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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1980-04-16, Page 4Q]Gl!E. ICIi SJQN4L STAR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1980 BLUE RIBBON AWARD Second class mail registration 'number -0716 SINCE 1 R4R THE SEWS -PORT FOR GODER.ICIrI 8R DISTRICT fanned la. 4f end published ae.ry i Nednasday at Ooderrch. Ontorlo. Member of the CCNA and OWNA. Adver- tlsinp rgfes ottrap est. Subscrlptlons payable In advance •16.00 In Canada, 'JS.00 to U.S.A., 'MS.00 to all other coun- frlo0, Oinple copies 45', Display advertising rate„ available on request, Please ask for Rote Cord No. 10 effective Sept,1, 1075. Second doss mall Registration Number 0716, Advertising Is ocgopted on the condition that In theevent of tYPegraphicai error. the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item. together with reasonable allowance for signature. will not be charged for but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rote. in the event of a typographical error advertising goods or services at a wrong price; goods or service may not be sold. Advertising Is merely an offer to soil. and may be withdrawn at any time. The Signal -Star it not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for reproducing purposes. PUBLISHED BY: SIGNAL -STAR PUBLISHING LIMITED ROBERT G. SHRIER President and Publisher SHIRLEY J. KELLER - Editor • DONALD M. HUBICK - Advertising Manager DAVID SYKES - Assistant Editor P.O. BOX -220. HUCKINS ST. INDUSTRIAL PARK GCIDERICH N7A 4B6 FOR BUSINESS OR EDITORIAL OFFICES please phone (519) 524-8331 What will YOU do? It's that time. of year again. The weather is beginning to warm up, the sun is climbing higher in the heavens and baseball fever is rampant. Goderich has never been known as a baseball mecca. The community doesn't have many really excellent travelling teams. In fact, it is always surprising to minor baseball organizers that so few youngsters want to get involved with the game each summer to the same extent they play hockey in the -winter. , But where recreational baseball is concerned, Goderich is bursting at the seams. Everybody wants to get out to the diamond, and whether it is softball, fastball, hardball, slo pitch or T -ball, whether it is the young or the old, whether as a spectator or a participant, baseball is high priority with a growing number of people in Goderich. There •'is -a problem though. The number of safe, adequate playing fields is severely limited. Scheduling all the teams that want time on the bases is a nightmare for the recreation department and it won't be easy this year to prevent misun- derstandings and unhappiness. A formerresident and town councillor in Goderich, Paul Carroll, used to say that in the future, there will need to be more participatory government if the demands of the -public are to -be - met, That's especially true where the development of recreational facilities is concerned, Fortunately for Goderich and its citizens, many avid baseball players and fans as well as other interested ' citizens have contributed time and money to assist the municipality to build some excellent baseball fields in town. The two diamonds at Agricultural Park are among the best in the area and this year, a new diamond at the high school will be opened for use. Besides this, the diamonds at St. Mary's Separate School and at Victoria Public School will be used by the community's recreation teams. In past years, these school diamonds have been a real help to th, schedule, despite- the fact the condition of the diamonds has been less than desirable': As well, two new diamonds, used almost ex- clusively now for slo-pitch, have been developed in Industrial Park - one at Signal -Star and one at Champion. These two particular diamonds have been constructed by interested players and fans with industry consent, and have added greatly to the recreational scene in town. There's no doubt that the town could use at least one more good ball diamond - maybe two. There is also no doubt that if ;new ball fields are to be a reality, more participation by ballplayers and fans will be necessary. Whether that assistance comes in the form of money or volunteer labor or both, players and fans are going to have to continue to help themselves. At budget time this year, the town councillors were looking at 'every conceivable way "to -cut- ex_ penses. The recreation budget gets chopped along with all the rest, and'the recreation department just doesn't have large amounts of disposable cash to get things done as much as it would like to oblige. The answer lies in citizen participation. That's where YOU come in. What are YOU going to do about it"?',-SJK old problem reborn Farmers from. Huron County are marching on Toronto on Wednesday, April 23 because they are fed up with high prices for everything but farm produce. Here is a quote from their brief: "Farmers see themselves as struggling for survival in a society that, has become insensitive to the' needs of the productive side of the economy. The bulk of our. society only know every -increasing affluence and ~rabuiidunce of all- ir ateriai-goods ineluding-feeds- a and, therefore, they have become insensitive to the needs of those who produce their food for them." Does the,shoe fit? The brief continues: "We therefore request you and your government to assume ... society's responsibility in dealing with, the productive segments of the economy', especially agriculture.' Recognizing the vital , role agriculture plays in society today, we insist 'on greater government support for our, industry evidenced by concrete programs, especially in the area of financial support." It will be interesting to see how government deals with this matter ... or if government deals with it. Farmers may be in trouble financially it's true, but consumers feel they are hard hit too, not only for food but ,for all the "other "luxuries" which have become necessities in recent years. Farmers may produce the food, but consumers buy it. And it will take the wisdom of Solomon to solve the problem to the satisfaction of all'. SJK- Time for government The interesting aspect of Throne speeches is learning how government policy will differ from campaign promises.. The Canadian House of Commons was active again Monday ending almost a year of cam- paigning, elections and transition. The Canadian people will now surely „ welcome a period of government stability in turbulent economic times. With the deliverance of the Throne Speech the Liberal government has committed itself to greater government involvement in Canada, more Canadian control of the economy and a concerted effort to battle sovereignty association. The new government has not promised an im- mediate attack on the deficit and there will be no immediate relief for those burdened with skyrocketing mortgage rates. People faced with foreclosures will be given government aid. There is no certain cure for our economic rri'aladies but the country has been without a budget since the fall of 1978. Hopefully, slowly, the government may intorduce and effective and realistic budget to work in directions it failed to reach in the 1970s. The throne Speech has promised an expanded PetroCan, 50 per cent Canadiancontrol of the petroleum industry, new marketing boards, tighter foreign investment control, freedom of information legislation and an urgency to revive a lost national spirit and identity. it is easy ,to he critical faced with tough interest rates and high costs, regional unrest and un- certainty about our unification. Canada has been without direction too long and what we really need is more efficiency in gover- nment. e lar es,se of municipal )" spending: its causes andcures BY K.F. AINSLIE . Municipal spending in the Town of Goderich is seriously stretching the limits of endurance. Spending over the past five years has grown by 125 per- cent in the aggregate i.e. all municipal spending including ' the Board of Education and County levies. Separating these latter bodies from the tally,expenditures escalated by a whopping 137 percent, making for an average annual rise of 27 percent. What accounts foxthis condition?. Is Council really in control of its spending? Let's see. Firstly, the . Town cannot legally control the levy submitted by the Board of. Education under the combined provisions of the Municipal Act and the Education Act. The Board's share is not insignificant as it consumes about 40 percent of locally raised . taxation or about one. quarter' of the Corporation's total annual budget. As a result of heavy spending by the Council itself, that share has not changed much as 'a proportion of the Town's total budget over the past few years, even though the Board's levy goes up by about 30 percent per year. This figure is three times the inflation rate. By contrast, the County's levy has jumped only by 32 percent in five years; no more, than'6 percent an- nually. Secondly, the Town Council has somewhat more control over its boards and committees, but not much more, at least financially. The. Town has 11 boards and committees., each con- tributing its share to the Town's fiscal burden.. To be fair, six have been struck in conformity with provincial legiSlation or are_ the manifestation termunicipal agreements:.. However, others are not; some are big spenders. Most notorious of these is the Recreation Board, but there are other high //cost or fast growth bodies. Lt's take a look. + Recreation Board 1975 - $492,576 1976 - 184,131 1977 - 197,568 1978 - 290,566 , 1979 - 357,048 Tourist Committee $26,057 18,159 18,871 19,667. 19,958 • Day Care $1,165 • 12,560. 16,880 25,781 27,176 Architecture Conserv. Comm. $- 418 6,182 2,156 4,051 +All figures are taken from the Town of.G.oderi ch .S tate,m ents. of_Exp.end iture 1975 - 79. Thirdly, there has been a .failure of political will to contain• growth in services directly administered by Council itself. This trend has occurred over a number of years and such blind incrementalism has caused a rise in 'soft service' consumption (social services) to about 50 percent of total expenditures. With soft service consumption at this level, I think we can raise. some legitimate questions about the role of local government, especially if that local government is to be financed primarily 'by property taxation. Clearly social services do not service property, as, , the ,hard services' do (water, fire and police protection, sewers and road maintenance). Role of Local Government? Should property taxes finance only hard , services with the raminder financed by provincial unconditional and conditional grants? Should the Town be engaged in en- terprise coperationssuch as the Marina, considering it will soon be competing with a private sector enterprise? Are present user -charges sufficient to off -set the less -than -universal public services such as the arena and airport? Do we have a policy on user charges? What is the role of reserve funds? Do we have pblicy on such a large and important fund that now tops the million dollar mark? Do we have a policy on short term investment assets or do they arrive in expenditure categories through ad- ministrative discretion? Who Guards the Treasury? I dare say there are number of reasonably legitimate perspectives supporting continued expansion of the municipal public sector. In addition, each municipal program will have its ..hare_ of sped_aLinter_est.__pxomote.rs:,_..., both inside and outside the" 'Cor- poration's employ. But who is looking at the big picture; who is guarding the treasury? Aside from the balanced budget rule imposed by the Ontario Municipal Board in the 1930s, there are few assuming, responsibility, .for any sustained period, in order to provide some balance against the ritualistic increases in spending. Causes of Spending? What are the causal determinants of municipal 'spending? What are the implications of real growth in the public sector, in financial and social terms? Basically, three factors contribute to This two-part article is sub- mitted by K.F. Ainslie, Prin- cipal Consultant, Norflex Group, Pu -blit - Management na.ge-m.e.n.t- suitants and Lecturer in local government and business ad- ministration, University of Western Ontario expansion of ,the public sector: 1) Inflation, 2) the Demand and 3) Supply of public services. 1) Inflation: For municipal gover- ,, nment, inflation is largely un- controllable. However, there are a number of structural considerations, policy and administrative decisions if you like, .that affect inflationary pressures on the municipality. Mainly, these considerations relate to the portion of the budget devoted 'td 'soft services'. 'Soft services' are labour intensive;:._ usually personnel' _.costs account for 70 percent or more of costs. If" 'soft services' are gobbling up, 50 percent of gross municipal ex- penditures, as they are, then we have structured expenditures in such a way as to build in inflation mechanisms in. program costs, assuming labour costs are following increases .in consumer prices.. ---Soft---services' •-lock--govern- - - fnents ' into expensive• programs - because a large component -of spending is non -discretionary (labour costs), and as' such difficult to pare down gradually. 2). Demand for Public Services: Three contributors of demand for services are: population growth, in- dustrial -commercial infrastructure needs and the demands of interest' groups. It does not take much ob- _ servation to see that the first two factors exert less than pressing •force on demand-. Interest groups are predominantin this category. 3) Supply of Public Services:. The intrinsic supply factor finds its source in bureaucracy. Expanding' bureaucracies and bureaucratic behaviour bolster the supply side. In a simple terms, empire -building, as well as bureaucratic tastes and preferences _:anxt. pxofessiona norms_--.exerr_t._. con,_,. -. siderable pressure on public service expansion. Since 1976, the Council has created two new. senior municipal. service positions and re-newed another full-time senior position (each, as it turns out, are.. excellent ad- minis'trators). Administration costs have risen from $165,192 in 1975 to $255,044 in 1979, a 14 percent year in- crease. The Decision In the end we must decide whether public amenities for selected groups and interests are consuming too much in proportion to the amount they or their sponsors contribute financially and whether there are certain groups and interests to whom we owe a,public duty. I am personally drawn to the claims of the elderly, the developmentally handicapped and families in need of day care but less persuaded by the - claims of potentially self-reliant recreational interests. Public financing of these interests amounts to little more than middle class welfare: (Next week, the implications of spendingand correctives) . DEA'R READERS BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER Believe it or not, summer is on the way. And with summer comes the annual thirst for cold, frothy beer - that distinctive tasting brew that effectively quenches dryness in the throat but, if over -done, changes the sensible habits of some t'o boisterous abandon. There's long been a dispute about the wisdom of beer drinking. While it is a popular pastime for a growing number of Canadians each year, there are those who wish beer drinking could be controlled somewhat to prevent broken homes and severed relationships, not to mention the diseased and battered bodies of the over -indulgers. To this'end, the Ontario government has sponsored a number of costly commercials and advertisements in themedia to encourage drinkers to remain in control of their own bodies and minds. The message isn't so much to cease and desist from all beer drinking (or liquor tipping) but rather to use booze in moderation. It's really good advice, too. Most anyone you talk to can cite examples from within his own experience about' the lasting damage that Can result from too much alcohol. And some of the stories aren't at all pretty. In recent years though, a new phenomenon has been in evidence. It's the beer tent or "festival garden" syndrome. It has caught on like wildfire. People seem to love beer tents. They flock to them like bees to clover. They 'are real moneymakers. And if you have ever visited a beer tent, you have to admit there's a spirit of community goodwill there that doesn't always exist in the regular day-to-day world. Why? Probably some people would say it is because the alcohol in the beer stakes the edge off people's normal apathy and reserve. Tongues are loosened, thoughts are freed and people happily communicate with each other. When beer tents are sponsored by a local club or organiation, they take on another dimension that is seldom recognized. By virtue of the fact they are established by community volunteers, they attract folks who might normally not go down to the local pub from one year to the next. There's an immediate need for everyone to "support" the efforts of these corn- munity-minded individuals who are giving ,so generously of their time and energy to,this worthwhile cause. And in a sense, then, beer drinking -becomes a kind of social obligation rather than a choice. In Goderich, beer tents haven't really been a serious problem for. police ... or so we've been led tp believe. Tobe perfectly fair, responsible service club members have kept a close eye on the patrons of the beer tent, and to date have successfully dealt with any im- pending troublemakers, That is, of course, to the credit of beer tent organizers. There is growing support, though, for a policy to restrict the location of beer tents in Goderich. Many taxpayers think a beer tent has no place on public parkland - especially when that parkland is situated in the business lore or near residential property. Many thinking people say Goderich is blessed with the perfect location for beer tents. The beach, these taxpayers insist, gets the beer tent away from the More travelled areas of town and allows greater freedom for beer tent sitters. This immediately presents a new problem, though. The 'further away tents are located from the heart of the community, the more likelihood there is of alcohol misuse. There's no denying that there is one standard of behaviour naturally demanded in a public park ..: and another standard set for a relaxed, out-of-the-way spot like a beach. Beer tents aren't always rowdy and noisy, but they are probably more apt to become so when the natural social barriers of a more public location are dropped. ' It may be time for the organizers of beer tents in this community to sit down together and with town council to hammer out some fixed guidelines for beer tents. Surely each group could benefit from --the experiences of others, and a very eaitingful, acceptable policy should . e able to be developed which wou ensure that beer tents in Goderich_ would be perpetually 'well supervised and decently presented. ' If beer tents are here to stay - and they seem to be then let them be out in the open and campatible with the majority of Goderich likes and dislikes.