HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1983-04-27, Page 4•
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My On research would indicate, that
children undergo a complete meta xnorh-
posisat the age of two.
•Regardle sof ..,a• t lt#d"s deportment,
demieanor,, breeding and inclinations, there
is a sudden and irreversible transformation
which infiltrates children at precisely the
moment they turn two. In parenting; circles
it's known ,as the "Terrible Twos."
"He was such a wonderful little child until
suddenly on his second birthday he began to
terrorize - the other.children 'in the neigh-
bourhood and joind a motorcycle gang,"
bele red have parents s t commented in
exasperation..
In light of the fact my own son recently,
celebrated his second birthday; I conducted
an informal poll with parents on this sudden
and firghtening transformation. I submit,
that all children, scant minutes past their
second birthdays., turn • into human
dynamos, bent on destroying their parent's
.character alnd patience;
Sample the chewing evldence, d
This morning, after ' unfruitful 28
miminute searell #pr - Mn.. tear keys, I
demanded my son:s presence fQr a father,
son dialogue.
to work.. Where did
Daddy has to go r you
put his car keys?" I ask in fatherly but firm
tones. '
"Dad's keys?!' he says as if he had never
seen the things before in his life. "Where
are dad's keys?" ' . •
"Look here, kid. I'nr the one asking the
questions cause I'm the father. Now, I saw
you playing with my keys, do you remember
where you put them?" I ask still managing
to retain some semblance of patience while
glancing at the clock.
"I want dad's, keys," he says matter of
factly.
"You already had dad's keys and you lost
them," I begin yelling by now.
MY patle..
betel alert.
house. Of conriacurs
me every ted;,(.
mover Each
a chair, Aug
"Where's:,
no-one lupe + ;
damn well here;
respo the d suggests he will also.
Ind while avoiding the in -
41u_ lonin84
d looks`nervous s hl(e.
fadOrs :the impending deadlines of the da
n(i ttte a egitls screaming because f ile
wants to Ro toe.or . The mother of the'ebild
explains Haat ': while°, she, would relish the
thought, he must 'stay home while dad un-
personates aproductive member of society. .
In a desparate move, the mother of the
child discovers the car keys in the broom.
closet, an obvious location.
- "I should have known," the mother of the
child offers. "That's his office."
',The child, apparently, has a predilection
for wearing his dad's shoes and entering the
broom closet while pretendinghe's going to
work. "Qn ',i uesday morning I failed to see
the humour ;inthe situation,
I don't .think it will downy good to speak to
the child when T get home either.
pa swingo
t e stooge know
are hoeause htes
was, playing with them. a few minutes before
hand, The mother .of the tor� tble two-year
old joins in. the • search party''and° now he
thinks we're having a greattune
The whole mily has joined. h. ti"
the- game
and he's' delightefad.
We look in , underwear drawers, m the
oven, in the refrrdgerator, under the
cushions on the couch and in the toilet. When
one has children these become Common '
hiding places. However, still no keys.
The mother of the child questions him
relentlessly on the whereabouts of the keys.
*CNA
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Changing attitudes
. In the last couple of years, people from Newfoundland • to
British Columbia have been forced to accept a hefty dose
of economic reality and the results have been fascinating.
The 'dose of reality', df course, came in the form of a
recession that created massive unemployment, high
interest rates, near -record business bankruptcies and,
most important, a great deal, of uncertainty about the
future, particularly as it pertains to jobs.
The result; the attitudes of ordinary Canadians about
spending and getting value for their hard-earned cash has
changed dramatically, and people may' never, return to
the heavy borrowing, free -spending ways that charac-
terized the 1970s. .
It's true, Canadians generally don't have as much
money to spend, but they are even shepherding the money
that is available.. It seems we've made the giant leap from
a nation of seemingly uncaring spendthrifts to one where
frugality and value -for -a -dollar are paramount
Some retailers even contend that consumers are
becoming so selective in their buying habits that the at-
titude verges on stinginess.
There is evidence to support -that theory.
Everyone in the country, it seems, is developing a rain -
day nest egg to offset the threat of personal, layoff,
reduction in pay or a cutback in the number of hours
worked.
What else could explain the acknowledged fact that ,
Canadians are saving a staggering 14 per cent of
disposable income ( about $80 billion) up 50 per cent from.a
normal nine to 10 per cent. Attractive high interest rates
have certainly played a role in this savings binge, but
there is little question people are heeding the Boy Scout
motto "Be Prepared'.
While Canadians appear to be saving much more in
recent years, it follows that they are spending less, which
is indeed the. case.
Imports of mainly manufactured goods were down 13
per cent in 1982, and some major department store chains
are losing money because of the drop-off in sales.
Discount retailers and bargain basement operations, on
the other hand, appear to be picking up business as con-
sumers shop around. It seems that Canadians are
becoming more price conscious.
Bu$ then. there is always.. the Change in borrowing
patterns.
Simply put, we're paying off loans rather than in-
creasing the balances to buy . more consumer goods.
Consumer credit (as a percentage of after tax income) is
now at its lowest level since the 1960s, and even credit
card companies are feeling the pinch. Canadians are in
fact paying down those plastic balances with the !tit
high interest rates. •
In retaliation, some credit card sponsoring banks have
intitiated a monthly interest rate charge to the card
holder. Other banks have started a monthly user fee.
Restraint in wage settlements, it appears, has suddenly -.
become natural and it is not that atypical for employees to
grant concessions to the employer or maintain the same
wage and salary level rather than take a raise.
One union after another has accepted the reality that
many companies cannot afford big salary increases, so.
mediocre raises and even reductions have been..
negotiated.
At the government level, restraint programs have been
grudgingly implemented and accepted,.
Thepoint, of•course, is that the average Canadian has
. reacted quite reasonably and realistically to excruciating
changes in the economic environment. Savings are up,
borrowing is down and there is real soul searching and
investigation before major consumer items are pur-
chased.
Now it appears the recession is ending. Yet, even the
policies contained in Finance Minister Marc Lalonde's
budget may not be enough to change people into free -
spenders again.
That type of attitude has disappeared and been replaced
with caution out of economic necessity. Perhaps Prime
Minister Trudeau was right when he claimed that con-
sumers were not given concessions in the budget because
Canadians would not spend the money anyway.
Given recent circumstances and attitudes, the money
would probably not be spent. It is a tough chore to change
people's ideals that have been carefully carved out of
necessity over the past couple of years.
The new Canadian budget does appear to be a budget of
recovery though, and Lalonde has promised to create
120,000 new jobs and the consumer has been given help to
buy new homes and furniture.
Canadians have been given tax breaks and incentives
and other incentives should stimulate the housing in-
dustry. The budget may give the economy a boost,
Canadians will have to do the rest. .
Jaws
By Dave Sykes
READ
SHIRLEY KELLER
4o- ,
I know what you're going to say.
"She's a Liberal,". you'll say. "She'd defend
Marc Lalonde's budget if it called for the an-
nihilation of all the newborn baby girls in the
country.
There may be some truth in that I suppose. I
admit to being faithful to a party whenever Ican
..: and there have beentimes when I have sup-
ported a party unwisely. I'm sure I'm not alone
in that kind of a confession.
Fact is I'm rather lukewarm on Lalonde's
proposed budget. I was aware as I listened to
him deliver his long speech in the House of
Commons last Tuesday evening that he was
doing his best to appease as many bitter tax-
paying Canadians as possible.
It was -evident Lalonde tried to put something
constructive in the budget for business people,
industrialists, building tradesmen, miners,
farmers, young unemployed, old unemployed,
new home buyers, artists ,.... justabout, every
sector of society,
And he didn't do a bad job. It wasn't a great
budget, but it was a good budget .... considering
the fact the government has no money in reserve ,
and only one way to raise new money for
government spending.
Ther are those who think the "little guy" got
it in the ear again. Well, it could have been
wprse.
While Lalonde was picking the loose change
from our pockets for new taxes, he was creating
increased numbers of opportunities for Canadian
workers to earn paper folding money.
I planned to shut off the television at the end of
LaLonde's delivery. But the television moguls
pulled a fast one - they interrupted Lalonde's
speech to bring viewers a capsulized version of
the budget as prepared by one or two reporters
and to introduce some reaction from the
Opposition members to the finance minister's
proposals.
So I was almost forced to watch as the
Progressive Conservative member raved over
Lalonde's indiscretions the previous day in
"leaking" some budget figures and how it .had
"cost" : taxpayers $200,000,000 to "save"
Lalonde's face.
And just moments later I heard the NDP critic
rail against the finance minister because he had
been so stingy with government funding for "job
creation" projects and had only injected $4.$
billion into job creation over four years when it
should have been at least that much over one
year.
Obviously the PCs were much more -concerned
about "getting Lalonde" than about the worth of
the budget while the NDPs cared 'nothing. for
"tradition" and the staggering deficit as long as
there are people out there running out of UIC
benefits and depending on government
programs to solve their problems.
It was typical Canadian politics. Everyone did
his job. Everyone opposed the budget. The PCs
were livid Lalonde had put $200.000.000 extra in
the budget; the NDPs were furious Lalonde had
put no more than $200,000,000 xtra in the budget..
Predictably, nobody on either side was ready to
say it was at least a start toward recovery after
some difficult times.
Then we were subjected to the smirk of the
United Auto Worker spokesman who scoffed at
the pittance the government had put toward job
creation; and to the jibes of the consumer
spokesman who claimed there was nothing in the
budget for housewives.
Neither cared that the businessman between
them .felt the budget put fresh wheels under
industry and commerce to begin to - put
Canadians back to work.
Neither seemed interested that while one
million Canadians are having trouble finding
jobs, 25 or 30 million more Canadians are
working and are encouraged now to have con-
fidence in the economy, and to begin again to buy
Canadian -made manufactured goods and to
invest their savings in the companies -that .create '
new jobs for people who produce those goods. ` '
But the worst punishment of all was liatenning
to the pitiful pleadings of the Progressive Con- •
servative jackals Who howled for Lalonde's
resignation. No one suggested that the press had
been irresponsible in releasing such material ...
or that the press had been just a tiny bit un-
derhanded in filming the material in the first
place.
Nobody asked, "Was it a leak of information or
was it an outright spying mission which
deliberately took the advantage to steal an
illegal peak into confidential government
papers?„
Nobody called for the resignation of the news
director who allowed the "leak" to have public
exposure. Nobody suggested the Hamilton
television station that released the story should
be banned from future news conferences for lack
of integrity.
But even more than that, nobody suggested the
average citizen of Canada - persons without a
political axe to grind - really cares a fig whether
a portion of the budget speech was made public
day early. What difference does it make?'
Millions of Canadians didn't even care enough to
tune in when the budget was actually handed
down last Tuesday evening.
It's about time Canadians asked for a
moratorium on such ridiculous "traditions"
which promote useless in -fighting among power-
hungry politicians.
.fust like every other segrirent of Canadian
society, 'politicians should be expected to be
primarily concerned with earning their keep.
They should get on with the productive debate
which will get legislation underway to put
Canada back in the mainstream of the world's
competitive markets.
They should cease the bickering fostered by
our antiquated government s'rstem and behave
like the professionals taxpayers thought they
had elected:
Since Goderich council passed its 1983
budget in March I have been asked several
times about my reaction to it. In my opinion
it is. a good budget, well processed and
presented. However, there are two items of
disappointment to which I shall refer below.
You see that I do not hesitate to register
my opinion, because municipal government
in general and as it relates to our town
specifically is a subject to which I am deep-
ly committee. One could say that now it is a
fascinating hobby.
Over the years progressive and open
methods have been developed locally in
municipal dealings and affairs. The system
has evolved into a healthily flexible, well in-
formed and efficient partnership between
the concerned leadership by council
members and an alert, caring and up-to-
date administration.
I was pleased to see that this highly
beneficial and suitable format continued to
be followed in the 1983 budget preparations.
The substantial amounts of surplus passed
on from previous Councils' careful work-
ings, with administrative support in finan-
cial initiatives, resulted in an appreciable
surplus of some $188,000. - at the end of 1982.
It is of definite help to this council in carry-
ing on with previously prepared and com-
mitted projects without a hefty tax increase.
The two items of disappointment were the
five percent increase in the remuneration
the council gave itself and the more than or-
dinarily rough treatment given to the
tourism committee whose budget was singl-
ed out for slashing.
In dollars and cents the five percent in-
crease does not amount to much in the
overall budget, but as an example of the
principles of leadership and restraint it is
very much a negative step: There should be
no comparison or confusion with the in-
crease given to the employees, as for them
their jobs and positions are their career and
livelihood.
*
During the fairly recent election cam-
paign we all remember there was much talk
about leadership and restraint. It was in-
teresting to note that when the increase
bylaw was passed, the returning members
(councillors Carey, Searls. Doherty and
r
Wheeler) voted against the five percent pay
increase. The newcomers to council who
had held office merely three months decided
that the increase was necessary and deserv-
ed.
In the leadership question it should be
noted that the pay increase Council gave
itself was the direct factor leading the
P.U.C. to demand the same percentage in-
crease. Of course, in all fairness - cduncil
has quite a long time ahead with many
chances to convince us of other and better
versions of leadership.
One of the directions I should like to see is
a more truly understanding and ap-
preciative relationship the council members
could cultivate with the committees, star-
ting with the Tourism Committee. It is such
a pity that some councils and some
members find it difficult to realize fully and
, to admit what remendous help there is in the
work done by these tireless volunteers and
how it adds to the positive image of our'tom-
munity. One detects a particularly unfor-
tunate tendency to regard the helpers as
adversaries to be put down on many occa-
A
sions. It appears that many personality and
who knows whatever conflicts are dormant
for a period; then the old dislikes are taken
out and polished again and they are visible
for miles. For goodness sake - can't they be
buried?
It is not enough to pay lipservice to the im-
portance of tourism in our economy and
then to turn around and cut the tourism
budget by more than one third. If a commit-
tee member is willing to spend his or her
time without any pay, in order to promote
the town or to learn how to promote it better
still, I would expect council to provide the
bare expenses without any hesitation, if
there is going to be any credibility IA the en-
tire set-up.
Perhaps it was the presentation of last
year's audited statement to the Council that
Made me think again how no Council works
in isolated glory and how it takes many
years of steady work, devotion, restraint
and leadership on the part of many people to
make a municipality function solidly and as
well as ours does.
ELSA HAYDON
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