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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1986-04-02, Page 4r Page 4—CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, WE NESDAY, APRIL 2, 1986 Tho Clinton NPw9.Racprd la puhliobad teach Wadntooday at P.O. hoot 8, Clinton. Ontario. Canada. iNOM 140:. %id 411O•349 O. Iub;criptlon Was . Canada • 171.01 Ir, Callan • 010.00 per yoar U.S.A.'orator $10.00 par year 1t U moist*rad ad second class molt by the p09t o.Ntea condor thaw permit number 0111. The Nawo•Rotortl inigrporgtad In 1919 tholluron Ne,v9PRaSotd. founded In 1101. and The Clinton Naw; int, founded In 1/40. Total prase rano 1101. Ing®rp rating TILE BLYTH STANDARD J. HOWARD AITKEN - Publisher ANNE NAREJKO - Editor GARY HAIST - Advertising Manager MARY ANN HOLLENBECK - Office Manager Display advertising rates available on request. Mb for Rote Card No. 1 S effective Oc• tuber 1,1984. Basic freedoms must endure The Government of Ontario is moving at an alarming pace to imposea socialist ideology upon the face of this province. Is that what we really wanted when we voted for change at the last election? The fiasco between government and the medical profession is an issue which is cause for concern. Actually, two basic issues emerge after all the smog of rhetoric has cleared. One is the issue of freedom of the individual and the degree to which we will permit the government to encroach upon it; the second is the quality of health care we can look forward to as citizens of Ontario. The extra billing aspect of the issue is nothing more than a smoke screen. Politicians realize that appeal to voters is best achieved by strok- ing their pocketbooks. And so, while the extra billing issue grabs the at- tention of the public, the government can move in on the medical profes- sion under the guise of better medical care for all at no extra cost. We've heard those kinds of promises before. - What is astonishing is that so many people believe this will happen. Consider the record of government administrative ability. Consider the basic principles of human nature. Surely these would indicate that the people of Ontario will be the losers. Doctors, while they may appear god -like when one's life is at stake are after all human beings with the same desires, sensitivities and needs as the rest of the human race. What is going to happen to the morale of these professional people if they are all reduced to the lowest common denominator by being' forbidden to charge according to their worth? What will happen to their quest for excellence if there are no tangible rewards for achieving it? Where else in our society is that achievement denied? And what is most disturbing, what profession or segment of our society will be next on the government's hit list? Basic human rights are being interfered with in this issue. Is that what we really want? What is at stake here is not the option to overbill, or equal access to medical care. It is the overall level of medical care we can'expect by a group of once dedicated professional people who have beefs squelched by an overbearing bureaucracy. And it is the tenuous status of some very basic freedoms we have all come to expect. We, in Ontario, enjoy an extremely high level of medical care. When world-renowned experts are necessary, we need go no further than our own medical centres. Do we really want to interfere with the level of ex- cellence we have achieved in Ontario? One thing is sure: it will not be here for us under a system where professionals are government - controlled. It is disheartening to see the spirit of freedom of choice and free enter- prise, principles upon which our province grew and flourished, gradually being eroded from the Ontario scene. J.A. Shrier, Vice -President Signal -Star Publishing Limited Small towns are better There's a lot to be said for small towns. Hem we have friendly people, air that's not filled with the undesirable odour or color of pollution and most importantly, no large crowds. If there is one major fault I have with cities, it's the large line-ups you have to wait in and the huge crowds found just about anywhere. Whether it's at the bank or grocery store, line-ups can be found. In bars or malls, people elbow their way through and push and shove. In some cases they do , everything but bite the people around them. Recently Signal Star Publishing Ltd. rented a'bus to take a group of employees to Kitchener. Our destination was Lulu's, one of the largest bars in the world. We had gone last year but blamed our in - Give youth a chance Dear Editor: What do we expect from the young people in our communities? Well, we seem to ex- pect them to misbehave, act like drunks and ends up as juvenile delinquents. We really don't give these people a chance. When was the last time that you did something for the teens of your community? Or, when was the last time that you let these people do something for you ' and the community? • Few people seem to care - they assume that -no matter what they do it won't help because `they are going through a stage and will rebel anyway." But let's give them a chance! We were all "going through that stage" at sometime in our pasts. Recently I was at a Junior Farmers dance and to my surprise, a, very ` significant number of minors were turned away at the • door because the arena was full. It was fan- ' tastic to see such a large group of teens in- terested in having a good time. How many dances to you know of that allow any minors in? At this particular dance the Junior Farmers were concerned about the minors, only because they didn't want to lose their li- quor licence if a minor was drinki-ig. But, the minors weren't drinking due partially to the strict control by those running the dance and mainly because they weren't there to drink but for entertainment. So, as you might guess the problems that did arise were not caused by the Junior Farmer members or any of the minors. It was that group of people that we see causing troubles everywhere they go. LQttQrs ability to find enough seats together on the fact• we arrived too late. This year. we though we'd be smart and left Clinton at 5 p.m., putting us .at the front door in good time - or so we thotlght, , The line-up to get in wasn't bad but trying to find seats was enough to make you want to wrestle for a table and place it in the mid- dle of the dance floor. We eventually managed to get seats, They weren't the most desirable ones in the place, but we could see the band. Our seats would have been good for the non -dancers. By the tiine you elbowed your way through the crowd to the dance floor, the song was usually over. I attempted, and accomplished, this ma- jor feat twice, actually, getting on the dance floor and finding a few inches that where not occupied. On my third attempt, I made it to the dance floor just as the song was finishing but decided the next tittle had a fairly good beat. However, there wasn't any spare room on the floor so I made my way back to the table, sat down and was content to tap my toes, clap my hands and snap my fingers for the remainder of the evening. I must say that the sound system and the acoustics were great. Johnny Thunder and the Belmonts sounded good and the Roadhouse Band has some very talented singers and musicians. It's nice to visit a different place, try soinething new, but for my money I think I'll stick to small town bars. I've had all the elbowing I can take for one year. Paper Collection This Saturday, April 5, is the inonthly date for the Londesboro Lions to collect the papers in Clinton. Just bundle all of your old papers up and place thein by the curb or sidewalk. These groups and many more help the young adults around us become better adapted for later adult life. Why not help these groups? Let's give them support. After all there is a very small number of teens out there that cause all of the vandalism and other problems. We must give the majority a chance, and give that minority something to do to keep them out of trouble and out of the correctional institutions. Take a good look around you, there are some young people, (maybe even yours), that you would be proud to have in your community, working for you, in your church or as a neighbor. You must remember how trying your teen years were. But now it is even harder, especially with the high unemployment rate and easy access to drugs. We as a community must stop generaliz- ing those young adults around us as "bad". Let's be optimistic! Afterall, they are our future; give them a chance. They may sur- prise you. Do it for yourself if you won't do it for .them! J. Lomoc The ones that did cause the quarrels were like the ones that I remember from school as the fighters and "trouble makers". (The ones we looked down upon then and still do.) We all know these .people - they are the few people who spoil the fun for so many. Afterall, why should anyone who is putting on a dance to help the community be forded to step in and break up a fight? Junior Farmers, like many other organizations, tries to help others in the community, but some people , spoil it for ' . everyone. Too many people think of these groups, (4-11, Junior Farmers, church youth groups, and school clubs), as either "too straights' or not worthwhile, But they are very useeful. Reader is disappointed Ice fishing? By Anne Narejko with coverage Dear Editor: 1 was sure disappointed on the coverage your paper gave the Clinton Figure Skating Garnlvallast week. The ,packed arena sure- ly was some conse-lation to the hard working .itistructors,parents etc. whd;had done such alt excellenClob,. The many ' atitlful costumes and hour& of Norfrom ottllittle and big skaters were to be congratulated. , The sur Club e put.on a good program all evoi)i'tig ront to finish. Doddering.' Preserving the system Preserving the Canadian system of health care in Ontario is the reason for banning extra -billing. No one wants to turn back the clock to a time when patients were separated into two tiers or when files were classified as "private patients", meaning they could afford to pay, or "welfare pa- tients", meaning they could not afford to pay. People in Ontario and across Canada worked to build a medicare system of which we can be proud. Our health care system is based on the principle of universal access: that is, no one will be denied access to quali- ty health care simply because they are not financially well off. Banning extra -billing., will ensure universal access for everyone. The quality of our health care System in Ontario is, without question, as high or higher than any other in the world. When compared' with the system in the United States, Ontario definitely comes out on top. Looking at the U.S. we see a systen•where the cost of necessary medical treatment is the moat common cause of personal bankruptcy. • An elderly woman from Northern Ontario wrote to Health Minister Murray Elston recently about her experience in the U.S. She said in her letter that while she was visiting the United States, she had to spend several days iii hospital. This woman told Mr. Elston that if she did not have.OHIP, her care in the U.S. would have cost her $8,000, She closed her letter by urging Health Minister Elston and the Ontario Govetlittletlt to stand thin in the can t- Ment to eliminate extra -billing. Her concern, and the concern of many People throughout Ontario, is that the prac- tice.ilf,;extrn-billing will lead tea return to'a vivo -tier system of health dare In thlja prow vince. years. The Ontario Government is firm in its commitment to ban extra -billing. Cana- dians rejected such a two-tiered health care system decades ago when medicare was first introduced. The unanimous passing of the Canada Health Act in 1984 by both the House of Commons and the Senate reaffirm- ed that commitment. In fact, the Canada Health Act imposes a penalty on those pro- vinces where extra -billing is allowed to con- tinue. To date, the federal government in Ot- tawa is witholding over $90 million in federal transfer payments from Ontario. In addition, another $90 million has come out of the pockets of patients in this province to pay extra -billing charges. These same pa- tients have already paid for medical care through their taxes and their OHIP premiums. Banning extra -billing will allow Ontario to recover that money being withheld and permit the Ontario Govern- ment to Utilize that money to improve our health care system. High quality health care is expensive. The Liberal Government in Ontario recognizes this fact For this reason,,funding for health care in this province amounts to over $9 'pillion. This is virtually one-third of the en- tire provincial budget. This health care commitment translates into well over $1,000 in health care services .for every man, woman and child in Ontario. • At queen's Park, the Social Developrnent Committee is continuing to hear presenta- We cannot turn the clock back 20 tion from concerned groups and from iia- dividuals on how best to ban extra-billi and improve our health care system. Th legislation to end extra -billing was referred to committee to allow for constructive public input. When the house resumes sit- ting this spring, the legislation will receive third and final reading. Public support for an end to the practice of extra -billing continues to build. Health Minister Murray Elston is receiving more letters everyday from concerned in- dividuals urging the Ontario Governnfientto proceed with a ban on extra -billing. Moreover, on April 4, the Alliance to End Extra -Billing will be voicing its support for an end to the practice at Queen's Park. This group represents over 40 different organization and associations across Ontario. It is the responsibility of the Liberal Government in Ontario to ensure that all pa- tients have access to the physicians of their choice, that they are fully covered by their health insurance plan and do not have to pay extra for these services in Ontario. This is a commitment that has been made, and it is a promise the Ontario Liberal Governmental will keep. . Recreation Grant On behalf of my colleague, the Hopourable John Eakins, Minister .,of Tourism and Recreation, I am pleased .to announce that the Town of Goderich :15 receiving $20,000 for their Recreational Master Plan, under the Community Recrea- tional Planning grant. Got an opinion? le er to the editor 11