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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1994-9-14, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, September 14, 1994 Publisher: Jim Beckett News Editor: Adrian Harte Business Manager: Don Smith Composition Manager: Deb Lord Advertising; Barb Consitt, Theresa Redmond tag; Fred Groves, Catherine O'Brien, Ross Haugh Production• Alma Ballantyne, Mary McMurray, Barb Robertson Robert Nicol, Brenda Hem, Joyce Weber, Laurel Miner, Marg Flynn Transportation: Al Flynn, Al Hodgert Front Office & Accounting. Norma Jones, Elaine Pinder, Ruthanre Negrijn, Anita McDonald ccw • • inion El)1IORIA Consistency, please hen the public works commit- tee presented a list of "additional" infra- structure projects to council last week, it was clearly with the hope it replace the town hall renovation plans. Since that won't happen, the sugges- tion is now to -use the list of alternate projects if some additional grant funds become available. Now hold on a minute. One of the stronger arguments made against the "civic centre" project was that the town should not automatically be spending "found money" - particularly since it must contribute one third of the total cost. Those opposed to the project said the town should be banking the $263,339, lowering taxes, or putting it towards future sewer or water line pro- jects. Now those same council members are arguing to apply for more government money - to which the town would have to cough up its third - and spend it on the arena roof, tennis courts, parks, or a baseball diamond fence. These are not the hard services they insisted the town needed most. Credibility on this argument is getting a little strained: be honest, they disagree philosophically with the project of reno- vating the old town hall into a municipal office. They would rather see it spent just about anywhere else, because there are people in town who disagree with council spending money "on them- selves". The other half of council, or more than half, see the infrastructure grant as an opportunity to upgrade municipal build- ings mostly at the provincial and federal government's expense. Although the li- brary will have to wait, they say it's a fair step in the right direction. There probably isn't a better time to re solve some of Exeter's public building problems than when Ottawa and Queen's Park are willing to pay two-thirds the cost. Sewer projects, recreation projects can all be subsidized by ongoing grant programs - at least as long as the gov- ernments have money. Grab the money while you can, is an unfortunate, but ongoing political reality for small towns. It seems even the nay - sayers on council have now adopted that view, even if there isn't the money in the budget to do so. Publications Mail Registration Number 0388 SUBSCRIPTI9N RATES: IADs Within 40 urges (66 bun.) addressed to non letter canter addreee. 630.00 plus 62.10 a.s.T. 4 Outside 40 miles (65 km.) or any latter carrier address 630.00 plus 630.00 (total 60.00) + 4.20 0.s.T. Outside Canada 698.00 (Includes 688.40 postage) Published Each Wednesday Morning at 424 Main St., Exeter, Ontario, NOM 156 by J.W. Eedy Publications Ltd. Telephone 1-519-235.1331 GALT. #8106210036 �11�f AREt(T FROM CURS.. 71-11FAE ENGUSH QUEBECKERS! fel S. Cao A.D.N. Huron County has perhaps the unfortunate distinction of being in the epicentre of the campaign of one MP to bring back corporal punishment. Yes, our very own Paul Steckle has been the one to make headlines all over the nation for his suggestion that we should be flogging our prisoners, or putting a little more fear back into the edu- cational system. No doubt there are those elsewhere in this fine nation who wonder what other strange notions lurk here in Huron County. Do we still marry our cousins? Do we still have bylaws on the books against witchcraft? Well, I'm going to go out on a limb here and actually say that I think I get what Steckle is trying to accom- plish with his corporal pun- ishment petition. The other day when I bumped into him at the Chili Cookoff he was being accost- ed by a guy who demanded to see the famous petition so he could add his name to it. Steckle has more than a thou- sand names on it already, and it looks like he could get lots more if he tried. It's an extreme view, the idea that criminals should face the prospect of being physically beaten under the law, but there are a lot of people who like it. To be truthful, I'm not sure Steckle really wants controlled vio- lence back into our penal sys- tem; after all where does it end? If we want to be a more physically punitive society again, do we also want all the old ghosts back, like police brutality? Still, people are lining up to sign the petition. Why? In short, it is evident that most of us believe our legal system has grown exceeding- ly soft on criminals. The phrase "prosecute to the full- est extent of the law" is something of a joke. Most charges get dropped in court just to get one convenient and quick guilty plea to avoid a trial. Most offenders can count more on probation and counselling than jail. Every time a violent act hits the me- dia, governments rush around TORONTO - Are Ontario's New Democrats on their way back? The NDP government has been heartened by a poll claiming it has 17 per- cent support. This normally would not be something for a party to rejoice over, but the NDP had been stuck at 14 percent for much of the past two years, anxious for any sign that voters are pre- pared to like it again and ready to grasp at small mercies. The NDP has worked for its modest gain. It elbowed through a so-called equity law that will force businesses to -employ women and visible minorities in the same proportions as they live in the community, which naturally pleases many in these groups (although it will irritate more when it strikes home that it makes white males a lot less equal.) The NDP has steadily announced funding for construction, particularly of housing and tran- sit, and therefore jobs and played some part if small in the unemployment rate falling to 9.5 percent, the lowest in three years. The NDP has pushed ahead with protection for varied groups: a maximum increase of 2.9 percent in rents, lowest since controls were in- troduced; rights for nursing home residents similar to those for housing tenants; fire safety regulations for basement apartments; and an ad- vocacy system to help adults vulnerable be- cause of old age or disability. The NDP has wooed back a few of the sup- porters it alienated when it cut public service pay by making its most effective argument: they may not be overjoyed with Premier Bob Rae, but would get shorter shrift from Liberals or Progressive Conservatives. It is possible to make a case that the NDP will lure home more malcontents in an election and win close to the respectable 24 percent it has averaged in recent decades, but it would still fake an unwavering NDP optimist to explain how it can collect enough votes to stay in gov- ernment. f GUAM s � 4‘,„ to Is Steckle really e Y Y? in a tailspin trying to come up with new, ineffective legisla- tion to make it look like it won't happen again (the prov- ince's Bayliss Bill is a prime example) - prosecuting the offenders "to the fullest ex- tent of the law" is of little consequence. And even if you do end up in the slammer what does it mean - all the basketball you can play, all the television you can watch, day after day? Whether true or not, most Canadians think our prisons have more in common with small resorts or hotels than they would like. Steckle, although new to the political compromise game, knows how it's played. If you want a million dollar grant, ask for ten million. If Canadians want to instill po- tential criminals with a genu- ine fear of a prison term, de- mand corporal punishment. Steckle, I'm sure would be happy to hear his justice min- ister announce automatic prison terms for some violent offenses, a crackdown on plea bargaining, and a plan to make prisons less like hidea- ways for the socially disad- vantaged. Trouble is, it's too expen- sive. Crackdowns would mean building new prisons, new courts to handle all the new offenders. You might also need a few thousand more cops on the beat to make sure fewer crimes went unsolved. 7:1: :1.1' What we can expect is more finger pointing, blaming our problems on bad childhoods, inadequate drug counselling, not enough gun control, im- migration policies, a lack of rabies vaccinations... what- ever. Legislation to target all these ailments is cheaper than dealing with criminals direct- ly, and all the paperwork keeps legions of government employees busy. So that's what we can ex- pect. Unless enough Canadi- ans start to demand some really drastic action...like cor- poral punishment, for exam- ple. He might be seen as some- thing of a radical on Parlia- ment Hill, but he knows what he's doing. Liberals losing their lead The Tories who play a loud second fiddle to the Liberals as an opposition party have made an even stronger gain in the poll from 24 to 29 percent. Leader Mike Harris is benefitting from prom- ises to cut government spending by 20 percent and provincial income tax by 30 percent in his first three years in government. Harris has not explained chapter and verse how he will do this and past Tory governments were nowhere near as careful with taxpayers' money. But lower taxes are the first hope of many and they are willing to take a chance on Hams. Harris is full of p.r. slogans like promising a 'Fair Share' health care levy on those earning more than $50,000 and `Learnfare' in which people wanting welfare will be forced to re- train. But he has ideas and new recruits because the Reform Party which is his ideological soul - mate appears almost to have written off the idea of running provincial candidates. The Liberals slipped from 55 to 51 percent, as they deserved. They were seen as untrust- worthy because, after voting down an NDP bill to give same-sex couples equal rights, they would not go along with even a watered-down version similar to their own earlier proposals. A gay truth squad was able to remind of this in hounding Liberal leader Lyn McLeod through the summer. McLeod did not perform as sharply in a de- bate with the other leaders - admittedly it was before a business audience which better suited Harris and to a lesser -extent Rae. A summer employee of the Liberals also sent out a clumsy dirty tricks fax directing Tories to the wrong place for a rally and all this helped revive memories lhat the Liberals still have not announced many'policies. The Liberals have been let off lightly.