HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1982-06-16, Page 4PAGE 4—GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16,1982
DAVE
SYKES
As the minister pronounced the couple
man and wife the groom applied a lusty
clinch on the bride and smooched her with a
fervor that solicited giggles and knowing
glances from the invited guests.
My cousin and his new bride became a
team Saturday, prepared to do battle
together in an uncompromising and com-
plicated world. Love apparently conquers
all.
Relatives dabbed at teary eyes, the same
time trying to figure out how to conquer the
electronic intrecasie& of the. flash onSlaeir
camera to get a picture that wouldn't mean.
anything to anybody three' days from now.
Crying, sobbing and taking out -of -forks
pictures are rules of the game though, In
celebration of the newlywed's happiness.
I rather enjoy weddings although the
missus claims•I have an errant peztchant for
J — eating and drinking to excessand getting too
n. friendly with the bridesmaids Regardless, I
rt£�
hold firmly to away fondness for weddings,
especially in my crazy family, when
celebrations are apt to continue, unabatted,
foetwo or three days or until the next family
wedding.
It has been a source of contention between
the little lady and I since she was first ex-
posed to the antics of my family zoo. I have
maintained, and with good and substantive
reason, that her family was staid, sober and
generally didn't have a due about partying.
While somewhat reticent to concede the
issue, the missus was forced to capitulate to
the -facts at hand. My family will party for
no reason, whichis good reason as far as
they're concerned.
The weekend wedding provided ample
excuse and taking advantage of the op-
portunity, the party continued through
Sunday, much to the chagrin of my stomach,
which was achingly pleading for mercy.
In retrospect, the pain Was small com-
pensation for the enjoyment extracted. The
sentimentality sent this sedulous scribe into
serious thought, as the beaming couple
made its way down the aisle, as man and
wife.
I leaned over to the life partner and asked
if she would mind getting married again. To
me, of course.
"Are you kidding," she shot back in-
stantaneously with a sneerful look that
doubted the sincerity of my romantic, but
obviously insane, proposal.
I was devasted by the flat rejection from
the resident mother who once viewed this
scrawny scribe as the fulfillment to wedded
bliss.
To be honest, the little lady had good
reason to turn her nose down at a.second
wedding. There's no end to the meticulous
planning and there's too many details to be
bothered with.
Certainly today, the costs of getting
married are prohibitive and the only
alternatives are living together or limiting
the size of the celebration.
Of course a fella could choose not to marry
at all, but as the old story goes, what would
he do for aggravation.
Despite the cost of a wedding, and despite
the fact that a good percentage of marriage
end up in divorce within the first ten years,
couples are still flooding to the altar.
Driving a car is a serious responsibility and
the government requires potential drivers to
pass examinations and hone their skills with
a learner's permit.
Perhaps the same logic should be applied
to marriage. If consen_ ting adults could
practice at marriage with a learner's
permit, the divorce rate would certainly
decrease. So would the number of weddings.
It looks as if my chances of getting
married again are slim, so I'll just have to
enjoy the festivities when others take the
plunge.
PCNA
BLUE
RIBBON
AWARD
Second class
mail registration
number -0716
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Mustw�rk together
There was a hint of animositybetween members of town
council and the PUC Monday as the two groups met to
discuss the expansion of the water distribution system in
the town of Goderich.
The parties are not strangers to animosity; it seems, but
the meeting was more than constructive in getting the
sides together for rational and articulate discussion on a
project of mutual concern. The discussion was in-
formative and encouraging, but the sides differ greatly on
financing.
No-one was in dispute of the fact that the town's water
supply and distribution system is inadequate and perhaps,
woefully so. The town and PUC have been planning the
expansion of the storage and distribution system for years
r but the mechanics of financing block an amicable solution
at the moment.
The Ministry of the Environment owns and operates the
water filtration plant, but would like the municipality to
assume that control and undertake the expansion at a cost
of $1.8 million. The ministry.would inject over $700,000 into
the project and the town {, would have to raise the
remaining $1 million plus.
There's no dispute that the system needs work but there
was concern over the advantages of the municipality
taking over control of the water distribution system and
the financing. There was no demonstrable evidence in-
dicating any advantages to the town assuming ownership
of the filtration plant. •
A consulting engineer, hired by the PUC, suggested in a
report that the town assume control of the plant and
proceed with the expansion plans. But, the author later
claimed in the same report, there would be no visible
advantage to the town, if it assumed ownership. The
engineer intimated that savings might be realized through
automation; which would eliminate the need for two
operators.
If there are no advantages to assuming control of the
plant, the town and PUC would be better off leaving the
ministry in control.
But, the real contentious issue revolved around
financing the $1 million expansion necessary to upgrade
the system. The PUC wants the town to apply for a
debenture on its behalf, and the payments, which will
range from $150,000 to over $200,000 annually, will be
raised through a reserve fund and increased residential
water rates.
The PUC is puttingaway $38,000 a year in reserve for
the project. It also projects that an annual increase of
on the residential water bill, coupled with the reserve;
will cover the costs.
The bottom line was that taxpayers would simply cover
the costs of the debenture,. at interest rates of up to 20 per
Cent, through increased water rates. Paradoxically,
residents of Goderich live on the brink of a natural water
source and pay one of the highest rates for water in the
province.
Council members were cautious and raised legitimate
concerns about the taxpayer's ability to shoulder the cost
of the project through increased water rates. And also the
PUC's ability to cover the annual payments, that could
exceed $200,000, simply through the water rates.
It was obvious that council member's concerns over the
financing miffed PUC chairman Albert Shore and he
stated that the PUC simply wanted council to act as the
agent in securing the debenture, and that the PUC would
raise the money as they saw fit.
If the taxpayers will ultimately finance the project, then
both parties should reach an amicable solution and as
Stan Profit said, devise the best method of raising the
funds. To leave the PUC to raise the funds would only give
Goderich residents the dubious distinction of paying the
highest water rates in the province.
It didn't appear that PUC members thought the
financing through thoroughly, but were willing to ad on a
recommendation that residents would only pay an ad-
ditional $27 annually and the project would proceed. Ona
monthly basis, taxpayers could handle that burden.
But, it became blatantly obvious that the increase would
not cover the debenture debt.
The water system has been inadequate for a number of
years and the imposition of watering restrictions became
a fact of life. Certainly residents will be willing to live with
those restrictions until attractive financing is available.
To suggest, as one PUC member did, that the provincial
government wouldn't take a grant request from the town
of Goderich seriously, if they failed to act immediately,
indicates the government is insensitive to the needs of the
people. That should not be the case.
The two groups still may have some differences but one
thing is painfully obvious. They have to work together in
the interest of the taxpayer and the town of Goderich. D.S.
Employees praised
In a recent edition of the Signal -Star a writer offered a
letter in praise of the decision of a group of employees to
grant concessions to their employer.
An agreement such as that, while certainly not the most
attractive alternative, is a sensible one. One that mahy
employees have had to accept in recent months.
The action taken by Champion employees does deserve
credit and praise. The ultimate decision to grant con-
cessions was no doubt an agonizing one for both unionized
and non-union employees.
But the concessions speak well of both the company and
employees.
Employees at all levels shared in the company profits
• last year and now, during restrictive economic times,
they are sharing the burden of a slow and more com-
petitive market. �+
Certainly, the decision to grant concessions to an em-
ployer is not an easy one, but it .is a decision that many
Canadian labourers have been confronted with recently.
• Everyone has to decide for him or herself, but, com-
promise can go a long way towards improving relations
and the economy.
Unions have been asked to take a tough stand against
granting concessions to employers, but, ultimately, the
decision is a personal one and one that could mean the
difference between a regular paycheque and unem-
ployment. Workers at Inco in Sudbury have made the
decision not to grant concessions and are subsequently on
the picket line in support of their demands.
It is difficult to sit in judgment of their decision but the
strike has a great spinoff effect on the community. Many
people could suffer as a result of the action taken.
People generally live according to their means, and
concessions could dictate an alteration in lifestyle. It
seems now that Canadians will have to live with that and
suffer through it.
The action by Champion employees should be offered up
in exemplary fashion and the government should take
notice that some Canadians are willing to make
sacrifices. The government must also show some
restraint and leadership in this respect when dealing with
employee contracts. Even reasonable ceilings on future
contracts would at least offer evidence of a meagre at-
tempt to practice restraint in government spending.
Leadership; should start at the top with the legislators
agreeing to a wage freeee, but much of our economic
leadership and hardship, is surfacing from the bottom.
D.S.
ummer breeze
By Dave Sykes
DEAR READERS
SHIRLEY KELLER
I hada very disturbing chat last week with an
old friend of mine from high school, Bill Batten.
Bill just happens to be the editor of The Exeter
Times -Advocate ... and in my opinion, a pretty
hard-nosed newsman.
We were discussing the 33 percent increase
that the Huron County school trustees voted to
themselves sometime last winter.
That little boost was not reported until last
week, by the way. The matter ,was carefully
disguised within committee minutes and
probably wouldn't have been discovered even
now if some public-spirited citizen hadn't ac-
cidentally heard the scam and spilled the beans.
Bill and I talked about Chairman Dorothy
Wallece's attitude that another $1,600 per month
"doesn't make much difference in a $32 million
budget".
And we discussed the board's simple logic that
if The Education Act says that's how much
money is allowed for the job in Huron, that's how
much money trustees here should have. All
trustees. Never mind if some don't ears it ... and
the word is out that there are trustees even here
in Huron who are about as effective as a screen
door in a submarine.
I was getting pretty hot under the collar about
it all. I thought it was downright cheeky of board
members to take such a whopping hike when
Canadians from British Columbia through
Newfoundland are caught in financial miseries
the Lies of which we haven't seen since The
Great Depression. -
Why, here in Goderich we're still reeling from
a voluntary pay cut at Champion, one of
town's biggest employees. How can the board
members explain that away I wondered?
I even suggested to Ball that if the five weekly
newspapers put their collective shoulder to the
wheel, we could make a real stink about this and
maybe even cause board members to rethink
their decision.
T'nat brought a-littie-chuckle from m-mypal- Bill:
He was probably remembering the last time the
board bowed to pressure and cut its stipend. That
lasted only until the next opportunity when the
rabble-rousers were absent.
But Bill, who by the way is senior to me in
years as well as in experience, told me to cool my
jets.
"Nobody cares,Shirley," he told me evenly.
"Nobody cares what the board of education
members do. Stop flogging a dead horse. Nobody
cares."
Where's your fighting spirit man, I thought?
Where's that old editorial fire?
During the weekend I talked to a few people
about. it. I won't say people aren't angered and
frustrated by the board's decision to pay
themselves top dollar. They are. People are
upset about quite a few things these days. This is
just one more smack in the mouth
But the truth is just what Bill suspected. The
board office won't he stormed by screaming
mobs of irate taxpayers; smug trustees will be
able to honestly report they didn't get any flack
from their constituents; and this fall when
nominations roll around, there won't be a flood of
new candidates to take the place of current
board members.
Fact is Huron County residents are quite
content to let the school board trustees take
another $100 per month ... or anything more they
can eke out of the public purse.
And it is just such apathy that board members
count on when they go into their deliberations.
They know full well they won't be challenged by
the taxpayers of Huron County.
Board members findnut early in their careers
that if they keep a low profile and don't rock the
boat at the board meetings in Clinton, they can
keep their comfy seats until they are ready to
retire and they'll never have to show their
colours to the public except on their own terms.
A sad comment isn't it. But so true. So
sickeningly true.
There are a few trustees that I am surprised
did not blow the whistle on this one. But nary a
_word- to any editor in any of t e- newspapers
throughout this county by any member of the
board of education .
I do understand why. The fight has been taken
out of the fighters. The majority of them have
packed up their bulging paper files and headed
back - whipped and disillusioned - to the ranks of
the uncaring.
For the fighters who do remain, it's no fun
sticking your neck out and having it chopped off
for a weak-kneed electorate that would give you
more respect if you acted like a door -knob.
Last week, Signal -Star Editor Dave. Sykes
wrote •what I thought was an excellent piece on
the board's arrogance. I expect every other
editor in the county worth his salt will make
some .attempt to stir up their readers to action -
or reaction.
A few trustees will have some pangs of con-
science and get in touch with the editor - perhaps
for the first time this two-year term - to explain
• their reasoning' and implore some greater
measure of understanding.
No doubt, the • average school teacher wall
catalogue the information under "ammunition"
t� be used whenever salary talks get to the
serious stage.
But the average Joe Taxpayer - the poor guy
who gets hit for everything from seven cents on
the dollar for shaving cream through T4 slips
that report to the revenuers every rotten penny
he earns - won't even make a whimper.
Quite correctly he asks, "What's the use? My
board member is just going to tell me he earns
every penny - and more. He isn't going to listen
to my problems. He'll probably just insult me -or
make me madder than I am now. I don't need
that aggravation"
Well, dear readers, I'm one taxpayer who
thinks the increase to board members is poorly
timed, excessive and undeserved by some.
But most of all, I feel uneasy about decision -
makers, especially our neighbors and friends at
the local level; who deliberately mask all bit the
popular or innocuous'decisiols.
• Huron County citizens have a right to expect
more fortire $100-a weekthey-are paying per -
education representative, but it's a safe bet
nothing much will change
No wonder nobody cares.
Some individuals only understand force
Dear Editor;
Our illustrious P.M. has
denounced Israel for
retaliating against P.L.O.
harassment of gunfire. I was
just wondering what he ex-
pected them to do - say
"Naughty, naughty, tsch,
tsch, that's not nice, now!"
Did he expect to take them to
a court of law that doesn't
exist?
We all know that the Arabs
LETTERS
are a law unto themselves.
They proved this tathe world
when they held the hostages
in Iran for 444 days, but were
eventually released. This
happened in Nov. 1979.
We have an example of
what our illustrious P.M.
would do if we were invaded
or harassed by radicals who
make their own laws. The
naughty, naughty
psychology wouldn't work in
Canada, because it didn't
work in the Falklands. These
individuals only understand
one thing, the language call-
ed Force, and, of course,
money, because it is a by-
product for force.
The frozen assets that
belonged to the Arabs in the
U.S. also played a major role
in having' the hostages
released.
We can be thankful, that
Britain and the United States
have chosen to use common
sense in dealing with these
individuals.
Canada is in a very
precarious situation as to
having a deterrent against
aggression. Money and force
are very scarce items in our
domain at the present time.
Will the dollar sink out of
Tuns to page 5