourite Newspeak words) tax-
payers. Somehow it doesn't
sound like all that much fun to
me.
The average Ontario'citizen
who has never attended a coun-
cil session and imagines that all
amounts of tax dollars are
squandered away for no good
reason by committees who meet
in darkened rooms, might think
a check or balance or two on
council would be great. For all
the citizens of this area, who
make an effort to attend at least
one council session a year, it
might not sound so wonderful.
You have been to council,
right? "Where minutes are tak-
en and hours are wasted" is the
best definition of local govern-
ment. Even though troops of
scouts and guides regularly visit
council chambers to fulfill the
New Democrat Premier Bob Rae says he
wants to stay. out of the Quebec election, but he
may wind up oddly giving some help to the
separatists.
Rae insisted he does not plan to become in-
volved because he would be seen as interfering
in a decision that has to be made by the people
of Quebec.
Ontario's opposition leaders have added their
cautions to keep clear. Progressive Conserva-
tive Mike Harris said any intervention by a pol-
itician from outside Quebec would be viewed
as meddling and resented and assist the Parti
Quebecois.
But Rae probably will be dragged in whether
he likes it or not, because he has said a lot that
the PQ would find it to its advantage to recall.
A day or two before the vote was called Rae
dismissed separation as an 'adventure' Canadi-
ans do not want, which those passionately ob-
requirements of some badge or
another, they rarely stay past the
first committee report.
Do we really want to dragged,
kicking and screaming, into in-
volving ourselves with several
bylaws a year, when we prob-
ably couldn't care less?
Let's say the town has an engi-
neering report proposing a new
sewer line for the edge of town,
to open up a new phase of fu-
ture subdivision development.
Let's say it's going to be expen-
sive. Let's say they put it to a
referendum. If you want to buy
a new house in that area some
day, you might be in favour. If
you live on the other side of
town and are happy with the
town just they way it is, you
night not be so sure. Despite
all the bold talk about the bene-
fits of growth, you've never
seen your tax bill go down.
Is new development neces-
sary, and what docs the engi-
neer's report really mean. The
province wants to contribute a
grant under a "job creation"
scheme, which sounds like
they're taking the credit for
spending your own taxes.
Frequent referendums on by-
law issues would probably re-
sult in "no" votes pore often
than not, by cautious taxpayers.
I don't think people are gener-
ally misinformed about local
politics, just perhaps too cau-
tious and suspicious.
By far, the most important by-
laws our local municipalities
pass each year are their budget
bylaws. In that one document,
most of the spending and pro-
gram decisions are made.
Would we need a referendum to
decide whether the budget is ac-
ceptable or not, and would we
be truly qualified to know bet-
ter?
What this whole "direct de-
mocracy" boils down to is the
notion that even when elected
by democratic process, local
politicians still can't be trusted
to rely on their best judgement
for the public good. Canadians
seem to have some right to feel
this way, after watching federal
politicians swear out their elec-
tion promises on stacks of
bibles, and then turn around and
negotiate free trade agreements
and introduce GSTs out of the
blue.
But despite what the Taypay-
ers Federation might be saying,
I'm not so sure we need, or
want, to be looking over our lo-
cal politicians' shoulders, after
we've voted them to a three-
year term. It is true that a few
"white elephants" have been
built here and there, in munici-
palities all over this province.
Given the chance to put all
major spending decisions to a
public vote, we may inited end
up with fewer white elephants -
trouble is, we'd probably have
fewer of the things we appre-
ciate and enjoy as well.
sessed with it will see as a gratuitous sneer.
In four years as premier, Rae also has com-
plained repeatedly that successive Tory and
Liberal federal governments have been kinder
to Quebec than Ontario.
Rae argued the federal system treats Quebec
better on equalization payments, unemploy-
ment insurance, job retraining and helping im-
migrants among others.
In the federal election last October the NDP
premier protested the Tories in Ottawa gave
tens of millions of dollars toward construction
in Quebec while refusing to contribute to a
trade centre in Toronto.
After the election, the Liberal federal govern-
ment decided to locate an international environ-
mental agency in Montreal and Rae said this
was 'cheap, partisan politics' and punishment
for Ontario. Some even in his own province
thought he was shrill.
Ammunition for the PQ
When the federal Liberals slashed tobacco
taxes to counter smuggling, Rae complained it
was a surrender to Quebec and would cost On-
tario hundreds of millions of dollars a year rev-
enue.
Rae imposed restrictions on Quebec construc-
tion companies and workers which forced that
province to drop curbs it had for years, but
many Quebecers feel he was unduly aggres-
sive.
Rae also has constantly opposed the free
trade agreement with the United States which
now has been shown to benefit Quebec more
than any other province.
Some of Rae's protests are justified. But sep-
aratists also can use them to question whether
federalism is a workable institution in which
Quebec can feel at home when its biggest part-
ner complains daily it gets more than it de-
serves.
Ontario also still has not declared French an
official language, although over the years many
federalists including former prime ministers
Pierre Trudeau and Brian Mulroney urged this
to help Quebec feel more wanted and Rae
promised it often when in opposition.
Rae instead has been content like previous
Tory and Liberal premiers to provide services
in French in areas with large members of fran-
cophones and explain 'we make progress in
stages in this province', which probably suits
most Ontarians. The PQ may argue Ontario is
not concerned about francophones.
But Rae gave the PQ its best ammunition
when he was found secretly drafting a plan for
what to do if Quebec separates, including how
to continue trade with Quebec.
The PQ has long insisted that if Quebec votes
to separate, other provinces will come around
to accepting it and Rae has legitimized this
view. The premier will shudder at the thought
he could be comforting separatists.
A
E